Sermon Preached on Sunday 26th Aug 2018 at All Saints' Church, Belvedere

Sermon for Sunday 26th August 2018

Readings:

Joshua 24.1-2a & 14-18

Eph 6:10-20

John 6:56-69

May I speak in the Name of the Eternal Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen

In todays’s Gospel, we continue the theme of the last four weeks where we’ve heard Chapter six from John’s Gospel. Jesus has spoken of himself as the Bread of Life and of the need to eat his flesh and drink his blood in order to have eternal life.

The paradox or of this chapter is perhaps the difference between those who despite their doubts, believe that Jesus was sent by the Father and therefore the Messiah, and those who find it hard to believe, and eventually decide that it’s too hard and leave. it also reflects some of the rejection by Jesus’ own people of his teaching, a rejection that eventually took him to the Cross.

It reflects the dilemma that faces everyone who is a follower of Jesus, perhaps like doubting Thomas, needed to see before he believed¹, yet we who have not seen, but believe, are blessed as Jesus told the disciples before his ascension².

Yet, among the apparent rejection, God continues to work with the word of Truth and life, through Jesus, who isn’t about to back down.

What we believe is at is at the centre of our Lives as Christians. Our current Pilgrim course on the Creeds has reflected how deeply felt individuals beliefs are, but also how complex the concept of what we are called to believe can be.

My own simple description of this dilema would be

 We in Christ and he in us³.

I make connections with the great old Hymn, Abide with Me.

When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, oh, Lord abide with me!

Later in John’s Gospel, Jesus also tells us that he came to bring us life in all of it’s fullness⁴;

Jesus demonstrated his compassion for others, he associated with the poor, vulnerable and outcasts of the society in his own time⁵. He tells us to care for each other, particularly the foreigner, or stranger⁶. he described that care in the parable of the “Good Samaritan⁷⁸”.

Today’s gospel tells us of his concern for the eternal life of all of God’s people, and he chose language which deliberately challenged his listeners to highlight it.

 Some of Jesus’ followers were uneasy with what he had been saying, it all seemed to hard to do, or to understand. They left⁹

‘This is intolerable language’, some of the Apostles grumbled, ‘How could anyone accept it?¹⁰’

Jesus knew full well they were grumbling, Yet, he did not make any effort to soften his teaching in order to hold on to his followers. ¹¹.

He insists that the words he has been speaking, all his words, are “spirit and life”. He wasn’t failing in his teaching, the crowd and followers were failing in their ability to accept and to understand it.

Jesus turned to the remaining Twelve apostles, his core group, and asked them, ‘What about you? Do you want to go away too¹²?’

He was prepared to suffer losses even from that core group rather than compromise on the teaching that he had given, to do otherwise would have been a betrayal of the words of truth that he spoke. Truth received from his Father.

You will note that Jesus is giving his disciples a choice?

His whole ministry has been about giving those who hear his teaching choices, one way to eternal life is through him. Any other way, may mean seperation from him for ever.

Peter’s response was telling , ‘Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God¹³.’

Jesus had lost a whole swathe of his following, but not the twelve selected disciples¹⁴. Yet, later, at the time of his passion Judas betrayed him¹⁵ and Peter denied him.

If success is to be measured by numbers, by the end of his earthly life, in human terms Jesus might have been seen as a failure, but we know that is far from the truth. After Pentecost, his followers quickly numbered in hundreds and thousands.

Jesus died to give us new eternal life and we are the fortunate recipients of that sacrifice.

Jesus’ life shows us that the value of something does not bear any necessary relation to the number of people who support it. Popularity does not necessarily show where truth is to be found.

God is working in the midst of our apparent failure and rejection. The church is still called to see that that the Word of Life is doing its work around us, among us, and within us.

We follow Jesus not because he was or is popular but because, in the words of Peter in the gospel, we recognize that he has the message of eternal life, or in the language of Jesus himself in that same reading, we acknowledge that the words that he speaks are ‘spirit and life’.

We will find some of Jesus’ teaching very challenging. We may be tempted to say, in the words of some of the disciples, ‘This is intolerable language. How can anyone accept it?’

The prophet Isaiah, wrote “God’s thoughts are not our thoughts; God’s ways are not our ways¹⁶”.

It has been said that “Jesus comforts the afflicted¹⁷ and afflicts the comfortable”^{18 19}.

We all need Jesus to do both for us.

We need his comforting and sustaining presence when we are afflicted, but sometimes we need his disturbing presence in our comfort.

It has been said that the true sign from God in Chapter 6 of John’s

gospel is Jesus’ broken body and blood, which flows from his Riven side²⁰.

The teaching and the life, death and Resurrection of Jesus challenges us to believe in faith.

The presence of Peter the denier and of Judas the betrayer, at the end of this text is a striking note of hope. Our natural inclination is to turn and leave, to avoid the difficult call and above all to avoid the cross. Yet the Word, the Spirit, and the Father continue to call, and enlighten, and draw us to new life.

The Eucharist is the primary moment when we commit ourselves again to the Lord’s vision for our lives; it is our weekly opportunity to make our own those words of Peter in today’s gospel, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the message of eternal life.’

I pray that we will continually receive that message of eternal life.

Amen

---

¹  John 20: 24-29

²  John 20:29

³  John 14:20

⁴  John 10:10

⁵  Matthew 9:10-17,Mark 2:15-22,Luke 5:29-39

⁶  Matt 25:25-36

⁷  Luke 10:25-37

^{8  10} And as he sat at dinner^[a] in the house, many tax-collectors and sinners came and were sitting^[b] with him and his disciples. ¹¹ When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax-collectors and sinners?’ ¹² But when he heard this, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ¹³ Go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.’

⁹  John 6:64

¹⁰  John 6:60

¹¹  John 6:62

¹²  John 6:67

¹³  Jon 60:69

¹⁴  John 6:66

¹⁵  Luke 22, Matt 26, John 13:18-30

¹⁶  Isaiah, 55:8-9

¹⁷  James 1:9

¹⁸  Finley Peter Dunne, 20^th Century Humourist about 1910.

¹⁹  James 1:10

²⁰  Quoted from CT 24^th Aug 18, Item on the weekly readings.

Quiet Day at Burswood for Lay Ministers

Spiritual Wellbeing Quiet Day for Lay Ministers

Burrswood Wednesday 15^th August 2018

I attended the above event at Burswood, along side the Warden of Lay Ministers for Rochester Diocese and 19 other Licensed Lay Ministers from across the diocese. These ranged from LLM’s. Readers and Pastoral Assistants, from a disparate range of parishes, but united in purpose and prayer.

The Quiet Day was led and facilitated by the, Director of Spiritual Well being at Burswood.

The programme was well thought out, running from 10 am through to 3 pm, with breaks for reflection, worship (Holy Communion) with two taught sessions, and

other activities to allow time and space for personal prayer, individual and group sharing and networking.

There were more than adequate refreshments provided on arrival and available during the morning, and excellent self-service lunch and more refreshments available during the after noon. Those attending were free to use the facilities of Burswood at the end of the official agendered program up to 4.30 pm. A fee (or donation) of £30 was requested. I applied for a Continuing Ministry Development (CMD) grant, which was granted, so no personal cost to myself, apart from travel.

The content on Spiritual, physical and emotional well being was delivered gently and at a pace, that could be readily absorbed. Much of this might have been known to some of us, who have pre-existing conditions necessitating special care of diet and other aspects of personal health and well being, but was relevant and it as good to be reminded of the things that I am already doing, but also on things that I hadn’t really thought about before. I was particularly taken with the Communion service, which was completed by anointing with oils and blessing.

Materials provided to take away, gave us all some practical reading, as they were well illustrated and self explanatory. I intend to take some of those things into practice myself.

Overall, people quickly gelled, Many attending knew each other, while I was a relative stranger, knowing only the Warden and one other, from those attending. But it was obvious from the outset that people were keen to share and to get to know each other, and as we had a list of those attended for reference, with contact details, it means that future networking is a real possibility.

In the past, I have pondered on why, Clergy have a Chapter, there is nothing similar for Lay Ministers, unless they organise it for themselves. One thing that I take away from this Quiet Day, is that all lay ministers would benefit from Quiet Days of this sort, perhaps organised on a Deanery basis. At least food for thought for the future. I appreciate this will take some organizing, but we have the nucleus for local deaneries with the Assistant Wardens as a focal point. Perhaps a few willing individuals could offer or feel called to organize such an event.

I came away from the day, buzzing quietly, spiritually nourished and keen to seek more opportunities to broaden my spiritual horizons alongside contemporaries in Lay Ministry in the future. Given that my parish will shortly be in vacancy, this might not be in the short term, but I have resolved to continue to make time and space for such reflection, starting with my planned three day retreat in September.

Sermon Preached on 7 Jan 2018

Sermon Epiphany 7 Jan 2018

It’s a Mystery?

May I speak in the Name of the eternal Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

One of my favourite singers is ‘Toyah Wilcox’ . Her first hit record was a song, called “It’s a Mystery¹”. released as a single in 1995, it went to the top of the charts. It went something like this? (You will be glad to know, I won’t be singing it)

“Somewhere in the distance
Hidden from view
Suspended in the atmosphere
Waiting to come through
Sometimes it's so far away
Sometimes it's very near
sound being carried by the wind
Just loud enough to hear
feel its power within me
Bells ringing in my head
So often I have heard its cry
But forgotten what it said
It's a mystery, it's a mystery
I'm still searching for a clue
It's a mystery to me
shot in the dark
The big question mark in history
Is it a mystery to you”?

the opening line from the reading from Isaiah 60²

“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the Glory of the Lord has risen upon you”, today, which seems apt for the day when we celebrate Epiphany, and the visit of the Magi (wise men) to Jesus. It’s a familiar story, yet in Toyah’s words, it’s also a bit of a mystery.

One of the enduring images of the Christmas season is that of the Magi or wise men³ travelling by camel through a star lit night. Let us try to put it into the context of the time?

· A star (or bright light) dominates the sky The journey is almost over. It’s been a long trip from a country far away in the east. There have been dangers along the way and now they are at the town of where Jesus with his parents.

· The MAGI⁴ look down from the star in the sky to the building lying below in its light. This is where they will find the child born King of the Jews that they had read about in the Scriptures⁵.

This narrative of the Magi is popular. We place three characters around the manger with the shepherds who have come to the stable to see the Christ Child. .. we narrow the time-span of events and incorporate Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus, the shepherds and Magi into one scene. Which is convenient but wrong!

It’s thought that the Magi arrived some time after Jesus’ birth in a stable. Perhaps up to a year or so after? Another possibility is that the Magi visited Jesus in Nazareth, after his presentation in the Temple, on the 40^th day, described in Lukes Gospel?⁶. Where we get the wonderful “Prayer of Simeon’ and testimony of Anna.

Joseph and Mary returned to Nazareth, not to Bethlehem.

This makes sense to me, as:

· Herod ordered the killing of every male child up to the age of two years old in Bethlehem, when the Magi didn’t return to him.

· God’s warning to Joseph in a dream, led to the flight to Egypt.

· When the Magi visited Jesus, he is no longer referred to as a baby and

· Matthews Gospel tell us that the Magi found the family in a house⁷.

There are a lot of things that we don’t know about these magi such as:

· how many there were, presumed to be three, because of the three gifts?

· what their names were? ,  names used are speculative at best⁸⁹.

· where they came from exactly? Historical evidence is that they were from Persia, but this is not confirmed in the Gospels.

· and how far they travelled following the star? If it was Persia, it would have been a journey of at least 800 miles - quite a journey by Camel. (Probably travelling in a Caravan accompanied by Armed Soldiers)¹⁰.

Magi do feature elsewhere in the Old Testament in particular in Jeremiah 39;3¹¹, when King Nebuchadrezzar’s Officials came to Jerusalm after it’s conquest and dealt with the subsequent fallout and dispersal of the people of Israel to Babylon.

We hear that the Magi studied the stars and were familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures but Matthew doesn’t give us anymore than that. We do know that Learned Eastern people, often from wealthy backgrounds, were familiar with the stars, medicine and nature and were well informed through study, to advise rulers, from early times.

But it remains a mystery to ponder on.

One of the facts that Matthew does give us is that the magi came with special gifts for the new born king, he tells us in Verse 11 and 12.

“They went into the house, and when they saw the child with his mother Mary, they knelt down and worshiped him. They brought out their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and presented them to him¹²."

Gold, frankincense and myrrh – representing Kingship, Divinity and the Eternal rule of the new born Christ Child.

Some have speculated that these gifts were the principal items used in wizardry and magic that Magi from the east dabbled in? In giving the Christ-child gold, frankincense and myrr, they were surrendering their tools of trade.

I am not so sure? I think that they’d found a new guiding star – the Christ child.. Matthew simply gave us the facts¹³. 

 

To us these might seem rather strange gifts. but what do you give this child who is the all-powerful God incarnate - who controls the stars to such an extent that a particularly bright star travels westward and stops over the place where Jesus and his parents were at? 

When the Lord of the universe reaches down from heaven and touches the earth, condescends in love to come to us, in the flesh, as one of us, a defenceless baby come to do deliver our salvation on the Cross., what do you give?

This was one of the things that amazed Paul, in his Epistle to the Ephsians offers us some of his insight¹⁴:

“and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.”

That word, Mystery again?

The magi with their gifts might have worried that they were not worthy for the child in the manger,..... God who has become a human and now rests in his mother’s arms - this didn’t phase them - they Knelt and worshiped the Christ Child and offered what they had, ......... that was most precious to them.

Maybe that’s just the point.

We, like the magi, may feel unworthy to receive the awesomeness of God’s love in the child Jesus, we may struggle to find a gift to give in return? ...............All we can do is, like those men from the east, give what we have?

Maybe that's always the way it is with our gifts to God?

· Our witness pointing too Jesus Christ.

· Our worship - our Prayer, praise, our music and singing and liturgy.

· this church building - a holy, safe place of sanctuary in God.

· Our generosity in terms of time, gifts, money offered to the Glory of God.

· Our love and care for one another and all who come seeking.

· Our care and conservation of God’s beautiful Creation.

· they are all that we have to give.

This reminds me of that time later at Bethany, where Jesus went, just before his arrest. Mary of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus, extravagantly uses a whole jar of expensive Nard perfume on Jesus’ feet¹⁵.. The disciples cry, "What a waste!" But Jesus says, "Let her alone. She has done a beautiful thing, anointing me for my burial."

Jesus is about to make a really extravagant gift on the cross, and so accepts Mary’s extravagant gift. .....................Mary expressed her love for Jesus in an unreserved and unrestrained way. What Mary did wasn’t wasteful – Like the Magi she gave the best of what she had.

 If we were to make a new year’s resolution that things will be different in the coming year, how can we make a difference? Perhaps a question to reflect on as we leave this gathering and go out into the world?

The challenge in front of each of us is to make each breathing mo

ment a gift worth giving to the King. God gave himself to us because

he loves us, worthy or unworthy, the mystery of all of this is in Toyahs

words: is

Hidden from view
Suspended in the atmosphere
Waiting to come through
Sometimes it's so far away
Sometimes it's very near
sound being carried by the wind
Just loud enough to hear
feel its power within me
Bells ringing in my head

 I pray that the mystery’s hidden in God, now revealed, will continue inspire us to love him in return and ponder on the Mystery that is the Incarnation, life, death and resurrection of our Saviour, Jesus Christ as we journey together this year.

Amen¹⁶

Pope Francis, preaching on the Epiphany on Thursday this week said. LLike the Magi, believers are led by faith to seek God in the most hidden places, knowing that the Lord waits for them there.

---

¹  ©ToyahWilcox 1995

²  Isaiah 60-1

³ In the Hebrew text of the Old Testament the word occurs but twice, and then only incidentally. ( Jeremiah 39:3 Jeremiah 39:13 ) "Originally they were a class of priests among the Persians and Medes who formed the kings privy council, and cultivated as trology, medicine and occult natural science. They are frequently referred to by ancient authors. Afterward the term was applied to all eastern philosophers." --Schaffs Popular Commentary. They appear in Herodotus history of Astyages as interpreters of dreams, i. 120; but as they appear in Jeremiah among the retinue of the Chaldean king, we must suppose Nebuchadnezzars conquests led him to gather round him the wise men and religious teachers of the nations which he subdued, and that thus the sacred tribe of the Medes rose under rule to favor and power. The Magi took their places among "the astrologers and star gazers and monthly prognosticators." It is with such men that, we have to think of Daniel and his fellow exiles as associated. The office which Daniel accepted ( Daniel 5:11 ) was probably rab-mag --chief of the Magi.The word presented itself to the Greeks as connected with a foreign system of divination and it soon became a byword for the worst form of imposture. This is the predominant meaning of the word as it appears in the New Testament. ( Acts 8:9 ;13:8 )

⁴ plural noun, singular Magus  [mey-guh s] (Show IPA)1.(sometimes lowercase) the wise men, generally assumed to be threein number, who paid homage to the infant Jesus. Matt. 2:1–12..Compare Balthazar (def 1), Caspar (def 1), Melchior (def 1).2.(sometimes lowercase) the class of Zoroastrian priests in ancientMedia and Persia, reputed to possess supernatural powers.

⁵  How then did they know to come to Jerusalem? The straight answer is that we do not know, but can only speculate. These types of wise men were diligent to discover what signs and omens meant. And if they had recourse to the holy books of Israel, which they very well could have had in the east since Babylon remained a center of Jewish studies, they might have come across the prophecy of Balaam, an early prophet from the east who had predicted that a star would march forth in Israel (Num. 24:17).

⁶ Luke 2:39

⁷ Matt 2:10-11

⁸ They were of noble birth, educated, wealthy, and influential. They were philosophers, the counselors of rulers, learned in all the wisdom of the ancient East. The wise men who came seeking the Christ child were not idolaters; they were upright men of integrity.They had apparently studied the Hebrew Scriptures and found there a clear transcript of truth. In particular, the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament must have claimed their attention, and among these they found the words of Balaam: “A Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel” (Numbers 24:17, NKJV). They certainly were acquainted with the prophecy of Micah: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel” (Micah 5:2, NKJV; see also Matthew 2:5, 6). They probably also knew and understood the time prophecy of Daniel regarding the appearance of the Messiah (see Daniel 9:25, 26) and came to the conclusion that His coming was near.

⁹  By the sixth century, the had been given names and descriptions, often seen in artistic representations. One is named Caspar, meaning “Treasurer,” and is imagined as a beardless young man. Melchior means “King of Light,” or “King of the City,” and is portrayed as a bearded old man. Balthasar means “God protect the king,” is portrayed as a black African man.

¹⁰  Recent speculartion from discovered manuascipts is that they came from China. Landau B, The Revelation of the Magi, Harper Collins, New York, 2013.

¹¹   When Jerusalem was taken, all the officials of the king of Babylon came and sat in the middle gate: Nergal-sharezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim the Rabsaris, Nergal-sharezer the Rabmag, with all the rest of the officials of the king of Babylon.

¹² Matt 2:11

¹³  The word magus is of Persian origin; however, Basil indicated that they were not confined to a specific empire but “scattered all over the country.” First-century Jewish historian Philo referred to Balaam from Numbers 22–24 as a magus. This anachronism indicates that by the first century A.D. it may have been adopted for more general use. Herodotus’s accounts of magi in his Histories (440 B.C.) portrays them as conniving political figures vying for royal power. Various kings in the ancient world frequently consulted these men because of their skill in interpreting omens, signs, and the stars.

¹⁴  Eph 3:10-12

¹⁵ Matt 26,:6-13, Mark 14,9 ohn 12.:1-8

1455 word

Sermon Delivered on Sunday 30th July 2017

Sermon for Sunday 30^th July 2017

1 Kings 3:5-12. Romans 8:26-39’Matthew 13:31-33,44-52

May I speak in the name of the Eternal Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen

Are you confused when you’ve heard a bible reading without knowing the context in which it was written, or it not being clear to you? I know that I have been perplexed, which prompts me to study if further.

I wonder if I were to ask each of you, after this talk, did you understand what I was saying? How many would give a hesitant Yes or No?

The writer of Matthew’s Gospel intention was to point us towards Jesus as the Messiah God’s Messenger and towards God’s Kingdom¹.

In todays’s reading from Matthew Chapter 13, Jesus is teaching in parables², a method common in his’ time. Jesus’ teaching helps us to understand about him, and God’s Kingdom.

Some of those listening to Jesus, misunderstood his meaning, or chose to ignore it as they disagreed with him, unable to believe he was the promised Messiah.

At the end of last Sundays Gospel reading. , Jesus said,

“Let those with ears, hear^{3 4}”

A term, often used by Jesus as he demanded their attention! In Mark’s Gospel, in the Parable of the Sower and Seed, Jesus actually compares those who “let the word of God pass through their ears and those who truly listen and seek understanding⁵.”

He wanted people to receive his message to ‘seek first the Kingdom of God⁶”

Jesus is saying that

“the Kingdom is here, we are building it as we live out our faith⁷⁸⁹”.

Two of the parables concern someone making a great discovery, in one case a treasure of enormous value and in the other a pearl beyond price.

Jesus’ speaks of a man who finds hidden treasure in a field and sells everything to buy the field¹⁰. Then there’s a jeweller who comes across a costly and rare pearl and sells his entire stock in order to buy it¹¹.

In both these stories, there’s an element of giving up everything to possess the treasure or pearl - ownership changes everything.

Their example of joyfully and decisively selling all that they have to obtain that treasure or pearl they so are desperate to possess.

Jesus, tells us that’s how we should to react when “we discover the Kingdom of God”.

That most precious of possessions -

The Kingdom of God is beyond price -

it outweighs any other value.

Seeking the Kingdom of God means sacrifice,

giving up everything for entry to it.

 Think for a moment, of your longing or searching for something outside or greater than themselves. Not content until they find it..................

Out of the blue a sudden revelation happens!

The light shines - they Discover Jesus - The Word of God.

Divine truth becomes an live giving, reality.  

To their own surprise they able to make that remarkable statement “I believe.”

To find the pearl of great price is a Gift of God.

It is a case for astonishment and awe.

Did you feel full or joy, and wanting to change everything,

when you first knew or experienced Jesus? Like those two seekers?

I certainly did.

 But belief comes at a price!

The price for the treasures of God’s Kingdom is everything we have.

 Ourselves, entirely devoted to God, through Jesus Christ as his disciples.

The cost of discipleship is our whole life; we cannot be partial followers of Jesus!

Jesus challenges us to give all for God’s Kingdom. God’s Kingdom is here and now, for us to build in this world, in preparation for the next.¹².

What might hinder us in finding that great treasure?

We might be wavering in our faith?

 measuring it against our lives, or

our place in the world, or

our worries, cares and concerns,

can shape or mould our faith to fit in around them.

 

Squeezing the time for thanks giving,

prayer and worship to a bare thread, until nothing is left.

We might be inattentive to our gift of faith,

and come to regard it as an add-on!

a hobby for our spare time! Only on Sundays!!!

These or other failings, may separate us from Jesus, and the Kingdom of God. That treasure freely given and received and cherished, is no longer perfect and we risk losing that treasure - the Joy, wonder awe and excitement of our discovery of Jesus as part of our life and our very identity in him.

Paul in today’s epistle, seeks to encourage us:

“The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints(us) according to the will of God¹³”

 

Several Pope’s have given us some pointers?

In 1965, Pope Paul 6^th pointed out that “Only the Reign of God is absolute. Everything else is relative.¹⁴”

In 1990, Pope John Paul said: “The Church exists not just for herself, since she is oriented toward the Reign of God, of which she is the seed, sign and instrument¹⁵.”

Pope Francis recently said¹⁶: ” “for us, Jesus’ project is to inaugurate the Reign of God”.

It seems clear to me, that the price of this precious treasure is Eternal life itself.

Jesus sacrificed his life on the cross for our Salvation,

that precious gift demands our faith,

belief and action to fulfil God’s plan.

to build his Kingdom on him, to promote that The Reign of God is all¹⁷.

Understanding Jesus’ words!!

Jesus, asks the listeners “Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe (a sort of Clerk or Lawyer) who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old¹⁸.”

You can imagine the faces of his hearers. They’d been hanging on to Jesus’ every word, they confirmed that they’d understood. But now...... he brings in another concept - a Good Scribe? What????

In Jesus’ day, most people had only the most elementary education, the literate person, the Scribe, who made that skill available was highly esteemed. They wrote letters for people and seem to have acted for clients in local courts. Jesus usually presented a rather low view of the scribes, lumping them together with Pharisees.

In this parable, Jesus talks about good scribes, just as there were also good Pharisees like Nicodemus¹⁹ and Gamaliel²⁰. What, then, is a scribe who has been trained for the Kingdom of Heaven²¹?

He or she is someone who has decided to dedicate her or his life to being part of the Kingdom of God, here and now, ME and YOU. The good scribe is open minded, fresh and willing to surrender to God’s will, wherever it may take them.

The fishing parable too holds a sting in its tail. It talks about judgment, when Jesus compares the discarding of the ‘bad fish’ (which we sometimes choose to i snore with his description of the end of times. A final reckoning based on our choices²²:²³

“The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth²⁴.” 

One of the stumbling blocks we face is our Individualism, putting ourselves first. Individual rights trump the rights of others - me first, everyone else, including God last²⁵.

The Gospel dispels such ideas; for Kingdom people. God’s people, God’s reign is first. ..... Life needs us to make sacrifices to serve God’s Kingdom.

The sacrifices mean a holy uncompromising life, lived for Jesus, that, if practised, helps build God’s Kingdom wider than the bubble that we live in. For all of God’s people, Christian or not.

We are called to be those ‘fishers of men and women²⁶.

We are called to be workers for God’s Kingdom, who live out His teaching and pray, praise and worship God in in the unity of all of God’s people and ultimately God’s world²⁷.

If we plant little seeds of goodness and mercy and they blossom into visible signs of God’s presence. .............. If we live life knowing that we belong to Christ, we are herald’s for the return of Christ.

It we live, selflessly and serve each other²⁸, we are serving Christ, hoping that the watching world may catch a glimpse of what God intends.

 This is holiness in action, not an abstract concept, only for the Saintly. ...

This is seeking, finding and Building God’s Kingdom, here and now.

Jesus is continually saying to us “seek first the kingdom of God.” I pray that we do it as individuals, as a Church and as Partners in building the Kingdom, today, tomorrow and ever more.

 Amen

1215

1 Kings 3:5-12

At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask what I should give you.” And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?”

It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you.”

Romans 8:26-39

The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he fore knew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.

What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written,

              “For your sake we are being killed all day long;
we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Matthew 13:31-33,44-52

Jesus put before the crowds another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

“ So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

“Have you Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad., “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

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¹ R. E. Nixon. "Matthew"; in Donald Guthrie, et al., The New Bible Commentary: Revised. (London: Inter-Varsity Press, 1970), p. 813.

² his method of teaching was not peculiar to Jesus—it was common among Easterns—but His use of it was unique in felicity and in the importance of the lessons conveyed. abstract a priori definitions of the word serve little purpose; we learn best what a parable is, in the mouth of Jesus, by studying the parables He spoke. Thence we gather that to speak in parables means to use the familiar in nature or in human life (in the form of a narrative or otherwise) to embody unfamiliar truths of the spiritual world.

³ Matt 11:15

⁴ Matthew 11:15. proverbial form of speech often used by Jesus after important utterances, here for the first time in Matt. The truth demanding attentive and intelligent ears (ears worth having; taking in the words and their import) is that John is Elijah. It implies much—that the kingdom is here and the king, and that the kingdom is moral not political.

⁵ Mark 4:13-20. “A man’s reception of God’s Word is determined by the condition of his heart.” A secondary lesson would be “Salvation is more than a superficial, albeit joyful, hearing of the gospel. Someone who is truly saved will go on to prove it.” May our faith and our lives exemplify the "good soil" in the Parable of the Sower.https://www.gotquestions.org/parable-sower.html

⁶ Matt 6.33

⁷ In their book, Talking About God in Practice, Cameron et al identify the ‘espoused theology’ of a local church as the theology contained in the church’s articulation of its beliefs, and the ‘operant theology’ of that church as the theology which is embedded in its practices. The difference between these theologies can be an invisible source of tension within a church community and,therefore, enabling discussion of the theological convictions perceived to be underpinning your engagement, and their implications with all those involved, can provide important ground on which to work and grow together. Cameron, Bhatti, Duce, Sweeney, & Watkins. Talking about God in Practice. (2010) London: SCM. p53.

⁸ Craig Bartholomew and Michael Goheen’s The Drama of Scripture: Finding our place in the biblical story (2014) Grand Rapids: Baker Academic. “The journey of discipleship is to have our world view increasingly shaped by God’s ‘Big Story”

⁹  Wright, T. Surprised by Hope (2007) London: SPCK. p245

¹⁰ while, the treasure being a pure gain. The point of the parable is that the kingdom of heaven outweighs in value all else, and that the man who understands this will with pleasure part with all. It helps to show the reasonableness of the sacrifice for the kingdom Jesus demanded.

¹¹ The treasure in the field was a sure gain for the finder, but it remained to be seen what the pearl merchant would get for his one pearl. After the sale of his stock the purchase of the one pearl was a matter of course. In the former of these two parables the Kingdom of Heaven appears as the object of a glad though accidental finding of a sure possession; in the latter as the object of systematic quest and venturesome faith. The difference between seekers and finders must not be exaggerated. The pearl merchant was also a finder. No one would set out on a journey to seek one unique pearl (Koetsveld). The spiritual class he represents are seekers after God and wisdom, finders of the Kingdom of God, of a good beyond their hope. Such seekers, however, are on the sure way to find.

¹² Rev 20:11

¹³ Romans 8:26-27

¹⁴  http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_cons_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html Dec 1965.”These theologies carry two defining convictions; firstly, that God is at work in the world and in all people, and secondly, that God is most likely to be found at the margins http://www.faith2share.net/perch/resources/building-kingdom-communities-2016.pdf p13.

¹⁵ http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_07121990_redemptoris-missio.html

¹⁶ https://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_letters/documents/papa-francesco_bolla_20150411_misericordiae-vultus.html

¹⁷ ”Building Kingdom Communities 2016, p13. http://www.faith2share.net/perch/resources/building-kingdom-communities-2016.pdf

¹⁸ One remains in possession of the old, recognised as of permanent value, yet is not restricted to it, but along with it possesses a precious new element”.—μαθητεύειν is here used transitively as in Matthew 28:19, Acts 14:21.—ἐκβάλλει points to free distribution of treasures by the householder. He gives out new or old according to the nature of the article. The mere scribe, Rabbinical in spirit, produces only the old and stale. The disciple of the kingdom, like the Master, is always fresh-minded, yet knows how to value all old spiritual treasures of Holy Writ or Christian tradition.

¹⁹ John 3. 7:50-51, 19:39-42. “Nicodemus may have been similar to Joseph of Arimathea in that perhaps he, too, was a disciple of Jesus but had not yet mustered the courage to declare his faith openly. Perhaps Nicodemus’s final recorded act was his declaration of faith”. https://www.gotquestions.org/Nicodemus-in-the-Bible.html

²⁰ Acts 5:34., 5:38-39, ”t is clear that Gamaliel and his family were revered as men of wisdom and prudential judgment. In God’s sovereign plan, this Jewish rabbi preserved the lives of the apostles in the early church and helped equip the greatest Christian missionary.”https://www.gotquestions.org/Gamaliel-in-the-Bible.html

^{21 Matthew 13:48}. καθίσαντες συνέλεξαν: equally a matter of course; a thing to be done deliberately, of which the sitting attitude is an emblem. There is a time for everything; the time for sorting is at the end of the fishing.—σαπρὰ, vide on Matthew 7:17. Matthew 13:49-50 contain the interpretation in much the same terms as in Matthew 13:41-42

²² Matthew 13:43. ἐκλάμψουσι: vide Daniel 12:2, which seems to be in view; an expressive word suggestive of the sun emerging from behind a cloud. The mixture of good and evil men in this world hides the characters of both.

²³ Matthew 13:48. καθίσαντες συνέλεξαν: equally a matter of course; a thing to be done deliberately, of which the sitting attitude is an emblem. There is a time for everything; the time for sorting is at the end of the fishing.—σαπρὰ, vide on Matthew 7:17. Matthew 13:49-50 contain the interpretation in much the same terms as in Matthew 13:41-42

^{24 Matthew 13:43}. ἐκλάμψουσι: vide Daniel 12:2, which seems to be in view; an expressive word suggestive of the sun emerging from behind a cloud. The mixture of good and evil men in this world hides the characters of both.

²⁵  Personhood is not the same as individualism. A part of the image of God in us is our need for community. Our choices have an impact on others,whether personally among our friends and family, locally in our community or globally through our consumption or purchasing habits. Relating as persons, respecting choice and agency, is, therefore, set in the context of community wellbeing, with both responsibility and agency working together for the good of one another” Ann Morrisey, http://www.faith2share.net/perch/resources/building-kingdom-communities-2016.pdf p21

²⁶ Matt 4;19

²⁷  “we come back to the primary purpose of the church: to be a worshipping community shaped by Jesus’ priorities, expressing and anticipating the in-breaking kingdom of God and the future renewal of all things.”Wright, T. Surprised by Hope (2007) London: SPCK. p245

²⁸ Phillipians 2:5-8

Memorial Services

Today our Parish Church is to hold a Memorial Service for someone who died and whose funeral took place abroad.  Families members living locally, have decided that his life should be commemorated formally with a Christian Service.  So, here we go.


Some years ago, my sole surviving relative from my Paternal line, died at the age of 92, a good age.

He, like his siblings had been raised as a Catholic, but his experiences in WW2 had caused him to lose faith in Organised religion,  but not his belief in God.  His family, however, when it came to his funeral denied that he was a Christian, although everything about his personal life style, spoke loudly of him abiding by Christian ethics and beliefs - he just didn't attend any Church.

I had got to know him well in his later years, and we'd often discussed his faith, which he held, but he also thought that because of the people he had killed during the course of his army service, that God wouldn't forgive him, no matter how much he repented.   This led to many discussions about the nature of God's infinite mercy and forgiveness, and I sought to reassure him that he was forgiven, even if he still carried a burden of guilt.

In my mind, he was clearly a Christian and the secular funeral planned and held with a Civil Celebrant would not and was not appropriate.   His partner of some 35 years was sorely distressed by this, but as they were unmarried in the eyes of the law, her wishes carried no weiight.

The funeral was dismal, devoid of hope and full of plaitudest, which no doubt comforted some, but comfort without hope for the new life, renewed in Jesus Christ was missing and the service felt empty and forlorn.

I decided that a Memorial Service for his Partner and ourselves would be appropriate and might bring us some closure.   This was arranged and held in our own parish church, without the faith deniers relatives, but with his partner.   It felt the right things to do, and enabled him to be remembers as a good Christian, who'd lived his life as one, without the comfort and support of his Church.

So, today's memorial service will be for me, a reminder that not all people who are not in church, are living a secular life.  Yes, Church is part of our Christian fellowship and community, our corporate prayer and worship are central to this, but some are unable to share (like my Uncle).  Today's family will be welcomed and comforted as if the deceased were present, albeit, his Ashes will be.  Afterwards, it is planned to inter his ashes in our memorial garden, a whole different service, for another day.

Memorial services are important for those unable to attend a funeral, they assist the grieving process and provide the same hope as a Christian funeral in the renewal of life among the Saints and in company with the living, left behind.

I pray that it goes well.

Epiphany 2017

Homily for Epiphany 2017 - Sunday 8^th Jan 2017

Readings:

Is 60: 1-6

Eph 3:1-12

Mt 2:1-12

May I speak in the Name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Today we are celebrate the feast of the Epiphany, but what exactly does the word ‘epiphany’ mean? It comes from the Greek word ‘epiphainein  it literally means ‘reveal’ or ‘manifestation. It has entered the English language with the well known saying “an Epiphany moment”¹.

The Franciscan Priest and Theologian Richard Rohr says:

“An epiphany is an experience that transforms everything, and before you can do anything with it, it does something to you. It’s not something that can be controlled, and it always seems to demand a change in people‘s lives²”.

For us as followers of Christ, Epiphany, means the the manifestation of the light of Christ to the Gentiles, as represented by the Magi³, in Matthew’s Gospel. He spells out how they followed the Bethleham star to find the Holy Family and to worship Jesus. The Magi were gentiles, a first sign that Jesus came for all, Jew and Gentile alike.

Matthew in today’s gospel, doesn’t describe the Magi as King, rather as Wise Men. The words of Psalm 72-10 & 11, echo this “The kings of Arabia and Saba will offer gifts; all kings will bow down before him⁴”

By the sixth century, the wise men had been given names and descriptions, often seen in artistic representations. One is named Caspar, meaning “Treasurer,” and is imagined as a beardless young man. Melchior means “King of Light,” or “King of the City,” and is portrayed as a bearded old man. Balthasar means “God protect the king,” is portrayed as a black African man⁵.

The well know hymn “We three Kings of Orient Are’, written by John Henry Hopkins in 1857, was perhaps an extension of this sort of tradition⁶. I have even seen the story of them following the Star described as “The Original Star Trek⁷”.

The Magi were astrologers from the royal court of the king of Persia. Their role was as ‘seers’ for the King of Persia, but here in Matthew’s narrative, they come to honour another king - Jesus.

Kings would often send congratulations to new rulers in other realms, but the king of Persia called himself "king of kings," that is, the highest of kings⁸. Although we see in the book of Daniel’ Daniel telling that King that:

"No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about”. (ie, the Mystery of God).

Artaxerxes, Persian king of kings, wrote to the prophet Ezra as the the “priest, teacher of the Law of the God of heaven⁹”. Acknowledging that there was something greater than himself in the scheme of things.

Expecting to find the King in a palace, in Jerusalem, The Magi found only Herod.¹⁰ He sent them, for his own reasons, to Bethleham. There they found Jesus, not in a palace, but in a Stable, the humblest of births. A sign that Jesus came to minister to the lowest not highest in our society.

The Magi, although Gentiles, recognised Jesus’ Divinity. They worshiped and offered their gifts – gold, for a king; frankincense, to honor his divinity; myrrh, because this divine king will die and myrrh is used to anoint the body of a king. The wise men achieved their goal: worshipping the true king of the Jews - they were the first of all the gentiles, through the generations and throughout the world, to worship Jesus Christ.

How is the prophet Isiah speaking to us today?

60 Arise, shine; for your light has come,
    and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.² For darkness shall cover the earth,
    and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
    and his glory will appear over you.³ Nations shall come to your light,
    and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

In this reading from Isiah, we see the prelude to Jesus’s coming. The prophet speaks God’s powerful words to a nation that had been permitted by the Persian King Darius. to return from subjection in exile in Babylon, but they are still living in darkness. The prophet seeks rouse them, to rally them to live in God’s coming light - it responds to their hope for the Restoration of Jerusalem, to restore it’s Glory and to make a home for all of God’s people.

What can we take away today?

We can see the light of the Glory of God through Jesus, through the Gentile Magi, worshiping Jesus. Can we shine as we are urged by Isiah. “Shine for your light has come”.

Our shining takes effort, there is so much to distract us, and dim our light. We need patience and perseverance to allow our light to shine. It does seem to me that the witness of a Christian life transformed by Jesus’ love, can allow the light to shine and flourish within us and to cascade out to others.

Celebrating Epiphany helps us appreciate more fully the meaning of Christ's birth and help us rediscover what worshiping Christ means to us individually and as a worshiping community.

Canon Kathryn Fleming, Canon Pastor at Coventry Cathedral wrote¹¹:

“So, as you go forward into this new year, be alert to celebrate epiphany wherever you encounter God. It won't be just in this building, that's for sure...nor simply at the the high moments of life, In all times and places and people, even the most ordinary, even in our own lives, we may come to experience the glory of God through Jesus Christ”

Finally the words of John’s Gospel that we heard at Christmas

“What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it¹²”.

Amen

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¹ an appearance or manifestation especially of a divine being https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epiphany

² http://goodinparts.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/epiphany-evensong-sermon-for-all-saints.html accessed 2/1

³ Mat 2:1-12

⁴ Psalm 72, verse 10:11

⁵ John Hull, Hellenistic Magic and the Synoptic Gospels (London, UK: SCM-Canterbury, 1974), 126.

⁶  RH Morgan, Come Let Us Adore Him: Stories Behind the Most cherished Christmas Hymns (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2005), 81.

⁷ http://www.crosswalk.com/church/pastors-or-leadership/how-zoroastrian-magi-made-the-original-star-trek-11639937.html

⁸  Dan 2:37

⁹  Exra 7:12

¹⁰ Matt 2:2

¹¹ http://goodinparts.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/epiphany-evensong-sermon-for-all-saints.html

¹² John 1:1-3

Jury Service

I have just completed nearly two weeks of serving on a Jury at a Crown Court in London. I am unable to identify the court or the trials involved, due to rules on my conduct as a juror, but I can comment on the requirement to serve on juries and the need for juries to make a judgement on the guilt or innocence of someone charged with an offence against the law of the country.

This is the fourth time in the last 10 years that I have been called for Jury service, and the second time that I actually served. Previously, I had work or personal commitments, which prevented me from serving. Any Juror can be summoned at random, to serve at any court in the geographic area that they live in. The restrictions on people serving on juries were relaxed a couple of years ago, to broaden the pool of potential jurors who can be called to serve.  Previously excluded professions such as serving armed forces members, doctors, nurses, police oficers and even members of the clergy and legal professions may serve, as long as they have no connection with the actual court that they are called forward to serve on. Even convicted felons may serve if their offences spent are under the rehabilitation of offenders act, although someone who has received or served a sentence of imprisonment will be excluded.

My experience was of the first five days, of 90 new people being called as a group to serve for up to two weeks (or longer if needed) from a widely disparate group of men and women, aged over 18 and up to and including age 70. As might be expected, there were people from all of the ethnic groups represented in our local community and from a wide range of backgrounds. I was called to serve with 11 others on a trial on the first day, which lasted for five days, that consisted of 7 men and 5 women. We bonded quickly as we went to and from court, interrupted often by being asked to leave the court while points of law were discussed or the admissibility of a particular piece of evidence was challenged. It was intellectually stimulating at times as we listened carefully to the Judge giving us direction, to the advocates for the prosecution and the defence and individual witnesses as they gave their evidence and responded to cross examination. We had physical evidence to consider as well as agreed facts and statements, and other documents. We were briefed and guided by the judge on points of law in the particular case and given an excellent summary by him of the evidence and what we needed to establish in fact to enable to be sure of the evidence on each of the indictments made pointed to the guilt or innocence of the defendant.

It was heavy going at times, and we were not allowed to discuss the evidence until we were sent out to deliberate on the fifth day. But the time spent together wasn't wasted. Our inter-personal relationships developed and we spoke widely about our individual experiences, work, families, context of our lives and inevitably about our personal faith. We included 4 Anglican Christians, 2 Muslims and six people who were either agnostic about faith, or were lapsed in their faith. The thing that delighted me was that people were open and frank about their lives and faith experiences, and twelve strangers became friends, albeit, we will probably never meet each other again in the future. We were united in purpose for the five days, which demonstrated to me, that community is about the people in it, not the bubble that it lives in - we were community with each other, even when we left at the end of each day, to return to our homes and families.

Once we delivered our verdict on the first case, we returned to the pool of jurors, described as 'jurors in waiting' and we didn't expect to serve together again. But 10 of us were selected for a new jury the following week, and again six for a third jury in the same week. I for my part was left waiting, but as a group, we gravitated together when we met, whatever jury we were later allocated too.

My one regret was that yesterday after returning home the Jury manager rang me to say that due to the bank holiday coming up, no new trials were being started and that I could end my Jury service here and now. I agreed to that, but I was than unable to return to court to say good bye to my group of friends. No doubt those who live locally might bump into each other, but it felt like a real loss to me yesterday afternoon. Sadness that new relationships had been severed so abruptly.

What did I learn from this?

First it is a privilege to do my civic duty in this way. The initial resentment on the impingement of my time, disipated in the experience of working together with others of a like mind, but a disparate background, to debate and to share and to laugh together (lots of laughter) and to grow together in ways that I had not expected.

Second - that the criminal justice system isn't perfect, but the Jury provides a check and balance to the enforcement and judiciary to moderate and make an informed, independent assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of a particular case and at least gives the defendant the opportunity to convince us of their guilt or innocence. It has been going for hundreds of years and is proven to be the best way of dealing with crime and those who commit them.

Third - I have learned more about myself this time around than I expected. This quite (at times) introverted individual, was able to open up and to share my life experience, particularly my faith journey with others I had never met before, and am unlikely to meet again. God puts these opportunities for us to either ignore or to be open to. I thank God that I was receptive and responded.