The twenty fifth day of Lent: Moving on

Ripon city centre was a nightmare traffic wise today. I had various places to be and there was hardly anywhere to park. Driving by the bus station, a car two in front of me just stopped in the middle of the road. Nothing then happened for ages. The queue behind the car lengthened. Eventually we all drove round the car as it still wasn’t going anywhere. As I passed it I saw a very elderly couple in it and the wife beginning to get out of the passenger seat. For a while everyone was motionless. 

There are occasions in life obstacles like that car are placed on our journey we find it hard to deal with getting past them. There are times deliberate obstacles are put in the way so we cannot get past them. The road ahead is blocked for a long time. 

But, you know. I believe God gives us enough to get past the obstacles or the stubborn and selfish people to keep going. And sometimes when things are going wrong, he makes a way out of no way. This evening, we’ve welcomed a new colleague into our Circuit. Someone commented to me she’s come to us for a reason. Sometimes God gifts us the answer to get round our problems. 

I was struck that one of the promises Sarah made tonight was to “awaken the careless.” That’s not just drivers dumping their cars with little common sense, but reminding us of our responsibilities to live with others, working out what we need to do and be to move forward. 

A church in its newsletter reminded its readers of their calling:

“ We are ordinary people, living locally, trying to make sense of life, asking questions, seeking relationship with God and the world around us.

Caring for all, we try to be an open and inclusive church, which means: you are welcome whoever you are; you are welcome whatever your lifestyle; you are welcome wherever you may be in your faith journey.

Seeking God, we follow Jesus who shows us that the way we treat others is as important as the beliefs we hold; that Christians may be concerned with injustice and suffering; that faith means acting with compassion and facing evil.”

Life in March 2023 is full of folk like that motorist. So what to do? Whatever your obstacle, God is willing to cross it with you. He is committed to communicating with His people and to providing strength, comfort, and hope. If you are up against a wall and want to know how to deal with it, don't try to overcome under your own strength. Commune with God. Let that be your first plan of action, rather than your last resort.

The twenty fourth day of Lent: Cats

Today has been St Patrick’s Day, but also for those who commemorate the saints, it is also St Gertrude’s Day and St Gertrude is the patron saint of cats. Yes, really!! 

Two cats attempt to climb St. Gertrude in this stained glass window in the Belgian province of Limburg. She’s the patron saint of gardeners, travellers, widows, recently deceased people, the sick, the poor, the mentally ill, and travellers in search of lodging. People call upon Gertrude for protection from mice and rats, fever, insanity, and mental illness. However, cat lovers revere Gertrude of Nivelles most of all. How great is it to have a patron saint of cats? We live in a multi cat household. We thank God for them. All of them are asleep as I write this! 

St. Gertrude of Nivelles, ask you I pray
Safeguard my kitties this and each day.
Defend them from those who might wish them harm.
Keep them at home safe from danger and storm.
Instill in me wisdom to care for them well.
Pray, fill me with strength never to yell.
And Gertrude, a last thing I beseech from thee,
Protect my sofa from claws and my carpets from pee.
Amen.

The twenty third day of Lent: Building each other up

One of the disciplines of being a Presbyter is to attend the annual Presbyteral Synod, which was held today in Pocklington. 

I always find this Synod very moving, because it’s the closest we come to being an order like our diaconate friends. We gathered today to hear about ministerial candidates; then our probationer ministers; then we heard from those about to sit down, the Methodist word for retire. My colleague, the Superintendent in Scarborough told me he has three years to do and a very big chair in which to sit down on is getting closer! 

After that we heard obituaries of four ministers. All four deeply moving. I wonder what they’ll write about me one day. 

This afternoon we had “the annual enquiry” - our names were read out one by one and we had to answer a yes to whether we are as convinced of our call as when God first called us and are we still prepared to administer our discipline  and preach our doctrine. There have been times when both questions may have got a no answer! But not today. I’m in for another year. 

It was good to meet in fellowship with ministers across the District and especially to see friends I’ve not seen for years. Nic was way back when a member of one of the churches I was a student minister in in east Manchester and John and Bruce were in college with me. 

I have been conscious today of the power of fellowship. Paul writes to the fractured church in 1 Corinthians “when one part of the body suffers, we all suffer, when one part of the body rejoices, we all rejoice.” We need each other. We need to respect each other. We need to trust each other.

Today being part of a deep fellowship, a really good Lent group, and having a conversation with my ecumenical friend Canon Matthew as we were both filling up at the garage at 8 this morning - has been a privilege and an encouragement. 

“He bids us build each other up, and gathered into one, to our high calling’s glorious hope, we hand in hand go on.” 

The twenty second day of Lent: Turning aside

This morning I took my new colleague Sarah on a tour of some of the delights of the south of our Circuit. This included the fabulousness of Dallowgill and all the sheep on the road. I shared with her the joy of taking time to notice the wonders around her in the beauty of this part of the world as she travels from place to place.

Tonight I’ve been in Grewelthorpe to give a talk on sacred space using some places I found in last year’s sabbatical and I reflected on the story of Moses. 

Moses was called by God to turn aside from his routine, his busyness, his comfort zone to see what God might be up to. For him, it was a burning bush at the side of the road out of which God gave him a commission to lead his people out of slavery and into freedom and a new future. What would have happened if he had ignored that command to turn aside? The whole future of God’s people relied on him seeing and responding to an amazing theophany and revelation. 

My conviction is that we have become too busy to have time to turn aside. We fear turning aside because we might get a request from what we see to do something. We are quite content with what we see in life every day. We aren’t wanting new insights. 

But, if we would only look, God is there beckoning us to see where he is. And he might not be in a church building we keep going sapping all our energy. The church might be over here, but our burning bush might be over there, and to ignore it might have the same effect had Moses ignored his all those years ago. 

What’s happening on the road you travel? Where is God showing you something you cannot help stopping to investigate? What will you do then? 

On this twenty second day of Lent, dare you turn aside? 

The twenty first day of Lent: Birthday

Today has been my 56th birthday. Thank you for all the good wishes sent. We’ve had a nice day off in York. I looked back on my timeline and most birthdays have involved food. This picture was on my 50th, six years ago, at the Waren House Hotel in Northumberland. Today we ate in a street food place at York brewery. 

What are birthdays for? A day to celebrate us! I’m not sure what difference I’ve made to the world over the last 56 years but every day we try to contribute to a story and we hopefully do good to someone. Birthdays are a day to remember high points and low points on the journey. Birthdays are a day to consider what the world might have been like without us. I nearly didn’t make it back in March 1967. I was meant to be born on 28 April, and I arrived one month and fourteen days early, worryingly tiny and vulnerable. Well, I made it gaining strength from that traumatic beginning. I often reflect how I might be remembered. But that’s a but morbid for today. 

Birthdays are also a chance to pause and remember the faithfulness of God. My 56 years haven’t been easy years some of them. But amongst the tough times there have been times of great joy and celebration. It is my testimony that God never leaves us or forsakes us. 

When Edward VII, the King of England from 1901 to 1910, was visiting a city to lay the cornerstone for a new hospital, thousands of school children were present to greet him and to sing for him. Following the ceremony, the King walked past the excited youngsters. After he was gone, a teacher saw one of her students crying. She asked her, "Why are you crying? Did you not see the King?" "Yes," the young girl sobbed, "but the King did not see me." King Edward couldn’t have taken notice of each child in that throng. But we are never overlooked by God.

The Church has days to celebrate its saints. We need days to celebrate us too. I discovered I share my birthday here with our circuit finance officer and with one of my members at Dallowgill and more famously Quincy Jones and Michael Caine - not a lot of people know that! (Sorry!) 

I like this prayer from the Roman Catholic Church for today: it’s a good prayer for rededication on a birthday:

May your grace not forsake us O Lord we pray, but make us dedicated to your holy service and at all times obtain for us your help. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. 

. 

The twentieth day of Lent: Walking through fury

Luke 4 from verse 24 is today’s lectionary gospel: 

²⁴And he said, ‘Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s home town. ²⁵But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; ²⁶yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 

27 Again, there were many lepers Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. 29 They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. 30 But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

When are we Jesus, prophesying God’s word? 

When are we the people in the furious crowd, driving away those who show us ourselves?

In today’s gospel, Jesus passes through the midst of fury—he does not confront it, does not accept it, does not hide from it, and does not argue with it. That “midst” part frightens me because as someone who often feels caught in the middle of the prophets and crowds, I seek controllable ways to react and respond.

Jesus relinquishes any control. He does not fight to mend broken relationships. He passes through them. We know that Jesus does not stop his ministry either, continuing to prophesy good news so radical it leads to his betrayal, torture, and execution.

Jesus is familiar with his own people and at the same time, His townspeople knew Him too. As the Son of God, He was aware of the disbelief and hardness of heart of His own tribe. Yet he did not mind the familiarity of His people nor their hostility to hinder Him from doing His mission. He had the courage to do what He needs to do, even if it means antagonizing a lot of people.

Jesus believes so adamantly in his message that he dies because of it. Still, he never attacks, never diminishes, and never forces his ideas, instead allowing his executioners to assert their ideas with “you say that it is so.” Even at his trial before death, Jesus remains silent amid the crowd, allowing them to accuse and rival him.

Jesus’ humility is so pure that, even to the point of death, he does not demand recognition or reverence for who he is. In our hometown spaces, I pray that, as prophets, we walk boldly yet calmly in the midst as Christ does, and as part of a crowd, we recognize Christ in our neighbours.

The nineteenth day of Lent: Adventure

Life is meant to be an adventure. When we cease to reach out and stretch ourselves, something in us dies or we feel frustrated; for life to be lived to the

full, it has to be adventurous.  I believe that God calls us to adventure, to extend ourselves, and to seek new horizons. Our God is the God who makes all things new and he wants us to walk in newness

of life.  A relationship with God will extend our vision, our sensitivity and indeed our whole life.

Whenever life gets static or dull God calls us out to risk and to be renewed.”

So writes David Adam in his collection of prayers  ‘A desert in the Ocean’ 

Today’s blog post is my sermon for Bishop Monkton chapel today. I hand them over to a new minister joining our Circuit next weekend. I will return to take services and support them but I’m marking the fact this Sunday is my last Sunday as their minister by reflecting with them on journeying. 

 

We are called as God’s people to journey and to journey adventurously. 

 

I remember my first Sunday at Millbrook one of my churches in my first Circuit in September 1997. All was going well, I even coped with my organist, dear Norman Bradbury, who played the organ at break neck speed you couldn’t keep up with him and he’d only play out of one book – the 1908 Methodist hymn book! I announced the communion hymn, and everyone got up and moved. “Where are they going?” I thought. They moved leaving an empty pew in front of them. Then they stared at me after the hymn. They hadn’t told me I was expected to take the communion round to them standing in front of them! They moved, in order to receive. 

 

We are scared of moving, we are scared of adventure, we don’t welcome risk on the agenda. And even where it’s dull, it’s easier to keep doing the same old thing because it’s safe, even if it clearly isn’t working any more. To get up and move in order to find God is not just a good thing to do, it is a necessary thing to do, else God gets so far ahead of us we will never catch him up or we will miss what he is up to. 

 

So we have a road. A road ahead of us. A journey to take. I’d like us to reflect on the Holy Island causeway. We returned from Holy Island last night after being there for a week. Holy Island is a tidal island, cut off from the mainland twice a day. In my picture, taken on Monday morning, the causeway is basked in sun, it’s safe to cross, the tide is out, the road ahead is inviting. There is peace and solitude to be found on the island. The road leads to blessings. 

 

But sometimes it’s not sensible to go anywhere on the causeway. On Wednesday night I wanted to pick up an order we’d placed at Argos in Berwick upon Tweed. When you stay on the island, your life revolves around tides. So you go off and you either shop up the A1 in Berwick or a bit further down the A1 in Alnwick and you make a list because you haven’t got time to faff about browsing in the shops. In fact, you save money. So I went out as the tide opened about 7pm on Wednesday evening and as I got onto the causeway, it started to snow heavily and I couldn’t see the road. It was a bit scary. So I needed to turn back, but I couldn’t see where to turn. The car sensors beeped a lot, there was a lot of red as I nearly ended up in the North Sea. The road felt too dangerous to keep going. 

Then sometimes making the journey is just too risky. 

As the cradle of Christianity in northern England, the island attracts 650,000 visitors a year, some of whom ignore the warning signs of when it’s safe to cross a causeway that twice a day is submerged. The tide comes in really quickly. Yet every year large numbers of visitors get stranded in waterlogged vehicles thinking that they can make it.  

Some manage to escape their cars and scramble up steps to a safety hut perched above sea level, while others seek shelter from the chilly rising waters of the North Sea by clambering onto the roofs of their vehicles. And it costs a lot for the RAF and the coastguard to come out and rescue you. 

Most feel a little foolish having driven past a variety of signs, including one with a warning — “This could be you” — beneath a picture of a half-submerged SUV. But it’s still a stupid thing to make the journey. 

So journeys can be eventful. What’s our road we need to travel on here in Bishop Monkton like? We’ve not got water to navigate unless you want to drive through the beck just down the road – but maybe we feel our road is sometimes inviting but also sometimes a bit risky maybe because we are asked to venture out in faith. I chose two passages for us today about journeying. There is a promised land, there is a city ahead whose builder and maker is God to where we are constantly called to journey. It’s an adventure, and mostly while sometimes there might be dangers and challenges, travelling to a better place should be fun. And while we might have not had the best of beginnings on our journey together due to the blessed Covid, we have journeyed well over the last two and a half years building a firm foundation and I really really believe some glorious things are ahead of you as you keep journeying together. 

 

Joshua was called by God to lead his people into that Promised Land generation after generation had hoped for wandering in the desert ever since leaving Egypt and the pain of that experience behind. I feel really sorry for Moses. He had years of grief keeping the people going, putting up with then moaning, getting exasperated they wouldn’t listen, he sees the Promised Land in the distance but he dies before he gets there. It will be Joshua, his assistant, now the leader, who will see the blessings long sought for. Maybe Sarah your new minister from next Saturday is your Joshua. Maybe I feel like Moses. I’ve prepared the way – not that you’ve moaned or exasperated me in any way! 

 

Sarah who maybe by now some of you have met, comes to us to strengthen the team and for a new beginning amongst us. She’s really nice and I’m certain you will flourish with her and care for her. It will be brilliant to have your minister resident in the village for a while. What sustained Joshua to faithfully carry out such an awesomely overwhelming task of leading the people of Israel into Canaan? Faith – He banked everything on God’s word.

Obedience – Joshua believed that as long as he walked where God would lead him, he would succeed in the task assigned to him.

One question begs to be answered. If God had already promised the land by covenant to Abraham and his seed, if God had already given the land to Israel, what need is there for Joshua to be strong and courageous? What difference would it make if Joshua turned out to be weak and cowardly? 

 

Here we see the beautiful interplay between divine sovereignty and human responsibility. God’s decree and promise and purpose and the certainty that his will shall come to pass in no way negate the absolute necessity that we obey his command. Why? Because it is our obedience, through the strength God supplies, that God employs as the means to fulfil his promise.

 

Joshua didn’t appeal to God’s sovereignty as an excuse for neglecting his commands. Rather, the certainty of God’s purpose is precisely the incentive that stirred Joshua’s heart to obey God’s commands.

 

“Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you” says God “Be strong and courageous. Why. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” If we are ever to experience the strength and courage that God requires, we must first avail ourselves and immerse our souls in these three foundational realities: Trust God’s promises for you! Abide in God’s presence with you! Meditate on God’s Word in you! 

So I guess that’s the first thing I want to say to you today: journey well, and rely on the providence of God journeying with you and ahead of you. Lean on his word. Be adventurous! You know, someone once asked the evangelist John Wimber  “Where are we going with all this stuff? What is our church doing? What are we becoming?” Wimber held up his Bible and said: “We’re not going anywhere this book doesn’t take us.” The man replied, seemingly relieved: “Phew! Good! That’s a relief and a load off my mind.” After the man left, Wimber said: “Does he have any idea of what’s actually in this book?”

 

Then I think I want to say keep being the strong fellowship you are. It’s your greatest strength. We are receiving a probationer minister in Sarah and we had to create an appointment for her which would give her a good experience. It became very obvious to me with a heavy heart that Bishop Monkton had to be part of the appointment as you have huge huge possibilities here and you have plans and hopes and you get on and you laugh and you deeply care for each other. 

What’s my advice for you today? Well, Hebrews 13 has some tips for journeying on well. Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.”  There’s your spud and pud and your after church lunches and your yummy puddings and your toddlers group and your village coffee and your singing for fun and the reason we want to refurbish these premises to serve the village more effectively. 

 

Be content with what you have, because God has said, 
    'Never will I leave you;
    never will I forsake you.'
So we say with confidence,
    'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. Remember your blessings. 

 

And keep serving the Lord. 

 “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise -- the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."

 

And the Circuit’s prayer for you at this time. Well maybe the end of that Hebrews passage: 

 

“May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in you what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

 

There’s that lovely story of the removal firm used by the church a lot so used to moving clergy. On its van were these words: “we have moved many Methodist ministers to the satisfaction of all concerned!”

 

Friends, I commend Sarah to you. Don’t worry. There’s a foundation of hope and possibility here if we give your church to Jesus. And when you do that you can travel the road ahead confidently whatever might be ahead for you. So I just want to say this finally. Thank you for the way you have let me be your minister for the last two and a half years. God bless you. Be adventurous, travel well.