“What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”

Hello everyone!

It's a quote from Moses in the book of the Exodus, but it's also possibly the best title for a clergy autobiography “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”

Today, I will mostly preaching about Grumbling;

Grumbling in the Oxford English Dictionary is described as “Complaining in a surly manner or muttering discontentedly.

Webster’s dictionary says it’s;

1. To complain or protest about something in a bad-tempered but typically muted way. or

2. Make a low rumbling sound.

Marlene Dietrich was quoted as saying “Grumbling is the death of love.”

The American Author Edgar Watson Howe said “I believe in grumbling it is the politest form of fighting known”

Half of another quote I found by the author Robert West says;

No talent, no self-denial, no brains, no character, is required to set up in the grumbling business;

The sermon is about grumbling because in the OLD TESTAMENT the Children of Israel are at it again! They have moved camp to Rephidim and they can’t find any water – they seem to have forgotten the miracles that accompanied their escape from Egypt – the sea parting, the angel and the plagues. They are about to stone Moses because they are thirsty. I suppose though, it is easy for us to think they are whining – in our land we have running water – unlimited running water – and we won’t die from the lack of it.

But anyway, Moses is sent by God to find water in an unexpected place – and all is well for the Children of Israel – they find God again too! But they do grumble along the way – all the time.

We have the classic line from Moses, a cry to God! He runs out of his tent, falls to his knees, waves his fists in the air and pleads to God!

“What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”

I love the Bible, we see the best and the worst of people and I personally gain a huge comfort from the fact that we might be able to put people on the moon, split the genome and create a handheld games console that shows images in 3d without 3d glasses!....we are clever!.....But in the pages of a book that stretches back thousands of years we can find people like us, experiencing life like us, turning to God like us, and hoping for a better future…just like us! Where would we be without the Bible?

The Children of Israel were out in the wilderness and they had come to a place where they found no water – this made them agitated and it nearly ruined it all. They were angry through their own frustration.

We can all become parched in our faith if we lose the opportunity to be fed and watered. We need to play the hide and seek game with God each day to find the living water, the water that can refresh our souls.

The message behind this famous conversation in the Gospel reading we had today is the thirst of Jesus. You can imagine the scene, a hot dusty midday – apparently it is not only “mad dogs and Englishmen” but also Messiahs that go out in the midday sun. The well is deserted – ordinary people have collected their water and gone home for a sleep, to wait until the glaring heat of the sun gives over.

The story is full of allegory; the woman at the well represents the Samaritan people. According to Jewish History the Samaritan people were split into FIVE different nations – each with a different GOD. It might be that these were represented by the woman’s five husbands, whilst the man she is now with represents the worship of the LORD, a worship that takes place far away from the recognised Jewish places of worship.

The woman recognises Jesus as a prophet – but Jesus is also Messiah, and it is through the Jewish Messiah that salvation will come. Leaving her jar at the well (some people think this is highly significant) she returns to town to announce that this prophet might just be the Messiah. For two days, Jesus remains with these Samaritans.

John the Evangelist seems keen to tell us that these outcast, second rate foreigners are more ready to recognise the Messiah than his own people. After all “He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him”.

At the end of the day though – neither the Jews nor the Samaritans are given the prize in this Gospel. The Jews want the worship to take place in the Temple, and the Samaritans “on this mountain” as it says. Jesus declared that the worship desired by God is tied neither to Jerusalem nor ‘this mountain’, but will be in spirit and truth.

And to this day Jacob’s well is still there. The temple on Mount Gerizim, overlooking Sychar and holy to the Samaritans, is gone.

So, too, is the temple in Jerusalem, 30 miles to the south. Jesus said that the hour was near when “neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem” would they worship. Today, the two temples are no more. To that extent, Jesus was right.

And the truth of the matter, as far as I can see is to be found in the last few sentences of the Gospel. (which might be on the other side of the sheet) Jesus says “look around you and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. The reaper is already receiving his wages and is gathering the fruit for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, “one sows and another reaps”. I sent you to reap that for which you did not labour. Others have laboured, and you have entered into their labour”

Well – this makes me feel better really – it really does. It tells me that as Christians we are here to do a task that has been prepared for us. We are being entrusted with preparing the work for the people who come after us. We are called to work for the Kingdom of God to change the lives of others with love.

We are not only getting people to believe in Jesus, but getting them to believe in themselves as well, so that they can lead fulfilled lives.

Our Gospel is about the gift of living water. Behind the phrase is the Hebrew expression “mayim chayim”, meaning fresh water, running water, water that has not been left standing in dirty jars, and is not stale and brackish. Of course, in our text, the term is being used metaphorically. It stands for something else. Later, John will tell us that when Jesus offers living water, he is promising the gift of his Holy Spirit (John 7.37).

A Christian faith is all about seeing the promises come true in your life and the lives of others. There is no substitute for action – and God will not be found if we aren’t looking for Him.

Rev Mark Lawson-Jones

Bishop Dominic embarks on a marathon run of Lent talks

Bishop Dominic joined around 100 people at St. Mary's church in Magor at the end of his first week of Lent talks. He proposes to repeat his series of five talks in five venues throughout Lent, two years ago he completed a similar task, meeting around 6-700 people each week.
This year we in the Magor Benefice are pleased to meet him as he gives an introduction to the Gospel according to Saint Luke. If you would like to join us, the talk begins at 7.30 each Friday. This Friday (25th March) it will be preceded by a celebration of Holy Eucharist for the Feast of the Annunciation.

Lent 2 - We're going on a road trip

“Go – Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land that I will show you!” so Abram went – “not knowing where he was going”

This simple instruction is where it all started really.

The decision of Abram to go meant that we are all involved – and each time we take a step forward in faith, each time we ask God to show us what to do, each time we listen to the small voice calling us to do good for the sake of the kingdom of God, we are taking a step on this journey, begun all those years ago.

Last week and the week before we had been hearing from the Book Genesis, and in that story of the creator and his creation, we see God giving ‘free will and knowledge’ to Adam and Eve. Steps of faith can always be refused, and Abraham could have stayed put. His journey into the unknown was a free choice, with the free will that is the hallmark of our relationship with God.

God promised that, in him, all the families of the earth would be blessed

“I will make you into a great nation

and I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

and you will be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you,

and whoever curses you I will curse;

and all peoples on earth

will be blessed through you.”

Abram – Abraham said yes. And because he said yes, we are blessed indeed – and we have the opportunity to say “yes” to God too.

Last week I was in the Ashmolean museum in Oxford for an hour over lunchtime. I looked at some artifacts that were incredibly old, and as a bit of an amateur in all this stuff I asked why the pots and tools were different. I was told that people had essentially changed how they did things, they stopped being nomadic and started farming. Some of the things they made were beautiful.

The people had found a home and settled down to create and grow rather than move and hunt. This told me a lot about the people, but I couldn’t get a sense of ‘what it meant to them’, ‘how did they feel about it’ and ‘why they did it’.

Returning to home and looking at the Sunday readings, I could see that something similar is going on in the reading. Abram has started something different with God, even though the wandering Arameans eventually stopped wandering physically, spiritually the people of God have remained nomadic, to this day.

What do I mean?

In that sense – Abram – when he started all this, was onto an exciting thing, when he agreed to go on a journey and wander with God for a while. It’s wandering through life with God learning more about him and his purpose for all people, finding opportunities to care for the sick, needy and troubled.

The journey doesn’t mean that we will be safe or protected. The persecuted millions will testify to that. The people who have left their homes in the morning to do good - never to return because of terrorist attacks or military action will testify to that. People of faith who risk all they have for saying yes and following – to be a blessing to others.

When I was thinking about this sermon – St. Augustine was buzzing around my head.

“You awaken us to delight in Your praise, for You made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You.” —The Confessions of St. Augustine (c. 400 A.D.)

In the Gospel reading we have of the Pharisees named Nicodemus visiting Jesus after dark to look for answers. Jesus tells him that he must be “born again” and continues to provide us with some text that could arguably provide us with the most talked about and important and well debated statement made. “born again”, “for God so loved the world”, “for God sent his Son not to condemn the world…but to save the world through him”

These phrases have been the foundation of faith for many Christians.

And in the midst of the Gospel story there is Nicodemus, who might have come under cover of darkness to decide for himself whether Jesus was dangerous and had to be stopped, or he might have decided that he needed to start an Abrahamic-esque journey of his own. Risking all for God.

So, where are we on our journey?

I think that is a question you will need to ultimately ask yourselves. There are a few points;

1. Don’t forget we are in LENT, it’s the time of following Christ into the wilderness to see where he will lead you.

2. As I said previously, journeys with God don’t bring earthly security or riches – they do bring blessings. (if you are wondering how much a ‘blessing’ sells for on eBay don’t start the journey)

3. Finally, this LENT – think if your faith brings unity or division, blessing or…unblessing?

May God bless us as we seek to bless others. May God travel with us through this life that we might rest with him in Glory. May he multiply our efforts to make us all superhuman for his sake.

Creation Sunday - Party 'til Dawn!

The Second Sunday before Lent – Creation Sunday

Someone is always in control, aren’t they? I can remember talking to children this week about what they wanted to do when they grew up. They said that they wanted to leave home and get a flat….easy as that. They didn’t know what they actually wanted to do, but they knew they wanted independence.

I suppose the never ending diet of pop tarts and pot noodles, late nights, parties and video games is a real dream for youngsters who think that life is all about rules when you live at home and freedom when you manage to break away.

With an average weekly full time wage for an 18 year old being £153 before deductions, I was going to ask how they would pay perhaps £400 a month rent, £100 a month council tax, £80 gas and electric, not to mention water rates, telephone, food, clothes, beer and kebabs and all the other essentials of life.

I can see how by becoming “free” from control, they would be ultimately enslaved to money. I couldn’t see how they could possibly live with less than 2 jobs each.

The truth is that we are all controlled some way or another. Whether it is by employers, the inland revenue, the benefits system, money, families, friends, illness or disabilities, dreams we haven’t managed to realise, or even dreams we have realised – but can’t afford (or don’t want anymore).

The myth that being an adult brings freedom is the most attractive one to children. The Harry Potter books deal with this quite well. Harry is living with his friends, he has more money than he needs, living an exciting life with danger and adventure. He is independent!

We preach a lot about independence and freedom in the Bible, but there is a lot of control and a lot of nurturing that takes place.

Today, Creation Sunday should be called ‘Control Sunday’ not in an authoritarian way, but a positive way. The OT reading is the beginning of the Bible, that great story of creation for the lost people of God, written when they were living in exile. God is saying, however bad things seem, remember what I’ve done for you. Look around and see what is good! CONTROL OVER CREATION

The Psalm (139) reminds us of God’s control not merely over nature, but the old ‘Gods’ pharaoh and his army. CONTROL OVER PEOPLE

The reading from St. Paul to the Romans is a cry for God to come and take control again, because humanity hasn’t been able to properly follow after the example of Christ. PAUL IS ASKING FOR FREEDOM THROUGH CHRIST!

And as we start to consider the Gospel reading from Matthew, with Christ telling the assembled crowds “I tell you, do not worry about your life” we are getting a lot closer to the meaning.

In Christ we can have real freedom, on our own we struggle and fail.

If we let Christ control our lives we can have freedom, we will be free from all that enslaves us.

Heart not head!

And Christ needs to control our Church too!

We say that Christ is the supreme head of the Church – Within the Anglican Church we are very used to structures of hierarchy with Deans and Archdeacons, Bishops and Archbishops and so on – but Christ is the one who gives the Church meaning.

Without Jesus as the head of the Church it is irrelevant. It is no more than a social club who like to come and sit together and sing. In Church life it is very easy to forget about God’s will, about God’s leadership, but Jesus is, as Paul says, ‘the head of the body, the Church.’ And in Christ even the church can be set free!

So if Christ is in control – we can have freedom

Now, in my own life, I’ve realised that the times I thought I was in control I had little control or freedom. Similarly, the times I’ve said to God, “I give up, I’m just going to pray now”, it’s my faith that has seen me through.

Faith must come from the heart – A former Archbishop of Canterbury, Donald Coggan said once that ‘the longest journey in life is from the head to the heart.’ Without the response of the heart our faith is cold, lifeless and ultimately meaningless.

There’s another story of a preacher who was preaching one day in Hyde Park, and he said ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart’, at which point he was interrupted by a heckler in the crowd who said that science had proved that the heart was actually just a pump.

The preacher responded by asking the man if he was married, ‘Yes’ the man replied, and the preacher said ‘well go home now and tell your wife you love her with all your pump.’

So what is stopping us from allowing Christ control in our lives – there can be many things – the first and perhaps the most difficult interference we have comes from our own human nature. We get sidetracked into believing we can cope with anything, and that we must sort out all our problems ourselves, when if we share those things with God in prayer, truly share them, truly lay them at his feet, he will offer us all the support we need.

Wherever we might be in our relationship with GOD, it is always worth remembering that is we let him control our lives, we can truly experience the freedom that faith brings.

It is just like being able to eat all the pop tarts and pot noodles you like, being able to party til dawn and sleep til lunchtime – but a lot better for you.

Septuagesima - Hard to spell, even harder to preach on the readings!

So here we are in church on the THIRD SUNDAY BEFORE LENT, or Septuagesima.

The word SEPTUAGESIMA isn’t used that often, but the name is still in the lectionary. It’s actually the ninth Sunday before Easter and it traditionally marks the beginning of the preparations for LENT.

Septugesima and the two following Sundays Sexagesima and Quinquagesima were removed from the Roman Catholic Calendar in 1969 although they remain an alternative name for us. We keep them in ORDINARY time though, that’s why we have green today.

SEPTUAGESIMA because it means the 70th in Latin, and today is only 63 days from Easter, and it always will be (because 9 weeks x 7 days=63 days)

However, just as we say 40 days of Lent, when it’s actually 46 between Ash Wednesday and Easter (because we don’t count the Sundays), the early church needed to FAST for 40 DAYS as CHRIST did in the Wilderness. Now there was a problem!

Traditionally, Saturdays and Thursdays were 'fast free' days, so the FASTING needed to start early.

That’s right, today (Septuagesima) was the beginning of the FAST for the Early Church – and they didn’t just give up chocolate. It was refraining from anything considered luxurious. This included ALL dairy products and fish, eggs and meat.

It won’t surprise you to discover that I find it difficult to fast. It comes from my early years as a Christian. When I was confirmed at 19, one of my very first Priests liked to talk a lot about ‘Holy Poverty’ and the commitment some religious orders especially the Franciscans make, when I was 20 or so and working with people in poverty, many of which weren’t particularly holy, I thought that there were many different types of poverty, many different types of fasting and many different types of sacrifice we can make for our faith. I thought that ‘poverty’ in all its’ forms was something that needed to be fought against, and I thought it was unhelpful to use the word ‘poverty’ in two so very different contexts.

Without me really realising, It led me to a point where I found certain things difficult to read in the Bible. The Gospel for today is one of those readings.

Jesus is telling the crowds to ‘turn the other cheek’ and to give your cloak to someone who is wants your coat. Give to everyone who begs and lend anything to those who ask. He goes on to say ‘love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you’. He tells us that this is the way to perfection.

It all seems so counter-intuitive; I thought that would be the wise thing to do, to preach today on the hopelessly high standard set for us, and how we all seem to fail!

I don’t know why, I thought that the readings were so topsy-turvy today I might get a hand from St. Paul (although I never have before) but he endorse my feeling that the wise thing to do might be to realise that we all fall short of the mark.

However, even the reading from the First Letter to the Corinthians gave me little comfort, it tells us that if we think we are ‘wise in this world’ then we should ‘become like fools’ because ‘the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God’.

It seems that the readings for today are a REAL challenge for us, even the Psalm gives the refrain ‘Lord, lead me in the path of your commandments’.

I don’t know! It looks like the bar is set particularly high.

Today is the ‘Brownie, Scouts, Guides and Beaver’s Thinking Day’ in Magor, and after this service, I’m going to lead that. You can imagine, I’ll be struggling for a talk there on the readings about ‘turning the other cheek’ and being ‘foolish’, but I think I’ve got something that’ll work, and it might work for us too.

I’m going to tell them that our community, our nation and even the whole world needs heroes, and it’s a difficult job. Heroes will be people who will help others regardless of the cost. They will;

1. Be the sort of person that will never give up

2. Be willing to do more than people ask for

3. Be able to struggle through, even when things are tough

4. Be wanting to do their best for people wherever they are

I hope the children don’t get scared off!

For us though, when we are thinking about SEPTUAGESIMA and the fact that the chocolate for us doesn’t stop for a few weeks, there is a tougher list of things that Christ is asking us today. It’s hard to write a sermon for, it’s hard to preach, and I suspect that it’s quite hard to listen to. But we are being called to;

1. Be Willing To Get Worse Than You Deserve

2. Be Willing to Give More Than You Are Asked

3. Be Willing to Go Farther Than You Are Required

4. Be Willing To Grant what is Needed…..

In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. AMEN

Holocaust Memorial Day – 27 January

Each year on 27 January the world marks Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD). HMD has been held in the UK since 2001 and the United Nations declared this an International event in November 2005. 27 January was chosen as the date for HMD because it was on this date in 1945 that the largest Nazi Concentration Camp Auschwitz-Birkenau was liberated.

The day of remembering isn’t only about WWII, it’s also about remembering the victims and those subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and the ongoing atrocities today in Darfur.

It says on the Holocaust Memorial Day Website

“Genocide doesn’t happen overnight, it’s a gradual process which begins when the differences between us are not celebrated but used as a reason to exclude or marginalise. By learning from the lessons of the past, we can create a safer, better future.”

HMD has taken place in the UK since 2001. It was established at a meeting on 27 January 2000, when representatives from forty-four governments around the world met in Stockholm to discuss Holocaust education, remembrance and research. At the conclusion of the forum, the delegates unanimously signed a declaration which is the basis for national events, education and publicity.

Prayers for Holocaust Memorial Day

Let us pray for God’s ancient people, the Jews, the first to hear his word - for greater understanding between Christian and Jew for the removal of our blindness and bitterness of heart that God will grant us grace to be faithful to his covenant and to grow in the love of his name.

(From the Intercessions for Good Friday: Lent, Holy Week and Easter Services and Prayers, as commended by the House of Bishops of the General Synod of the Church of England)

Lord, remember not only the men and women of goodwill, but also those of ill will. Do not remember all the sufferings they have inflicted upon us; remember the fruits we bear, thanks to this suffering - our comradeship, our loyalty, our humanity, courage, generosity, the greatness of heart which has grown out of all this. And when they come to judgement, let all the fruits that we have borne be their forgiveness.

(A prayer found on a scrap of paper beside the body of a girl who died at Ravensbruck)

Prayers said on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the death of Anne Frank:

God, you created us all in your own likeness. We thank you for the wonderful diversity of races and cultures in your world. Enrich our lives by ever-widening circles of fellow feeling and understanding; show us your presence in those most different from us, so that in all our relationships, both by what we have in common and by things in which we differ, we may come to know you more fully in your creation; for you are Father, Son and Holy Spirit for ever. Amen

Judge eternal, bringer of justice, hear the cry of those who suffer under the lash of heartless political oppression; those who languish in prisons and labour camps, untried or falsely condemned; those whose bodies are shattered, or whose minds are unhinged by torture or deprivation. Meet them in their anguish and despair, and kindle in them the light of hope, that they may find rest in your love, healing I your compassion and faith in your mercy. In the name of him who suffered, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light

“There will be no more gloom for those who were in darkness. The people walking in darkness have seen a great light”.

Over the Christmas period I spent some time (when I was all but snowed in) thinking about why so many people came to our churches this Christmas?

Across the Benefice, there were hundreds of people that we know, who would otherwise not be regular worshippers, there were just as many people that we hadn’t seen before who crossed the threshold in the ten churches.

So, the question is…why?

1. Did we do something right last year that meant that people thought it a good idea to celebrate the birth of Jesus with us?

2. Did the national church do something right, so that people questioned that faith they might hold? Deciding that it needed dusting off?

3. Or, are there other circumstances that meant that people braved the ice, snow and sub-zero temperatures to join us in worship?

I need to know what happened? It isn’t a vague or fuzzy question, it’s absolutely critical to us as a church.

In my prayers, and hopes, I would like to think that perhaps they might have seen that it’s more than just mere religion and that faith is something shiny and bright, which can light up the darkest things.

Of course, we were all fabulously welcoming and friendly, our conversation was both well informed and informal. Our music was just like the heavenly host that the shepherds saw and the preaching made people think about God in their lives and the Christ child, born in Bethlehem.

I was still mulling over the real reason when I turned to the collect for today and started to prepare to write my sermon…

“Renew your people with your heavenly grace, and in all our weakness, sustain us by your mighty power”.

I started to smile because we pray that GOD might renew his people and then we are surprised when things go right.

It’s not just me though! It’s been happening for thousands of years…

In our OLD TESTAMENT READING we have that reading from the first part of the BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. Written in the 8^th Century BC – the Prophet is reminding the people that those who WALK IN DARKNESS will see a great light.

Last week and the week before the OLD TESTAMENT readings we had were two of the four parts of the Book of Prophet Isaiah that we call the “Songs of the Suffering Servant” – which for Christians are the texts that tell us that even hundreds of years before the first Christmas people were waiting.

God is preparing his people for the time to come.

People say to me “Mark”, “Mark”, they say “why bother reading the OLD TESTAMENT?” It’s a good question, but it’s critical that we do – and it might have answer for us this morning!

There are TWO things we need to know realise about the OT;

Firstly it is realistic, we encounter a world of evil, violence and revenge. It echoes the world as it is today, with terrorists blowing up buildings, children shooting other children in schools and people being imprisoned and executed for their beliefs. It is startlingly realistic. There are passionate stories of love and hate, blood chilling stories of murder, matter of fact accounts of slavery and honest tales of the high honour and cruel treachery of war. There is also the wonderful irony of God. Spoiled brats like Solomon and Samson get supernatural gifts, and a good egg like Job gets a disaster.

Secondly, the whole of the Old Testament is a gradual but certain movement towards grace. The Hebrews lived in wild barbaric times. Their laws may seem harsh to us, they established basic rules for warfare, and also made rules to protect the poor and the needy. God, in his own time was working with them, establishing a seed of his grace to grow amongst them.

I think the answer to my original question might be in here somewhere…Why did so many people come to church at Christmas?

I’m not suggesting that people come to church because they have read the OLD TESTAMENT – I BELIEVE THAT;

1. MANY, MANY PEOPLE ARE SHUFFLING TOWARDS GOD.

2. MANY PEOPLE ARE WANTING TO WALK IN THE LIGHT, and

3. MANY PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING THAT MAKES THEM FEEL VALUED, GOOD, UNIQUE and LOVED

I had a good feeling about what happened at Christmas in our churches. I’d like to think that in the ice and snow, people were

looking for something important. A lot of people worked very hard to beautify our churches, produce our music, write our sermons, cook our food, rehearse with the children, clear the paths, make our Christingles and a hundred other things – but if it meant that EVEN JUST ONE PERSON who was walking in darkness was HELPED TO SEE THE LIGHT, then it will have been all worth it.

We are blessed indeed! May we be a blessing to others.