Spillbeans

First Thoughts on John 20:1-18

Read this first on Easter Day. Then hold silence. Go do something with it like put flowers on gravestones, or write out the word Alleluia in the biggest letters ever and run it up a flag pole, or leave a footprint in the mud and wonder if Jesus did too.

Hold silence and then chose to believe into the empty tomb. In other words, take all that is empty in life, and choose to trust what Jesus said about life to be true, and what he said about justice to be true, and what he said about healing to be true. Where there is emptiness, like the stone-rolled tomb, decide for life, err on the side of possibility and choose to live life anew, trusting Jesus words.

You don't need a body for this to be true. you don't need a body for resurrection to be true, unless you want resurrection to be a magic trick with a body. Surely its it far more profound and real than that. Bodies just die again, but faith doesn't and love doesn't. When everything seems empty, be like the first disciples, and choose to believe in the possibility still, in Jesus.

How would you retell the story...?

First Thoughts on Luke 4:1-13

Luke 4:1-13

Danger: do not be tempted to quote scripture at everything an imagine it acts like some sort of Star Trek shield that deflects every alien attack. Perhaps it does but I haven't seen much evidence of that.

The temptation here is to think Scripture itself is the shield. It's not. it is just a bundle of words. It's what we believe about that particular bundle of words that makes the difference. Jesus in the wilderness doesn't think that a few choice verses chucked in the direction of the tempter (whoever that may be) is all he needs to do. Scripture is used here to show what he trusts in and it is the trusting in that belief that acts as the shield.

There is no magic here - sorry. There is no degree in rocket science needed. It is just living the way of the Gospel and trusting that promise we have been trusted with. Live it and it is enough. Scripture verses are just the wallpaper and the poetry of the belief.

The temptation is to think we don't have to live in a particular way in order to be spared temptation. And such songs as 'Yield not to temptation' (it's not in our hymn book any more for good reason) don't help. Live the Life. Love your neighbour. Love God. Sorted.

Okay its not quite as simple as that obviously but you get the idea. Jesus quotes scripture because Jesus finds in scripture the poetry, the images, the stories, that speak of what he trusts in. Jesus is saying: I am with God. It is God who defines me, not you, you hairy, forked tailed, cloven hoofed, curly horned devil (I'm using the original Hebrew here, obviously!). I am defined in and through God, your offers of a different definition (mainly 'me') aren't powerful enough to change that.

So get lost. To hell with you!

Jesus, at the end of the wilderness time, had decided to let God define his life and cause and purpose, not the world and any devil you find there. And things have never been the same since.

Sorted.

Hymns? Music that might be played that connects faith and culture (Last week we had Belinda Carlisle with heaven is a place on earth which worked for us at least, with transfiguration), and how would you tell this story to children?

First Thoughts on Luke 4:21-30

So right at the beginning of his ministry, Jesus goes and lets the cat out the bag that this message is for the foreigner because the home crowd isn't ready to hear it. that's certainly a good way to get people on your side. As my granny always said: where angels feared to tread...

But then that's a prophet for you. Mind you I think it is probably easier to be a prophetic voice than the ears that have to listen to the prophet, especially if their hearing one you've known all your life. That's where the grace and passion have to come too. And there needs to be a bit more from the hearer than from the prophet and sometimes we just don't have it.

Imagine saying that the ancient words he quoted, and the traditions he was part of were never going to get very far among those who shaped and loved him. Blimey! But imagine also saying that what used to belong here has now moved beyond the borders to those you consider enemies. That's a double whammy!

This Kingdom of God lark is turning out to be quite tough.

First Thoughts...

Mark 13:1-8

Even if you take this at face value it is talking about what the end times are not. These times are not what it is going to be like. Nor do any of these things say anything about when it all comes to and end. All it says these things will be signposts on the way. You can't measure what Jesus is taliing about here, not by time and not by description.But then what kind of faith is it that rests on this kind of stuff, this gory glory that seems to be part of the language about second comings and end times and long spent dreams of an apocalyptic God. It says something about a persons personality if Mark 13 is high on their faith moments.

Alternatively there is something far deeper and more spiritual to be said that is full of promise and truth. And it is quite simple:

If you are going through hard times, keep going. Wasn't it Winston Churchill who said something like that: If you are goijng through hell, keep going. Maintain you witness to the truth of God and the justice of God's reign in difficult times. It is in these times the Gospel is more than at others times. In these times you have to rely on it more, and discover what is true about it.

So hang in in there, look forward in faith, which takes us onto the questions of what hymns to sing on Sunday? Anyone like to make some suggestions? And how would you read this passage in a congregation that helps them engage? And what about incidental music: popular or classical that might be used as a sound scape for this passage?

Just click the comment button and help shape the service...

Sunday's On It's Way

The Widow's Mite. A widow, therefore poor because the social system left noting for a woman who was a widow, gives all she has while the wealthy offer but a small fraction of what they have. This generosity is love and it is the same generosity of love God has towards us. Traditional reading and perfectly true.

Then there is the background scene: the juxtaposition of a widow who has so little giving such a huge proportion of what she has to an institution that devours it. The temple wasn't sympathetic. Yet here the widow still gives. Perhaps she sees beyond the institution.

It is Remembrance Sunday this weekend. Is there something about that same juxtaposition of the sacrifice of others who give of themselves and the institution they give towards? Not just government and economy but quite simply us who remember. Do we just take the sacrifice, pay it lip service and take it for granted without recognising how corrupt that is?

This is not about being more like the faithful widow. That's not a sermon worth listening to. This is about recognising the cost to those who couldn't afford it, and for us to recognise the corruption of an institution be it nation, community or government (or all three) who accepts it without questioning the cost.

First Thoughts

It's the placement of the story, a story told just at the right time that makes the difference to how you understand what it is really about. Mark can be quite good at that. Here he's placed the story of the blind beggar immediately after the three predictions of Jesus' death and the three examples of the disciples just not getting it: blind.

So here's Blind Bar Timeaus being used as a foil for us disciples who don't quite get it yet: Still can't see? Dare you get up and walk, and trust the questions you ask rather than the answer? It's the trusting that helps you see, not the understanding. Bar Timeaus responds to the question of Jesus stating what he needs. What do you need Jesus to free you to do and be? Be honest. Now will you come? Let's go!

This is the way of faith.

First Thoughts on Sunday

Here we've got early church copyright issues. This Jesus is ours, you can't have him. What he says is copyrighted to us, you can't repeat what he says and expect to get away with it, or get the same result. It is the start of church bureaucracy with the disciples expecting Jesus to affirm what they think and stop someone else using his name to expel demons.

Gandhi had a take on this saying that I like your Jesus but not his followers because Gandhi could sign up to what Jesus said and believed and envisioned but what he didn't see are very spiritual was the way we all ran around giving ourselves the monopoly on Jesus. Jesus wasn't, isn't, a product. Jesus is a way of living. That's all he seemed to be interested in. The way. The process. the verb.

This isn't Nike or Adidas or Coke or Pepsi being precious with strap lines and logos that are the only thing that identifies their producs=ts as being different from others. This is a cause that is trying to give away what it says and looks like and does in order that it does something to change society. Clearly Jesus was never going to be a CEO but his disciples again and again weren't getting the whole idea of following. They were the adverts themselves and they weren't making the best job of it. Hmmm....

Anyway, hymns (don't worry about copyright!) or a suggestion how we might read this passage, or some music that might go along with the theme that could be played during the service at some point?

First Thoughts

Easy peasy this week. Stop going on about rewards related to how well you are doing at being church and remember why you got into this faith thing in the first place. Sorted.

Well, perhaps, but not quite.

"You're going on about being the greatest and having all the important seats. That's the wrong conversation," says Jesus. "Look here's an example of what I am talking about: this child here, this one is the greatest, and why? Because you all think this child is the least. In fact can anyone here remember this child's name? Thought not. And because you think thins child is the least, that makes them the greatest. Got it?"

No, not really.

"Children are least and I'm asking you to welcome them. Welcome them. That's the key word: welcome. Not give them a place but give them some honour, respect, engage with them, turn round those habits you've got and provide some deep hospitality toward those you think the least. Turn them into the greatest. That's kingdom values, and not you whispering behind me about all the glory you think you deserve. You'd think that now I've just given you the way to welcome me into your faith communities would have you doing this open armed. Why am I not surprised children still have to work for their place in the church?"

Be hospitable to the least. Honour them with a deep welcome. Then they shall be the greatest.

First Thoughts on Sunday

Here's a wee starter to set ideas running for Sunday. Please feel free to join the discussion... We could make this a wee regular ting to meet here at the beginning of the week for a blether.

Here's the God we never wanted. But got anyway.

Who do you say I am?

I say you are a disturber and agitator and unsettler of my life.
I say you are my guilty conscience.
I say you are the one who always has me asking questions.
I say you are the one who makes me worry about my lifestyle.
I say you are the one who ultimately makes me face my choices.
I say you are uncomfortable.

I say you are the God I never wanted
but I think I'm glad I got you anyway.

Some Questions:
The God we wanted or needed?
If you were an alien (some of us feel we are) and you watched the church or your own congregation, what do you think that alien would say about what we thought of Jesus?
Name one thing you/we do in Jesus name that names him in the world?

Jumping in

Here's some extra first thoughts on the passage this week to get us thinking a little. Good to have a discussion here.

You can’t keep God tied down. Just when you think you’ve got the Realm of Love worked out, or at least you’ve worked out a manageable portion of it, it just goes and bursts its seams and spills out all over the place. It generally gets a bit like that in the places of theology and faith, and the lesson is always the same: don’t tie God down. God’s the best escapologist there is.

Here is Jesus on the edge of Israel, taking a short tour outside the Chosen Nation’s borders and the passage is a great description of the Reign of God as it explodes in the Gentile world. A woman who was not Jewish asks Jesus to help her daughter and Jesus says he came for Israel only and not for the Gentile dogs and the woman says that as a Gentile dog she was prepared to have just a crumb or two from the banqueting table of what Jesus brought for Israel. Then comes the moment and it hits Jesus on the solar plexus: this realm of love is bigger than Israel, and as if to prove the point he then cures a man who cannot see or speak (a Gentile) as if he is saying: go witness, go proclaim this reign of love that has just found a new playground outside of Israel, and then he goes off and feeds 4000 Gentile people as if saying, ‘This banquet is open for all.’

What Jesus actually says to the man who cannot speak is, however: don’t tell a soul. This is one of Mark, the Gospel writer’s, techniques for trying to explain why the Jews didn’t take Jesus at his word by suggesting Jesus himself told them to keep it all a secret.

Perhaps Jesus has been caught with a theology that is too small and the Gentile woman broadens his mind a little, or maybe he is just playing verbal word game with the woman. Either way, the kingdom rolls out into the Gentile world and things are never the same again.