What are you doing here?

Trinity 4c

1 Kings 19.1-15

Luke 8.26-3

I was looking out of my bedroom
window on Wednesday morning. Watching the sheep, in the field opposite, the rabbits running about, a few crows looking for lunch. The sheep are always a good reminder of the 23rd Psalm and that we should spend some time metaphorically lying down in green pastures and restoring our souls except that morning although most of the sheep were lying down, they weren’t all happy. One was lying on its back with its feet in the air. It was twitchiing now and again but certainly didn’t look at all comfortable, in fact I guessed it was very disconsolate and frightened. I duly phoned the owners but didn’t get a reply. Then I sent a text message – still nothing. So I decided  the best I could was just to keep an eye on the sheep.

There was someone doing quite a lot of lying down in the story from Kings this morning  – and that was the prophet Elijah. He was lying down under a broom tree disconsolate, frightened and depressed. How had he ended up there?

Well you probably know the story.

Israel at the time was being ruled by one of the kings who did evil in the sight of the Lord – King Ahab married to the infamous Jezebel.

For three years Jezebel had been encouraging the people to worship the Baals.

But there had been a long time of drought. The grass was withered, plants has died there was almost nothing left to eat. And into this scenario walks the prophet Elijah. He is one prophet against 450 prophets of Baal and he comes with a challenge- lets put the Baals to the test.

They set up two altars one to the Baals and one to the God of Israel. All day the prophets call on their gods to bring down fire on their altar but by evening nothing has happened. It is Elijah’s turn and in spite of dousing the whole thing in water God’s fire comes down and burns the sacrifice, the altar and even dries up the water. The drought is ended, the false prophets are slaughtered, a great victory.

When Jezebel hears about it all she hits the warpath, threatening Elijah with all sorts and he becomes so terrified of her he takes himself off, heading for Mt Horeb (Sinai ) after a days journey he sits down under a broom tree and prepares to die.. the great prophet who has just seen a huge miracle.

Wouldn’t you think that having experienced the power of God he would be full of courage, full of praise. Surely if God could bring down fire he could also protect Elijah.

But no maybe the little doubts had begun to creep in. Maybe it wasn’t a miracle maybe it was just a flash of lightening – after all it had been followed by rain, perhaps God wasn’t so powerful, perhaps God didn’t really care about him, perhaps God didn’t really love him or the people after all.

Some of us have probably been there too – had an amazing experience when our faith was so strong, we’ve seen God work, seen him provide for us then something happens, the doubts creep in, things don’t seem quite so good after all. We start to worry, we start to look around us at our situation gradually our faith fades away and we end up lying under our own broom tree. We’re a bit like the sheep, we’ve got ourselves stuck and we can’t put things right. We can’t roll over and get back on our feet again.

But just as I was keeping an eye on the sheep God is keeping his eye on us.

He might let us lie under our broom trees for a while, but he is watching.

Elijah has decided to travel to mount Horeb – God didn’t tell him to go but sometimes it seems God understands that we have to do what we have to do. He lets us go along a path we have chosen but stays close by. God provides food for him, cakes and some water.

When Elijah finally arrives after 40 days God  finally asks him, “What are you doing here?” What are you doing here?

Elijah had what may have been a well-rehearsed reply, if not an answer. “I’m the only one left to stand for you, the people are faithless, and the king’s people are hunting me down to kill me!”  It was an answer born of frustration, weariness, and fear. “I alone am left and they are seeking my life to take it away.”

God tells Elijah to stand on the mountain before the Lord.

Elijah appears not to move toward God at first. He stays put in his spot deep in the cave when winds and earthquakes and fires signaling God’s presence shake and light up the mountain. Then the drama ceases and there is the  “sound of sheer silence.” That’s when Elijah moves to the cave’s mouth wrapping his mantle about him.

And then the same question comes again, “What are you doing here Elijah?” Elijah gave exactly the same response as before.

But this time God says to him. “I have work for you to do and places to go. Go to Damascus, and anoint Hazael as king. Then come back to Israel, and anoint Jehu. Then find Elisha, and anoint him as your replacement.

Elijah is given space and time to come to God at his own pace.

God didn’t rush him he kept an eye on him he sustained him.

Sometimes like Elijah we need to have some time out.

Sometimes, we get overwhelmed. Sometimes life is just too hard for us.Things happen. This week the news of the murder of Jo Cox, coming after the massacre in Orlando made us sick to the stomach.

The poet John Donne wrote  “Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind”.  I certainly felt diminished this week. This is not the kind of world I want.

And we cannot forget the thousand hidden tragedies of this week – refugees still dying in the Mediterranean, conflict in countries that never make the news, climate change squeezing the life from poor communities. All causes Jo fought for.

And we may feel absolutely ,  like giving up going to lie down under our broom tree, disconsolate, anxious, depressed. Where is God in all this?

Brendan Cox said of his wife: “Jo believed in a better world and she fought for it every day of her life ….and what she would want is that we all unite to fight against the hatred that killed her. Hate doesn’t have a creed, race or religion, it is poisonous.”

We have to fight against the poison that isolates us, demonises others, and diminishes us all.

if we make decisions on the basis of what is best for me, if we say me first, if we use language which paints others as a threat or as lesser humans we are all weaker.  We fail to embrace God’s invitation to love and be loved, to celebrate our full potential as humans made in God’s image.

Desmond Tutu said “We are made for goodness. We are made for love. We are made for friendliness. We are made for togetherness.”

In our political decision-making we are called not to weigh up our own self interest, but to love our neighbour. The Good Samaritan took risks, his care for the injured man was costly to himself.  But he loved his neighbour, who might be seen by others to be his enemy.

Whichever way we vote this week it must be because we believe the outcome will be the best way to love our neighbour.

Our story from the gospel shows another deranged man.

It’s another scene of noise and chaos, blood and violence.

Jesus reaches into the heart of the agonised man who has no control over what is happening to him. He reaches inside him casting out all the turmoil all the exhaustion all the grief.

Jesus reached out to the madman in the confusion of his thoughts in the shouting, screaming and the drama.

God is still reaching out into our violent, chaotic,  world.

His question to us – What are you doing here? There is work to be done.

And what about the sheep what happened to her ? Well after a while I decided to do something, managed to get into the field and rolled her over. Sometimes we too just need a big shove.

I have called you by name

Isaiah 43.1-7
Luke 3.15-17,21,22
The other day I had an appointment for a check up at the dentist. I went along but the receptionist couldn’t find it – I’d made a mistake it was not January 4th but April 4th. So I was quite relieved.
Like most people I don’t like going to the dentist even if it’s just for a check up but there is one thing I do like about the dentist in Downham Market – the one in the High Street, Instead of sitting and waiting for a number to come up on a screen the dentist himself comes into the waiting room and calls your name, it makes the whole experience more pleasant. And I do have to say the dentist I have at the moment is the best I have ever had!

Of course if he saw me in the street he probably wouldn’t recognise me and I wouldn’t expect him to remember my name.

We’ve all been in the situation where we bump into someone we’ve met before and we just can’t remember what their name is. I try all sorts of things and one thing that works best is if I associate them with someone else who has the same name. So if i meet an new Carol I make a picture of them with Carol NL if it’s Wendy, – with our Wendy, Nick and John and so on….

Living the Trinity

 

Essay for LLM course :-

Your vicar tells you that he’s never really understood the Trinity, and so wants you to give an extended sermon on Trinity Sunday. With reference to the collect set for that day, write a sermon that enables the congregation and the vicar to leave church sensing that the Trinity may not be so much a doctrine to be understood as a reality to be enjoyed.

Living Water?

Family Service  March 23rd

Reading John 4: 4, 6-42

Phebe Hi Zach

Zach Hi Phebe

Phebe You’ll never guess what I’ve heard!

Zach What’s that then?

Phebe About that woman

Zach What woman?

Phebe You know the one who lives next door to Matthew.

Zach You mean her

Phebe Yes, you know the one who’s living with that chap whatsisname You know she used to be married Simon.

Zach and before that to Jonas.

Waking up

 

 

Family service, 

John 3:1-17

 

 

On January 25th 1964 Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight set up a company called

Blue Ribbon Sports. They began by ordering 300 pairs of trainers from a sports company in Japan.  Although they sold some, Bill Bowerman ripped a lot of them apart to see if they could be made lighter and better. Eventually they set up their own manufacturing business   can anyone guess the name  – give you a clue – show swoosh logo – under the name Nike and as they say the rest is history.

(Bring out Nike bag/trainers/sign)

Our Identity in Christ

Epiphany 2 A    January 19th 2014

Isaiah 49.1-7, 1 Corinthians 1.1-9, John 1.29-42

It’s lovely to be invited here this morning to your beautiful church in this pretty village. I visited the church in the summer and enjoyed your wonderful flower festival, with the theme of crafts. There were some truly imaginative displays. I particularly remember one with a step ladder and the paint pot depicted in flowers. But I don’t really know you and you don’t know me. So how would we introduce ourselves?

Firstly by our name, maybe by where we live, maybe by a role we have, a teacher, a doctor, a carer, churchwarden etc. or a family role – I’m his mum or her husband, maybe by our age, perhaps not! but – people both very young and very old often want to do that.

Now the Secret is Out!

Ephesians 3:1-12

Matthew 2:1-12

So we have had Christmas, we have cooked and eaten  delicious food, wrapped and unwrapped presents, we have entertained others and visited our friends and relations, we have sung about angels and shepherds, Joseph and Mary and the child in the manger, we have heard readings about the Word becoming flesh, of no room at the inn, of shepherds abiding in the fields and today of the Magi.

Christ the King and his Kingdom

Christ the King

Luke 23:33-43

 

Today we are going to think about kings and kingdoms,

We’re going to begin with a story it’s called,  ‘Little Miss Sunshine.’ by Roger Hargreaves.  Those of you who have children, nieces and nephews, grandchildren, or even great grandchildren, will probably be familiar with the Mr.Men and Little Miss books, they been translated into many different languages and also made into a TV series. This is one of my favourites.

I’ll need some children to come and help me with the story.

{story summary –   Little Miss Sunshine is returning from holiday and she arrives at Miseryland – Big sign saying, ‘You are now entering Miseryland

Smiling, laughing, chuckling, giggling, forbidden by order of the king.’

 LMS immediately gets arrested because she smiles at the guard.

Remembrance Sunday

Remembrance Sunday 10th November 2013

Ephesians 6 :10-17 John 15:9-17

The Falklands war, the war in the Gulf, the toppling of Saddam Hussein, the campaign in Afghanistan which continues to this day, have forcibly impressed upon our minds,

•  the suffering which accompanies armed combat,
• the sacrifice of those who give life and limb,
• and the need for a public act of remembrance, recollection and thanksgiving.

Pray for the Spirit of Wisdom and of Revelation

 

Is there something you’re looking forward to today?

Perhaps a birthday celebration or a visit to friends? Perhaps you’re looking forward to having a good Sunday lunch, going for a walk or just spending some time being quiet. We all have events in our lives which we look forward too.

But if we’re honest something we don’t always really look forward to is the end of life. We may worry about how that will come about, will it be painful will we have to leave our homes and go to a hospital or a nursing home?  And that concern will not be just for ourselves but for our mothers and fathers or our wives or husbands. These are all concerns which we share.