sorry it has been a while!

Developing your shape to serve others
We have here the parable of the talents committed to three servants; this implies that we are in a state of work and business, we are in a state of expectancy. the necessity of habitual preparation, of actual diligence in our present work and service. We are stirred up to do well for our own spiritual life; to work for the glory of God and the good of others.
1. The Master is Jesus, who is the Owner and Proprietor of all persons and things, and his church;
2. The servants are Christians his own servants, born in his house, bought with his money, devoted to his praise, and employed in his work.
I. The trust given to these servants; their master delivered to them his goods: having called them to work (for Jesus keeps no servants to be idle), he left them with something to work with
We receive from Jesus in order to work for him. Our privileges are so we do our job! The gift of the Spirit is given to each one of us to bring God glory. 2. Whatever we receive is made use of for Jesus, it is all his anyway! we are but tenants upon his land, stewards of his grace,
On what occasion this trust given to these servants: The master was travelling into a far country. This is explained, Eph_4:8. When he ascended on high, he gave gifts to men.
he sent his Spirit to enable his servants to teach and profess truth, to live and apply his promises, and to exercise and employ powers, ordinary or extraordinary he gives us. Thus Jesus, at his ascension, left his goods to his church.
to what proportion was this trust given. [1.] He gave talents He gave to some more, to others less; to one five talents, to another two, to another one; to every one according to his ability. God shapes us in different ways, throughout our lives we have been shaped to serve God in our own particular way, each one of us is unique, also Every one had some one talent at least, All alike, they had not the same abilities and opportunities. God is a free Agent, giving, as he will; some are cut out for service in one kind, others in another, the church body like the human body
Two of the servants did well.
(1.) They were diligent and faithful; They went, and traded; A Christian is a spiritual tradesman. it is a manufacturing trade; there is something to be done for our own hearts, and for the good of others; things of value to us are parted with for things of greater value.
2) A tradesman is one who, having made his trade his choice, and taken pains to learn it, makes a business of it, he does all he can to grow his business, he lives for it, to give him and his family life. So too a Christian in the work of faith; we have no stock of our own to trade with, but trade with our saviour’s stock. The way we are shaped through life our minds - reason, wit, learning, must be used for Jesus and his Church; the enjoyments of the world - house, money, jobs, power, must be improved for the honour of Jesus. The gifts of the gospel, and our opportunities to use them, bibles, prayer, Sundays the sacraments, must be improved for the end for which they were given, and our walk with God kept up by them, the gifts and graces of the Spirit must be used; and this is trading with our talents.
(3.) They were successful;
2. The third did ill (Mat_25:18); He that received one talent, went, and hid his lord's money.(1.) notice if he who only had one talent, was treated this way for burying one, what of those that have more than one talent and bury them. (2.) Also those who have the littlest to do for God, frequently do least of what they have to do. Some make it an excuse for their laziness, that they have not the opportunities of serving God that others have they will not do what we are sure they can, and so sit down and do nothing; it is really a sad situation that when they have but one talent to take care about, they neglect that one.
He dug in the earth, and hid the talent, for fear it should be stolen; he did not misspend or misemploy it, did not embezzle it or squander it away, but he hid it. Money is like manure good for nothing in the heap, but it must be spread; yet it is an evil which we have often seen treasure heaped together does good to nobody; and so it is in spiritual gifts; many have them, and make no use of them Those that have but do not stir up the gift that is in them, are those lazy servants that seek their own things more than Jesus’.
We must all be reckoned with - what good we have done for our own growth, and what good we have done to others by the advantages we have enjoyed
If we be careful in our spiritual trade, we, and others will soon see it. Not that the saints will in the great day make mention of their own good deeds; no, Jesus will do that for them (Mat_25:35); but it intimates that they who faithfully improve their talents First, He commended them; Well done, good and faithful servant. Those that own and honour God now, he will own and honour in time. 1. Their persons will be accepted 2. Their performances will be accepted; Well done. Some bosses are so miserable, that they will not commend their workers, though they do their work ever so well: but Jesus will commend his servants that do well; He rewards them.
The bad account of the lazy servant.
[1.] His apology for himself I have not made more, as the others have done, yet this I can say, I have not made less.” This servant thought that his account would pass well enough, because he could say“ Lord, I didn’t waste any of my estate, no wasting of my time, I was always here, I did not oppose good ministers and good preaching; Lord, I never ridiculed my bible, nor set my wits to work to against my faith, nor abused my power to persecute any good man; I never wasted my time and others in drinking, nor ever to my knowledge did I ever bring injury to anybody.” Many that are called Christians, build great hopes for heaven upon their being able to make such an account; yet all this amounts to no more than there thou hast that is thine; as if no more were required, or could be expected.
Secondly, What he confesses. He owns the burying of his talent; I hid thy talent in the earth. He speaks as if that were no great fault; nay, as if he deserved praise for his prudence in putting it in a safe place, and running no hazards with it. Thirdly, What he makes his excuse; I knew that thou were a hard man, and I was afraid. Good thought of God would beget love, and that love would make us diligent and faithful; but hard thoughts of God beget fear, and that fear makes us slothful and unfaithful. His excuse speaks volumes

1. The sentiments of an enemy; 2. The spirit of a slave; I was afraid, [2.] His Lord's answer to this apology. First, His conviction, Mat_25:26, Mat_25:27. Two things he is convicted of.
1. Laziness; 2. Self-contradiction The hard thoughts which sinners have of God, though false and unjust, will be so far from justifying their wickedness and slothfulness, that they will rather aggravate and add to their guilt the master’s reply(1.) “Suppose I had been so hard a master, shouldest not thou therefore have been the more diligent and careful to please me, (2.) “If thou didst think me to be a hard master, and therefore durst not trade with the money thyself, for fear of losing by it, and being made to stand to the loss, yet thou mightest have put it into the hands of the exchangers, or goldsmith, mightest have brought it into the bank, (3.) “Suppose I did reap where I sowed not, yet that is nothing to thee, for I had sowed upon thee, and the talent was my money which thou wast entrusted with, not only to keep, but to improve.” Secondly, His condemnation. The slothful servant is sentenced,
1. To be deprived of his talent (1.) To the blessings of this life - worldly wealth and possessions. These we are entrusted with, to be used for the glory of God, and the good of those about us.(2.) We may apply it to the means of grace. They who are diligent in improving the opportunities they have,(3.) We may apply it to the common gifts of the Spirit. He that hath these, and doeth good with them, shall have abundance; these gifts improve by exercise, and brighten by being used; 2. He is sentenced to be cast into outer darkness, Mat_25:30. Here,

How do you use what you have?
Recognize the platform you have been given, where you are and what opportunities only have been given and the you are the only one who has been put in that situation. Even the worst has a talent, a gift a God given ability, so you have so much more how will you use it? The last servant was thinking of himself, he hoped to play it safe and protect himself, but he was judged for his self centeredness, we must not make excuses to avoid doing what God has made us and called us to do, if God is our master we must obey willingly, joyfully! We are caretakers, our time, talents money are all God’s anyway, when we ignore, squander or abuse what we are given, we are out of God’s will and to be fare when we are this rebellious we need to accept the consequences of our decisions.

Becoming like Jesus
Homeless guy, never let me in, Jesus says don’t worry I am never allowed in either
I 1. That Jesus Jesus is the vine, the true vine.
(a.) He is the vine, planted in the vineyard, for a purpose and not a spontaneous product; planted in the earth, for he is the Word made flesh. (b.) He is the true vine, opposed to those who deceive and mislead; he is really a fruitful plant, a plant of renown. He is the one from whom we grow, through 2 things forgiveness and The Holy Spirit
2. That believers are branches of this vine, grafted in; Jesus is the root of the vine. The branches of the vine are many, some on one side of the house or wall, others on the other side; yet, meeting in the root, all from the one vine; so all Jesusians, though in place and opinion distant from each other, yet meet in Jesus, the centre of their unity. Believers, like the branches of the vine, are insufficient to stand or survive on their own, but Jesus lifts us, feeds us, lets us blossom and bloom!
3. And my Father is the gardener- The word “vine-dresser” more properly expresses the sense of the original word than gardener. It means one who has the care of a vineyard; whose job it is to nurture, trim, and defend the vine, and who of course feels a deep interest in its growth and welfare. This means that God gave, or appointed his Son to be, the source of blessings to us all; that all grace descends through him; and that God takes care of all the branches of this vine - that is, of all who are by faith united to the Lord Jesus Jesus. In Jesus and all his church he feels the deepest interest, and it is an object of great solicitude that his church should receive these blessings and bear much fruit.
II. we are called to bear fruit, and, in order to this, to remain (abide) in Jesus.
(1.) The fate of the unfruitful: They are taken away.
[a.] It is here intimated that there are many who pass for branches in Jesus who don’t bear fruit. Were they really in Jesus by faith, they would bear fruit; but being only tied to him by the thread of an outward profession, though they seem to be branches, they will soon be seen to be dry ones. Unfruitful people are unfaithful people.
[b.] It is here threatened that they shall be taken away, in justice to them and in kindness to the rest of the branches. Difference of cutting back and separating, cut out that which can infect the whole plant
(2.) The promise made to the fruitful: He prunes them, that they may bear more fruit. Note, [a.] Further fruitfulness is the reward of first fruits. [b.] Even fruitful branches, in order to their further fruitfulness, have need of pruning; he takes away that which is surplus to requirements, which hinders its growth and fruitfulness. [c.] The pruning of fruitful branches, in order to their greater fruitfulness, is the care and work of the Father, for his own glory. [d] as we accept his forgiveness and let the Gift of the Spirit work through us we grow the way the Father wants us to grow, like Jesus
(3.) The Spirit of grace refines them from the dross of the world our old nature, and purged out of them it cleanses as fire cleanses the gold from its dross,
(4.) The glory that will be given to God by our fruitfulness, that should be our chief desire to glorify God, when so many give God a bad name, our desire should be to give him a good name.
2. In order to bear fruit, we must remain (abide) in Jesus, means believing he is the Son of God, receiving him as our saviour and Lord, doing what God says, continuing to believe the gospel, love the body of Jesus. Requires work on our part also.
Hallelujah, that’ll do ya!
Been saved, being saved will be saved. Much of the Jesusian life is coming to grips with what is already true about us, even when we do not “feel it”
(1.) (Joh_15:4): Abide in me, and I in you. Note, It is the great concern of all Jesus's disciples constantly to keep up a dependence upon Jesus The knot of the branch abides in the vine, and the sap of the vine abides in the branch, and so there is a constant communication to abide, to remain means being open to what he has got for us, as he is open to all of our needs
(2.) The necessity of our remaining in Jesus, so we bear fruit (Joh_15:4, Joh_15:5): “You cannot bear fruit, unless you abide in me; but, if you do, you bear much fruit; for, in other words, without me, or separate from me, you can do nothing.” Many try their best on their own, but
[a] Abiding in Jesus is necessary in order to our doing much good. A life of faith in the Son of God is incomparably the most excellent life a man can live in this world; it is regular and even, pure and heavenly; it is useful and comfortable, and answers the meaning of life. Without Jesus we can do nothing, nothing pleasing to God or profitable to ourselves,
(3.) The great privilege, which those have, that abide in Jesus (Joh_15:7): If my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will of my Father in my name, and it shall be done. When you are growing in faith, bearing fruit, when you are in God’s will, He will work for you, he will give you your heart’s desire, how good is that?
So how do we become like Jesus? Faith, which produces fruit, we abide in Jesus, we experience his grace, we obey, we love, we try not to grieve the Holy Spirit, we put to death our earthly nature, we dignify the trial (no complaining, no taking easy way out, we regard it as part of God’s plan as he works for the good of those who love him), we walk in love, we walk in the light, we are filled with the Holy Spirit. Basically we become more like Jesus in our attitude and in accepting others. The ultimate proof is if people see Jesus in us, the question is will we let him be seen?


Sermon notes
A woman accompanied her husband to the doctor's office. After the check-up, the doctor took the wife aside and said, "If you don't do the following, your husband will surely die." 1. "Each morning, fix him a healthy breakfast and send him off to work in a good mood."2. "At lunch time, make him a warm, nutritious meal and put him in a good frame of mind before he goes back to work."3. "For dinner, fix an especially nice meal and don't burden him with household chores.”4. "Satisfy his every whim." On the way home, the husband asked his wife what the doctor had said. "You're going to die," she informed him.

· "During World War II, England needed to increase its production of coal. Winston Churchill called together labour leaders to enlist their support. At the end of his presentation he asked them to picture in their minds a parade, which he knew would be held in Piccadilly Circus after the war. First, he said, would come the sailors who had kept the vital sea-lanes open. Then would come the soldiers who had come home from Dunkirk and then gone on to defeat Rommel in Africa. Then would come the pilots who had driven the Luftwaffe from the sky."Last of all, he said, would come a long line of sweat-stained, soot-streaked men in miner's caps. Someone would cry from the crowd, "And where were you during the critical days of our struggle?" And from ten thousand throats would come the answer, 'We were deep in the earth with our faces to the coal.'" Not all the jobs in a church are prominent and glamorous. But it is often the people with their "faces to the coal" who help the church accomplish its mission.
· James and John make a request for glory, a glory that is misplaced they do not understand that the kingdom of God, is not that of conquering soldiers, but of salvation for all humanity throughout time.
· They ask to be the 1st and 2nd in the kingdom, an earthly kingdom with palaces and thrones, but the kingdom of God is in the hearts and lives of Jesus’s followers
· James and John say freely that they are willing to suffer with Jesus, they say it pretty quickly without thinking, James is martyred in Acts ch 12, John suffered all his days, and spent time in exile on the island of Patmos for his faith in Jesus.
The sons of Zebedee make a request that from one point of view seems natural and acceptable. That point of view, however, reflects the distorted perspective of human falleness, wherein the greatest good appears to be that which serves the self,  e.g. honor, position, glory, and prestige. It is the perspective that dominates the world and its powerful rulers.
The kingdom brought by Jesus defines greatness in an entirely opposite way in terms of servanthood, in terms of service
This way is foreign to the world and to human nature.
Yet it is the way of Jesus, and it is thus to be the way of his disciples. There will be rewards for the disciples, of course, but these are not for the present, nor are the disciples to have them uppermost in their minds.
Instead the disciples are to be marked by the humility, servanthood, and obedience to death that characterized Jesus, in the knowledge that to suffer with him may mean to drink the cup that he drank before ultimately reigning with him
To serve is to reign is the essence of Jesusian life
Jesus gave his life as a ransom, he paid the price to buy us back from the slavery of sin, he calls us to serve him and to serve everyone else we meet, and why shouldn’t we? Especially after the death he endured, so we could be named in God’s book and in his family
So what shall we do in this God’s fellowship here in St John’s? Will we strive for what the world asks for, prestige, honour, position, glory will we go for ourselves, look out for number one or will we follow what Jesus calls us to? To suffer and to serve without any expectation of getting anything in return?
Not very attractive is it? But the truth is this, the world with all the comfort, the success, wealth and glory is ultimately for nothing
Story of the fisherman and the rich businessman
During the bombing of London, it was found that people suffering from nervous disorders found unexpected health by forgetting their own troubles and ministering to the terrible needs of victims of the air raids. The reason many of us have no energy, no vitality, no joy, is that we are living only for ourselves. Service doesn’t simply mean service to those we trust and love, not simply service to the people and the building of this church, but serving the wretched, the unloved, the lonely the hurting, the bereaved and the ones who think they have it all
It is in service that we find true honour, but it is only when we are one with Jesus that we can understand this, we need a servant heart, to minister to the needs of others we need to grasp that Jesus forgives all, everyone, no matter how they have wronged you, Jesus loves all, even those you hate, he forgave the ones who hung him on the cross, that is how we should live, that is how our Church must grow together, not looking out for ourselves and our own needs, but looking to see how we can serve each other and our community of Dalkeith, the world tells us that value comes from being important and feeling good
Jesus calls us to travel another path, a hard path, perhaps that is why many cannot follow, a path of endurance and obedience, or suffering and service, but the rewards are so much more than what the world can offer, in this world we have purpose, forgiveness, hope, joy and peace, and when we leave this world we will receive so much more!
Pastor tells of a conversation with an active member, who mentioned, "You preachers talk a lot about serving, but when you get right down to it, it all comes down to basin theology.” Pastor asked, "Basin theology? What's that?" The member replied, "Remember what Pilate did when he had the chance to acquit Jesus? He called for a basin and washed his hands of the whole thing. But Jesus, the night before his death, called for a basin and proceeded to wash the feet of the disciples. It all comes down to basin theology: Which one will you use?"
James and John wanted the highest positions in Jesus’ kingdom, but Jesus told them true greatness comes in serving others; most businesses, institutions, and organisations measure greatness through high personal achievement. In Jesus’s kingdom, the way to get ahead is service, the desire to be on top only hinders, it doesn’t help, rather than seeking out your own needs, look for ways, pray for ways in which you can minister to others.

sermon 6th jan 2008

Paul tells us in Phil 4 :19, that God will meet all our needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus, I want you today to remember this, it is a new year, but it is possibly the same old you, same routine same patterns, or it may be a new you where you have discovered again or for the first time the love of God that is real in your life.
I guess the sermon this morning is one where we take on board what Paul says in ch 2 of Philippians “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” – Not that we are saved by works, but God who has saved us by his loved and his grace, requires something of us, we are to work with God so that we journey towards how God already sees us. In other words we are to become what we already are. Does that make sense? It is like Paul who says that the old me still tries to convince me that he is in control and so I do the things I do not wish to do, and don’t do the things I want to do, but God knows that the old you is gone and you are a new creation through a relationship with Jesus Christ, and we have to grow into that new creation, it is a process, but if we don’t grow we simply revert to the old self who will never truly die until we meet with Christ. Who is always willing to drag you back to the way you once were.
So how do we work with God to become this new creation that we already are? This is the challenge for 2008, God has been nudging me, prompting me, speaking to me that this year for this Church will be even more exciting than what has gone before, that he will break open the gates of the Kingdom upon us if we are open to what he wants to do is us, are we ready for that?
Lets look at Elijah, trust, faith he was not forgotten, God called “I have commanded” God was in control, that is all we need Elijah listened and he was equipped for his ministry.
Same for us, trust, faith, won’t be forgotten, God speaks and if we listen we will be equipped for our ministry, which each one of us has been given, will we rely on him completely to see the amazing things he has in store for us?
So what for us then? What will be our plan for God’s work in 2008?
Personally, daily dozen
Church, how can you serve this Church? Sunday club, youth work, women’s ministry, men’s ministry, cleaning the church, visiting the house bound, switching the heating on, when you have an idea, pray about it, and go for it, you will never be criticised by the leadership of this Church, even if you make a mistake, it shows you are trying, listen to what God is saying, or volunteer an hour a week to this Church and see what God does in your life, in the lives of other and the life of this Church, you get a purpose, others are blessed, the Church grows
Community, conspiracy of kindness, each group in the church to take on a task, lets change the town of Dalkeith lets capture it for God.
Elijah was in the barren land, yet God provided, wherever we find ourselves God will provide!

who was John the baptist?

Sermon notes
Can you imagine complete silence? It’s hard to in our culture today inwhich televisions, radios, etc. are constantly blaring. But in thismorning’s text a silence of 400 years is broken. Don’t misunderstand me,not everyone was silent during this period. Women and men were talking..Boys and girls were talking. But there was no prophet speaking the Word ofthe LORD. No one was truthfully saying, “Thus says the LORD…”In reality two silences are broken in this morning’s text. For one, the400 year period without a Word from God and for another, a gap ofapproximately 30 years in the life of Jesus. John skips directly fromhis birth and infancy narrative to an event that occurs approximately 30years later: the ministry of John the Baptist. Both of these silences arebroken by the sound of a voice.The voice that breaks the silence is the voice of John the Baptist, whomay rightly be called the last of the Old Testament Prophets. He isfunctioning as a Herald by announcing the coming of the King. In theancient world, a herald was one who went ahead of a king’s chariot toprepare the road. He would command a crew which would smooth out theusually rough roads of that day by filling potholes and removing boulders.The herald would also go before the king shouting, “Make way, the King iscoming!” “efforts to make a road level and smooth were restricted to times when royalty was on its way” The king was on his way!

A number of years ago a couple travelled to the offices of an AdoptionSociety in England to receive a baby. They had been on the waiting list along time. They had been interviewed and carefully scrutinized. Now atlast their dreams were to be fulfilled. But their day of happiness wasanother's pain.Arriving at the offices of the Society they were led up a flight of stairsto a waiting room. After a few minutes they heard someone else climbingthe stairs. It was the young student mother whose baby was to be adopted.She was met by the lady responsible for the adoption arrangements andtaken into another room. Our friends heard a muffled conversation and afew minutes later footsteps on the stairs as the young mother left. Theyheard her convulsive sobbing until the front door of the office wasclosed. Then, there was silence.The lady in charge then conducted them next door. In a little crib was asix week old baby boy. On a chair beside it was a brown paper bagcontaining a change of clothes and two letters. One of these, addressed tothe new parents, thanked them for providing a home for her baby andacknowledged that under the terms of the adoption each would never knowthe other's identity. Then the young mother added one request. Would theyallow her little son to read the other letter on his eighteenth birthday?She assured them that she had not included any information about heridentity. The couple entrusted that letter to a lawyer and one day theyoung man will read the message which his mother wrote on the day, whenwith breaking heart, she parted with him.I wonder what she wrote? If I had to condense all I feel about life andlove into a few precious words what would I say? I would have no time fortrivia. I would not be concerned about economics, politics, the weather,the size of house or the type of car.
At such a time I would want to dwell on the deep things of life, on what life was all about and what things were absolutely essential.John in the desert was in the great tradition of the Hebrew prophets. Hewas aware that time was running out. In his burning message he had no timefor everyday matters. He was not playing Trivial Pursuit nor was heprepared to splash about in the shallows. Soon the sword of Herod's guardwould flash and his tongue would lie silent in the grave. Superficialpeople came out from Jerusalem to see him. They were intrigued by thisstrange phenomenon of a wild man preaching repentance. They werefascinated by frivolous things such as his dress, his diet, and his fire and brimstone sermons. They wanted to interview him and then tell all theirfriends about their remarkable experience. "Who are you?" they asked. Hisanswer was curt: "I am not the Christ." "Are you Elijah?" "No!" "Then whoare you?" they persisted. They had their doubts about who he was but hismessage to their ears was clear: Repent.There comes a moment when the preacher longs for his hearers to lose sightof everything except his message. "Don't listen to my accent. Don't lookat my clothes. Don't comment on my style. Don't search my biographicaldetails for my University pedigree. Just listen to what I am saying.Repent!”
Christmas season. A time of preparation. Most Scots prepare for theholidays with lights and gifts, cards and good cheer. But the Churchreminds us to prepare spiritually. What does that mean? John the Baptist gave us a direction.
We prepare for Christmas by repenting. Repenting in the Biblical sense ismore than having a change of heart or a feeling of regret. It is more thana New Year’s Eve resolution. Repentance is a turning away and a turningback. A turning away from sin and a turning back to God.
We need to have the conviction of sin! RepentanceThe Romans sometimes compelled a captive to be joined face-to-face with adead body, and to bear it about until the horrible emanating smelldestroyed the life of the living victim. Virgil describes this cruelpunishment:'The living and the dead at his commandWere coupled face to face, and hand to hand;Till choked with stench, in loathed embraces tied,The lingering wretches pined away and died.Without Christ, we are shackled to a dead corpse -- our sinfulness. Onlyrepentance frees us from certain death, for life and death cannot coexistindefinitely.

Bishop Joe Pennel of the United Methodist Church, once attended a Christmas worship service in Bethlehem at a placecalled Shepherd’s Field. As he heard the songs of the season, he thoughtto himself and later wrote: “I did not look to God and say: See howvirtuous I am. I did not utter: God, pat me on the back for all of thegood things I have done. I did not pretend by saying: God, look at all ofmy accomplishments, aren’t you proud of me? Indeed, I found myself askingGod to forgive me of my sins. That is how it works. The more we turn awayfrom Christ the more enslaved we become to the power of sin. The more weturn to Christ, the more free we become from the bondage of sin. Turningtoward Christ enables us to repent.”

We need John

John had three angles in his message 1. John's Message Called People to Repentance2. John Told People to Share.3. John's Message Was to Serve.

Carl Michalson, a brilliant young theologian who died in a plane crashsome years ago, once told about playing with his young son one afternoon.They were tussling playfully on their front lawn when Michalsonaccidentally hit the young boy in the face with his elbow. It was a sharpblow full to his son's face. The little boy was stunned by the impact ofthe elbow. It hurt, and he was just about to burst into tears. But then helooked into his father's eyes. Instead of anger and hostility, he sawthere his father's sympathy and concern; he saw there his father's loveand compassion. Instead of exploding into tears, the little boy suddenlyburst into laughter. What he saw in his father's eyes made all thedifference!The sharp blow of God's message to us is: Repentance. But, look into yourfather's eyes. What he offers you is forgiveness and that makes all thedifference. Repent and you will be forgiven.

sermon this week!

Sermon notes
2 Samuel 23 :20, gut reaction? Run away! Lion chasers are different! You know what? God puts us in positions to fulfil our destiny, sometimes we need to chase our lions, in a pit, snowy day with a lion? Not a bad day, a horrendous day, but look what happens to Benaiah, how we react to our lions, how we take risks to fulfil God’s destiny for us, will give us the greatest opportunities in this life.
When did we become careful, when did we begin to worry about what people thought? When did we worry about the money in the bank, when did we begin to play it safe in case something happens?
I look at the birth of Christ, I don’t see God being careful, I see radicalful, I see riskful, so excitingful! I see a Father who loves his children, so much so he sent his first born to change the world, I see a son who came to challenge the status quo from the get go, birth in a stable, teaching the elders in the temple as a child, leaving his parents to be in his Father’s house, who met the sinners, made friends with them, spent most of his time with them, I see a man who challenged those who always sat in the churches, I see God who got so frustrated with those who had the talents, had the gifts and did nothing. I see God who loved each one of us so much that he laid his life down so that we could have life, I see a man who was and is God after he rose from the grave imploring his friends to go and tell the good news to all they met, and to go all over the world to take risks and live life to the full!
When did we live a careful life where we stayed with what we know, where we played it safe.
For all our good works, in what ways are we accepting the grace of Jesus Christ and letting others know of this great news?
Wiser Christians than me have said on occasion to me, shouldn’t go to the cinema, what would Jesus say if he came back and you were watching some film, I always laugh it off, but you know there is something deeper in that, what in fact are we doing as individuals and corporately as Christ’s church to be prepared for when he will return?
Irish joke about pushing the car, ghosts, rainy night, link of return of Christ is the natural end, not something frightening (well it shouldn’t be!)
History is going somewhere, not random, not eternal, there will be an end, there we will meet Jesus
Triumph, evil will be defeated
Restoration, the Jewish expectation was earthquakes, famines, wars, but with Jesus all will be made new, there will be a new heaven and a new earth, Jesus doesn’t come to destroy but to restore the perfect creation that God has always wanted.
The return of Jesus speaks of judgement., some will be taken, some will be left, now this isn’t about good works we have done, this is not if we have lived a good life, our true colours will be seen on this day, if we delight in Jesus when he returns we will run with arms outstretched, or shrink away in fear in hatred, I guess it is how we choose to live today, if we think we don’t need him, if we think we can do it alone, he will leave us alone when his day comes. Think about it, the repentant murderer, the repentant rapist those who accept their sin and seek forgiveness from Christ will be in his kingdom, we who have not really done that much wrong we who live lovely nice, respectable lives could be out in the cold, or the not so cold, because we have not sought the face of Jesus, that is not where I want to be!
The return of Christ will be decisive, there will be no second chances, the shops will be shut there is no chance of reprieve, so we must go and seek him now while he still may be found.
Sudden and unexpected, quick and not looked for so we must be prepared.
Jesus will return but the time is only known by the Father, the disciples did not know, we do not know, preachers, Jehovah witnesses, millennialists, post- millennialists do not know, Jesus doesn’t even know, the one thing we know is that the end will come, and we must be prepared.
So priorities for us then, a willingness to endure hardships for our faith, a wisdom in reading the signs of the times, a watchfulness so that his return will not find us idle or abusing the privileges we have been given as God’s children.
What does this mean for us then? Well firstly we need to accept Jesus as our saviour if we have not already done so, to do this we need to accept that we are sinners, which is something we never want to do in our nice safe comfortable existence. Who here is a sinner? Each one of us, every one of us, need the grace of God, we may have never done anything really bad, but we have all fallen short of the grace of God, so we need to accept our need of a saviour and that means inviting Jesus in to be our guide, our helper, our friend, our Lord.
So is that it? Nope Jesus calls us all to follow him, and to go and make disciples of all the nations, that means praying to God for opportunities to share your faith, that means sharing your faith with others, that means growing in your faith through study of the bible, through reading Christian books, through attending house groups, that means serving those in need, not the people like you, but those in need in the town of Dalkeith, getting your hands dirty, not because you are nice, but because you are a sinner who is redeemed and you want others to find redemption.
If we take this on board, our faith is no longer about maintaining a respectable image, it is about chasing our lions, there are two types of regret, regrets of action, regrets of inaction, “wishing you hadn’t done something, and wishing you had done something” in the church we are very good at getting at the regrets of action, the sins committed, we have a long list of don’ts which we think will be enough to make us holy, but you know you can do nothing wrong and still do nothing right, our calling is much more than doing nothing wrong, we are called to chase lions, when we don’t have the guts to step out in faith, God is robbed of the glory he is due.
We have become to passive, too defensive, we want to play it safe, but you know what taking no risks is the greatest risk of all
Let’s not be frightened to make mistakes, lets not fear failure, we will learn, at least if we make a mess of things we are trying, Jesus is coming back someday, it may be someday soon, how are we going to meet him? How is he going to meet me, how is he going to meet you? Take courage, chase the dreams you know God has given to you!

sermon for the week!

Sermon this week
One of the big problems in the church is shallowness, superficiality, the beatitudes provide a remedy.
Soldier on the beach, trying to establish a base to attack the Japanese in WW2, with his best friend, his best friend gets shot in the chest, no medics, he says “tell me about God” No chaplains, he had no answer, but when he got home he made it is desire to find out and so he may never have the guilt that was chewing him up take over his life, he found out about God and it changes his life forever. His friend died so he might live, many died so we have a life of freedom today, but how do we repay it? Have we found God, have we told others when they ask us? (Conspiracy of kindness?)
Happiness, or blessedness is in Greek Makarios which describes a joy that is independent of the changes and chances of life, happiness has the root hap which means chance, human happiness is found by chance, good things that happen, but sadly this means happiness as the world sees it can destroyed or taken away depending on what happens in life. Not so with God
So while we mourn, we can have joy because God is bigger that life
The beatitudes This is for those who have tasted and seen that God is good, this is not a way to gain salvation, it is how to live in the kingdom, and you live in the kingdom the minute you invite Christ in.
It calls us to put God first, in motives, actions, business, in language, in thought, in priorities, all life comes under God’s jurisdiction.
The beatitudes are a bolt out of the blue, for everyone who thought that religion was a dull, miserable affair, well religion is, but the kingdom is really quite different! When we live following the king, it is life as it is meant to be, so it is inevitably a joyous and happy life, that is what blessed means, made happy by God
Jesus is saying, life in the kingdom with him is a life of profound joy, that no person or circumstance can take away. And it is not for some future time, it is for now! It is the mark of those who have truly surrendered to the king and tasted his grace, joy is for today, it will be even better when we are with him in eternity.
Eight aspects of character and conduct for citizens of the kingdom, not what the politicians would contest elections on, nothing in fact that the world would ever consider important, but that is the thing, Jesus came to turn the world upside down.
The poor in Spirit are happy, not the tough guys, not the ones who push others around, not the arrogant, not the uncaring, but those who put their confidence only in God, not themselves, even when ground down by the world and all the hurts found there, they put their trust in him alone, and to their unspeakable joy they find the kingdom is their free gift from God, their joy comes from sheer undreamed of grace.
Those who mourn are happy, happier than guests at a party, they have seen the depths of the world’s suffering, of their own sin, it has broken their heart, when this happens we are wide open to the comfort that God longs to give, today of all days we remember that those who mourn are comforted, Jesus came to bind up the broken hearted.
The meek are happy, deeply happy in a way the big headed never can be, this is revolutionary stuff, Ps 37v 11 the meek shall inherit the land, victory goes not to the wise or the strong, but to those who are small before God, God can exalt them without the danger of their pride getting in the way. Rees Howells, praying for the British when they were outnumbered many times.
Those who are hungry and thirsty are happy not the bloated, not the content, this of course is not physical, but spiritual, there is profound happiness in a hunger, a burning thirst for goodness, for righteousness, so complete, so whole hearted, this beatitude speaks of total commitment to God’s way and he will ensure we are filled, as the men and women who give their lives for our freedom, so God desires that we give our all for him, to continue seeking him, so we are full of him, not bloated, not content with our lot, but desiring his will to be done in our lives
The merciful are happy in the way one who wants his justice can never understand, they have tasted the mercy of God, who invites them into the kingdom through grace not through any achievements, they share this divine love with those who hurt them, and because they forgive, God will forgive them.
The pure in heart have a joy that those who lust and covet have not concept of, pure means unalloyed, unpolluted clean, wholesome, we see what were able to see, if we train ourselves to look upon God alone, all that the world offers will have no hold upon us, double vision mars the joy of the vision of God.
There is special joy for the peacemakers, the arrogant and the argumentative know nothing of peace, when we seek peace, we defeat the enemy who would try to overcome and annihilate, those who reconcile the estranged are seeking after God, God is always making peace, he has made peace with us all through Christ, sadly this has been lacking from members of the Church for many centuries, we children have been unlike our Father, we have estranged too many by our actions, seek peace and receive joy, we give thanks for those who seek peace by putting their lives on the line against dictators and tyrannies, so we have our freedom to live our lives as we wish, my wish is that we seek the God of peace and live to share the shalom of God with everyone, those we love, those we find it hard to love.
Even the persecuted can be happy, they may appear to lose it all, but it is not so, they gain the kingdom of heaven, throughout the centuries there has been peace and joy about those who for the sake of conscience have been willing to face opposition and death, and never more so in the last 100 years, Jesus is of course saying that those who are persecuted for him will receive a special reward in heaven as verse 11 makes clear, the persecuted church doesn’t want to be like us in the west where we have the choice of many things, and too often church is low on the list, rugby, football, tesco, golf, car washing, work, family, school come first, the persecuted church look for our prayers not to have any easy time, but that it may be faithful unto death and know the joy of utter faithfulness to Christ, there is no joy like that, I sometimes wonder how our lives would be affected if we were told tomorrow we could no longer meet as a Church under threat of prosecution and imprisonment, would it make a difference to our lives?
This is Jesus’ prescription for a happy life, it is not what we expect, it is paradoxical, yet immensely profound, and he looks for these qualities in the members of his kingdom. They are the reverse of what the world desires, yet Christians have found them to be true again and again throughout the ages and will continue to do so in the future, will we?
We are called to develop these beatitudes, we can only do it through the power of God, but his power is there for us all, if we allow him to work in us!
His name was Robert Matthews. These are his words:> >>>A few weeks before Sept. 11th, my wife and I found out we were going to> >>>have> >>>our first child. She planned a trip out to California to visit her> >>>sister.> >>>On our way to the airport, we prayed that God would grant my wife a safe> >>>trip and be with her. Shortly after I said 'amen,' we both heard a loud> >>>pop> >>>and the car shook violently. We had blown out a tire.> >>>I replaced the tire as quickly as I could, but we still missed her > >>>flight.> >>>Both very upset, we drove home. I received a call from my father who was> >>>retired NYFD. He asked what my wife's flight number was, but I explained> >>>that we missed the flight.> >>>My father informed me that her flight was the one that crashed into The> >>>southern tower. I was too shocked to speak. My father also had more news> >>>for> >>>me; he was going to help. 'This is not something I can't just sit by for;> >>>I> >>>have to do something.'> >>>I was concerned for his safety, of course, but more because he had never> >>>given his life to Christ. After a brief debate, I knew his mind was made> >>>up.> >>>Before he got off of the phone, he said, 'take good care of my > >>>Grandchild.> >>>Those were the last words I ever heard my father say; he died while> >>>helping> >>>in the rescue effort.> >>>My joy that my prayer of safety for my wife had been answered quickly> >>>became> >>>anger. I was angry at God, at my father, and at myself. I had gone for> >>>nearly two years blaming God for taking my father away. My son would > >>>never> >>>know his grandfather, my father had never accepted Christ, and I never > >>>got> >>>to say goodbye.> >>>Then something happened. About two months ago, I was sitting at home with> >>>my> >>>wife and my son, when there was a knock on the door. I looked at my wife,> >>>but I could tell she wasn't expecting anyone. I opened the door to a> >>>couple> >>>with a small child. The man looked at me and asked if my father's name > >>>was> >>>Jake Matthews. I told him it was. He quickly grabbed my hand and said, 'I> >>>never got the chance to meet your father, but it is an honor to meet his> >>>son.'> >>>He explained to me that his wife had worked in the World Trade Center and> >>>had been caught inside after the attack. She was pregnant and had been> >>>caught under debris. He then explained that my father had been the one to> >>>find his wife and free her.> >>>My eyes welled up with tears as I thought of my father giving his life > >>>for> >>>people like this. He then said, 'there is something else you need to> >>>know.'> >>>His wife then told me that as my father worked to free her, she talked to> >>>him and led him to Christ. I began sobbing at the news.> >>>> >>>Now I know that when I get to Heaven, my father will be standing beside> >>>Jesus to welcome me, and that this family would be able to thank him> >>>themselves.> >>>When their baby boy was born, they named him Jacob Matthew, in honor of> >>>the> >>>man who gave his life so that a mother and baby could live.> >>>> >>> God is always in control. We may not see > >>>the> >>>reason behind things, and we may never know this side of heaven, but God> >>>is> >>>ALWAYS in control.> >>>God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.> >>>Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His love endures Forever. Psalm> >>>136:1
I guess when I think of those who gave their lives I think of their duty, I think of their obedience, I think of their fear, their reluctance to follow orders, and yet they did it, they still do it, I am challenged to obey my master, it is not enough to hear his words, he tells us himself we must obey Matt 7 v 24-27, everyone hungers and thirsts for something, wealth, family, status, power, what will it be for you? Will it be the righteousness of God? Will it be the kingdom of heaven?

the beattitudes

Sermon this week
One of the big problems in the church is shallowness, superficiality, the beatitudes provide a remedy.
Soldier on the beach, trying to establish a base to attack the Japanese in WW2, with his best friend, his best friend gets shot in the chest, no medics, he says “tell me about God” No chaplains, he had no answer, but when he got home he made it is desire to find out and so he may never have the guilt that was chewing him up take over his life, he found out about God and it changes his life forever. His friend died so he might live, many died so we have a life of freedom today, but how do we repay it? Have we found God, have we told others when they ask us? (Conspiracy of kindness?)
Happiness, or blessedness is in Greek Makarios which describes a joy that is independent of the changes and chances of life, happiness has the root hap which means chance, human happiness is found by chance, good things that happen, but sadly this means happiness as the world sees it can destroyed or taken away depending on what happens in life. Not so with God
So while we mourn, we can have joy because God is bigger that life
The beatitudes This is for those who have tasted and seen that God is good, this is not a way to gain salvation, it is how to live in the kingdom, and you live in the kingdom the minute you invite Christ in.
It calls us to put God first, in motives, actions, business, in language, in thought, in priorities, all life comes under God’s jurisdiction.
The beatitudes are a bolt out of the blue, for everyone who thought that religion was a dull, miserable affair, well religion is, but the kingdom is really quite different! When we live following the king, it is life as it is meant to be, so it is inevitably a joyous and happy life, that is what blessed means, made happy by God
Jesus is saying, life in the kingdom with him is a life of profound joy, that no person or circumstance can take away. And it is not for some future time, it is for now! It is the mark of those who have truly surrendered to the king and tasted his grace, joy is for today, it will be even better when we are with him in eternity.
Eight aspects of character and conduct for citizens of the kingdom, not what the politicians would contest elections on, nothing in fact that the world would ever consider important, but that is the thing, Jesus came to turn the world upside down.
The poor in Spirit are happy, not the tough guys, not the ones who push others around, not the arrogant, not the uncaring, but those who put their confidence only in God, not themselves, even when ground down by the world and all the hurts found there, they put their trust in him alone, and to their unspeakable joy they find the kingdom is their free gift from God, their joy comes from sheer undreamed of grace.
Those who mourn are happy, happier than guests at a party, they have seen the depths of the world’s suffering, of their own sin, it has broken their heart, when this happens we are wide open to the comfort that God longs to give, today of all days we remember that those who mourn are comforted, Jesus came to bind up the broken hearted.
The meek are happy, deeply happy in a way the big headed never can be, this is revolutionary stuff, Ps 37v 11 the meek shall inherit the land, victory goes not to the wise or the strong, but to those who are small before God, God can exalt them without the danger of their pride getting in the way. Rees Howells, praying for the British when they were outnumbered many times.
Those who are hungry and thirsty are happy not the bloated, not the content, this of course is not physical, but spiritual, there is profound happiness in a hunger, a burning thirst for goodness, for righteousness, so complete, so whole hearted, this beatitude speaks of total commitment to God’s way and he will ensure we are filled, as the men and women who give their lives for our freedom, so God desires that we give our all for him, to continue seeking him, so we are full of him, not bloated, not content with our lot, but desiring his will to be done in our lives
The merciful are happy in the way one who wants his justice can never understand, they have tasted the mercy of God, who invites them into the kingdom through grace not through any achievements, they share this divine love with those who hurt them, and because they forgive, God will forgive them.
The pure in heart have a joy that those who lust and covet have not concept of, pure means unalloyed, unpolluted clean, wholesome, we see what were able to see, if we train ourselves to look upon God alone, all that the world offers will have no hold upon us, double vision mars the joy of the vision of God.
There is special joy for the peacemakers, the arrogant and the argumentative know nothing of peace, when we seek peace, we defeat the enemy who would try to overcome and annihilate, those who reconcile the estranged are seeking after God, God is always making peace, he has made peace with us all through Christ, sadly this has been lacking from members of the Church for many centuries, we children have been unlike our Father, we have estranged too many by our actions, seek peace and receive joy, we give thanks for those who seek peace by putting their lives on the line against dictators and tyrannies, so we have our freedom to live our lives as we wish, my wish is that we seek the God of peace and live to share the shalom of God with everyone, those we love, those we find it hard to love.
Even the persecuted can be happy, they may appear to lose it all, but it is not so, they gain the kingdom of heaven, throughout the centuries there has been peace and joy about those who for the sake of conscience have been willing to face opposition and death, and never more so in the last 100 years, Jesus is of course saying that those who are persecuted for him will receive a special reward in heaven as verse 11 makes clear, the persecuted church doesn’t want to be like us in the west where we have the choice of many things, and too often church is low on the list, rugby, football, tesco, golf, car washing, work, family, school come first, the persecuted church look for our prayers not to have any easy time, but that it may be faithful unto death and know the joy of utter faithfulness to Christ, there is no joy like that, I sometimes wonder how our lives would be affected if we were told tomorrow we could no longer meet as a Church under threat of prosecution and imprisonment, would it make a difference to our lives?
This is Jesus’ prescription for a happy life, it is not what we expect, it is paradoxical, yet immensely profound, and he looks for these qualities in the members of his kingdom. They are the reverse of what the world desires, yet Christians have found them to be true again and again throughout the ages and will continue to do so in the future, will we?
We are called to develop these beatitudes, we can only do it through the power of God, but his power is there for us all, if we allow him to work in us!
His name was Robert Matthews. These are his words:> >>>A few weeks before Sept. 11th, my wife and I found out we were going to> >>>have> >>>our first child. She planned a trip out to California to visit her> >>>sister.> >>>On our way to the airport, we prayed that God would grant my wife a safe> >>>trip and be with her. Shortly after I said 'amen,' we both heard a loud> >>>pop> >>>and the car shook violently. We had blown out a tire.> >>>I replaced the tire as quickly as I could, but we still missed her > >>>flight.> >>>Both very upset, we drove home. I received a call from my father who was> >>>retired NYFD. He asked what my wife's flight number was, but I explained> >>>that we missed the flight.> >>>My father informed me that her flight was the one that crashed into The> >>>southern tower. I was too shocked to speak. My father also had more news> >>>for> >>>me; he was going to help. 'This is not something I can't just sit by for;> >>>I> >>>have to do something.'> >>>I was concerned for his safety, of course, but more because he had never> >>>given his life to Christ. After a brief debate, I knew his mind was made> >>>up.> >>>Before he got off of the phone, he said, 'take good care of my > >>>Grandchild.> >>>Those were the last words I ever heard my father say; he died while> >>>helping> >>>in the rescue effort.> >>>My joy that my prayer of safety for my wife had been answered quickly> >>>became> >>>anger. I was angry at God, at my father, and at myself. I had gone for> >>>nearly two years blaming God for taking my father away. My son would > >>>never> >>>know his grandfather, my father had never accepted Christ, and I never > >>>got> >>>to say goodbye.> >>>Then something happened. About two months ago, I was sitting at home with> >>>my> >>>wife and my son, when there was a knock on the door. I looked at my wife,> >>>but I could tell she wasn't expecting anyone. I opened the door to a> >>>couple> >>>with a small child. The man looked at me and asked if my father's name > >>>was> >>>Jake Matthews. I told him it was. He quickly grabbed my hand and said, 'I> >>>never got the chance to meet your father, but it is an honor to meet his> >>>son.'> >>>He explained to me that his wife had worked in the World Trade Center and> >>>had been caught inside after the attack. She was pregnant and had been> >>>caught under debris. He then explained that my father had been the one to> >>>find his wife and free her.> >>>My eyes welled up with tears as I thought of my father giving his life > >>>for> >>>people like this. He then said, 'there is something else you need to> >>>know.'> >>>His wife then told me that as my father worked to free her, she talked to> >>>him and led him to Christ. I began sobbing at the news.> >>>> >>>Now I know that when I get to Heaven, my father will be standing beside> >>>Jesus to welcome me, and that this family would be able to thank him> >>>themselves.> >>>When their baby boy was born, they named him Jacob Matthew, in honor of> >>>the> >>>man who gave his life so that a mother and baby could live.> >>>> >>> God is always in control. We may not see > >>>the> >>>reason behind things, and we may never know this side of heaven, but God> >>>is> >>>ALWAYS in control.> >>>God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.> >>>Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His love endures Forever. Psalm> >>>136:1
I guess when I think of those who gave their lives I think of their duty, I think of their obedience, I think of their fear, their reluctance to follow orders, and yet they did it, they still do it, I am challenged to obey my master, it is not enough to hear his words, he tells us himself we must obey Matt 7 v 24-27, everyone hungers and thirsts for something, wealth, family, status, power, what will it be for you? Will it be the righteousness of God? Will it be the kingdom of heaven?

sermon 28th Oct 2007

JP’s story surely people shouldn't ask permission to come to church?
The mantle is passed, the disciples have to become the disciplers, and those with whom Jesus has been with, now go with Jesus into the world.
Jesus’ authority is a major theme in the gospel of Matthew, shown as a teacher with authority, authority in his actions when he performs miracles, authority to forgive sins, his authority over the teachers of the law, his authority is seen most clearly in the rising from the dead, he is the son of man, the king of the Jews, the messiah, the son of God, the glorious risen one! He now gives his authority to his followers, they are empowered with his authority in heaven and on earth, heavenly authority, given by God, and now he gives it to his followers, and they will need every bit of it if they are to fulfil the vision of Christ’s message being spread to all the world.
Can you imagine if you were there? Can you imagine how you would feel, looking at the other 10 blokes there, knowing what they were like, knowing what you were like? I think I can almost hear their knees knocking even now! But the key was that they trusted in Jesus, no matter what they had been through ultimately they trusted jesus.
The gospel begins with the promise that the baby to be born would be Immanuel “God is with us” and it closes with the assurance that Jesus would be with them still and until the end of time, where they would be reunited, he assures them that when they gather in his midst he is there, without the presence and empowering of Jesus, they could never contemplate their world mission, When the Lord commands, he enables and his enabling is his presence.
Late one dark night a man was walking home alone when he hears a....."BUMP...BUMP...BUMP", behind him. Walking faster he looks back and makes out the image of an upright coffin banging its way down the middle of the street towards him...BUMP...BUMP...BUMP...Terrified, the man begins to run towards his home, the coffin bouncing quickly behind him...faster...faster...BUMP...BUMP...BUMP...He runs up to his door, fumbles with his keys, unlocks the door, rushed in, slams and lockes the door behind him. However, the coffin crashes through his door, with the lid of the coffin clapping...clappity-BUMP...clappity-BUMP...clappity-BUMP...clappity-BUMP...on the heels of the terrified man...Rushing upstairs to the bathroom, the man laocks himself in. His heart is pounding; his head is reeling; his breath is coming in sobbing gasps...With a loud CRASH the coffin starts breaking down the door; bumping and clapping towards him. The man screams and reached for something heavy, anything...his hand comes to rest on a large bottle of tixylix. Desperate, he throws the TIXYLIX as hard as he can at the apparition.....and THE COFFIN STOPPED!!!
How often do we look for the quick fix? How often do we think, ah God has called us to this, but you know really, other people can do this one, they can share, Alpha, outreach committee, etc I am not good! Bad news, it is a command, Jesus is telling us all to go and make disciples of all nations! Nations is really groups of people, so people wherever they are. Jesus calls out to us, we have his authority, we have his power!
Great commission is the response to meeting with the risen Christ (Need to personally meet him, passion to tell others, could our evangelism be at a low ebb because as a church we have never had a personal encounter with Jesus?)
The great commission springs from worship Jesus would be in the pub? We need to be lost in wonder love and praise, to be inspired to go on mission, we meet with Jesus in this place, so we go back into the bad old world ready to face it!
The great commission is the counterpart of the great commandment to love God and neighbour with love otherwise our efforts repel, love, love, love even when you get nothing back, this is what the Church should be, a blessing machine, bless believers, agnostics, atheists, Hindus, Muslims, love, with no agenda this is how we make disciples, but never push, never pressurize!
The great commission is a matter of sheer obedience we do it because Jesus has told us to! A nun who worked for a local home health care agency was out making her rounds when she ran out of gas. As luck would have it there was a station just down the street. She walked to the station to borrow a can with enough gas to start the car and drive to the station for a fill up.
The attendant regretfully told her that the only can he owned had just been loaned out, but if she would care to wait he was sure it would be back shortly.
Since the nun was on the way to see a patient she decided not to wait and walked back to her car. After looking through her car for something to carry to the station to fill with gas, she spotted a bedpan she was taking to the patient. Always resourceful, she carried it to the station, filled it with gasoline, and carried it back to her car.
As she was pouring the gas into the tank of her car two men walked by. One of them turned to the other and said: "Now that's what I call faith!"
The great commission is not to get a quick decision, a wee nod to Jesus, but to make disciples
The great commission is always directed outwards, the Christian church must never degenerate into a comfortable club for the like minded, it is called to disciple (house groups) and to teach evangelism, (give examples) not maintenance but mission. The developing world could teach us so much if we would listen, they are passionate about seeing others meet and grow with Christ, and as they go out in China, Russia, South Korea, Peru the new believers flood in.
We are called to follow Jesus’ lead to go and make disciples and he does three things before he leaves 1) He assures them of his power Their master was king of it all 2)He gave them a commission to make disciples3) He promised them his presence must have been a staggering task for 11 Galileans, to change the world, even as they heard it their hearts must have failed them, but no sooner was the task given, but the promised Holy Spirit was given, they were sent out as we are on the greatest task of all of history, but like the disciples we have the power and the presence of Jesus with us, we are never alone, and so we will never fail, step out in faith and make disciples, you know who I mean, you know the one I am talking about, you can picture them right now, you are the only one who can reach them with the hope and the purpose of God, share the love of God with them today, if you don’t perhaps no one will and can you live with that? Can you live with that for eternity?
So as you think about carrying out the great commission and about sharing your faith in Jesus with others there are a number of things for us to chew over. How am I to do it? - with words, prayer and presence With whom shall I share this task? Who is my partner? The question is: What kind of people are we?" as we look at Jesus it is clear he expects and calls us to be gospel people. Called to share the gospel so as we do so, others may come to be his followers as well.

sermon this week!

Sermon this week
Perhaps you have heard the story of the old farmer who, with his wife, wascelebrating fifty years of married life. Life on a farm can be tough;commitment is required. And you have to be frugal.Their children gave them a party during which lots of friendscongratulated the honoured couple. They looked at old pictures, brought outold phonograph records. The fifty-year couple even danced a bit to theold, familiar music. When the party was over and all had gone home thehappy couple found them selves alone. It was a tender moment. The oldfarmer, who was careful with his money and even more frugal with hiswords, felt moved to speak."You know, Ma, over these fifty years, sometimes I've loved you so muchthat I really had to stop myself from telling you" She reached for a hankie,dabbed her eyes and said: "Thank ya', Pa."Why are we so reluctant to let others know how we feel? Why are we sostingy and so slow to speak words that others long to hear, so private insaying things that cry out to be said?
Who are we say thank you to today? You may be here saying I have nothing to give thanks for, there is no reason to give thanks, you don’t know what I have gone through. You maybe there saying I am thankful, but I still feel lost, that there is so much on the horizon, things that are going to swamp me and those I love in the next few days and weeks that I cannot enjoy what I have, how can I enjoy what God has given me because of what the future may hold!
We all understand and appreciate the importance of gratitude. How it canradically change relationships. In fact, one of the first things we weretaught and that we teach our children is to express their gratitude. Someone gives them some candy and we say: "Now what do you say?" And the childlearns from an early age the answer "Thank you." And certainly we all knowas adults that we appreciate being thanked. Yet, when it comes to givingthanks to our heavenly father, we so often miss the mark.And when it comes to giving our thanks to God, I don't suppose there isany story in the Bible that is so endearing to us, so timelesslyappropriate, as the story of Jesus healing the ten lepers. We have allheard the story many times, but like so many Bible stories, we never tireof it.The story begins: "And as he entered a certain village there met him tenlepers, and they stood at a far distance." Don't ever think for a momentthat death is the worst thing that can happen to a person. It's not. Andthe scene this morning is a case in point. These ten men walked the earth.They breathed and ate. They had hopes and fears and aspirations andfeelings just like you and me. Yet, there was a tragic sense in which theywere already dead. They were walking dead. Leprosy was the most dreaded ofall ancient diseases. It ate away at the body and left its victim maimedand disfigured. There was no known cure. In their hopes for a family life,a useful occupation, plans for the future-they were dead men.Their situation was made worse because leprosy was believed to be highlycontagious. Actually, we know today that it is not. But tell that toancient superstition. The scripture made it quite clear that as theselepers approached Jesus they stood at a far distance. Jewish law clearlyprescribed that a leper could not get within fifty yards of a cleanperson. Everywhere these poor men journeyed they heard familiar wordsyelled out: "Unclean," "Leper." And then some would hurl stones at them tokeep them away. Leprosy was a serious public health concern but it wastinged with the religious element of ritual uncleanness. So it was thatthey not only had to live with their physical handicap, but they were alsoisolated. They had to live in the hell of loneliness. That can do more todrain a person's energy for living than the most horrible of diseases.But even in the midst of this horrible situation these lepers hadsomething to be thankful for. In their common misery they had bandedtogether. They had found each other. It is interesting to note that one ofthese ten lepers was a Samaritan. Now a good Jew in that day in time wouldhave no dealings at all with a Samaritan. They looked upon Samaritans asdogs, half-breeds. Yet, in the common misery of their leprosy these menhad forgotten that they were Jew and Samaritan and realized only that theywere men in need. Some of you might say, well it was a case of miseryloves company. Maybe so. But I know that there is power in fellowship,especially the fellowship of people who have a common need. Even lepersfound it so. Which, I think, brings us to the point of the story, which issimply this: even in the midst of our problems....1. There is always something to be thankful for.2. Thanksgiving needs to be expressed.

I want to assure you this morning wherever you are, whatever you are feeling, God will bring blossoms in the desert, this fantastic passage in Isaiah, speaking after the challenge of chapter 34, where God will judge the nations, esp Edom the near neighbours of Israel, who were the persecutors of God’s chosen people, the prophet says that even in the hardest wilderness, there will be life. In the midst of the desert the rose will bloom.

We live in the now but not yet, Isaiah was looking to Jesus we look back at Jesus as well as looking forward, God has moved, is moving and will move once more, and we live in knowledge of Jesus and that gives us opportunities that even Isaiah the prophet never had, to share the love of the long awaited messiah with others who don’t yet know him!

God is saying to people of Israel that things are tough at the moment, but there will be a time when he will move and they will receive the blessings of his action, that the wilderness will no longer be a place of fear, but of beauty and joy, Isaiah mentions Lebanon, Carmel, Sharon all places of beauty, that there will be transformation for the people. I believe that God still works this way today, that even when we are in the lowest place, where our souls thirst, where are body is in pain, where we suffer great hurt, God can transform us, from wasteland into wholeness, I love the idea that when God moves in us we will burst into bloom and rejoice and shout for joy, God wants this for us, but too often the world, our attitude our experiences weigh us down and we never see what God is desperate to give us, his love that is found in Jesus that gives us life in all it’s fullness. Even small things make a difference

In the book "A Window on the Mountain," Winston Pierce tells of his highschool class reunion. A group of the old classmates were reminiscingabout things and persons they were grateful for. One man mentioned thathe was particularly thankful for Mrs. Wendt, for she more than anyone hadintroduced him to Tennyson and the beauty of poetry. Acting on asuggestion, the man wrote a letter of appreciation to Mrs. Wendt andaddressed it to the high school. The note was forwarded and eventuallyfound the old teacher. About a month later the man received a response. It was written in a feeble longhand and read as follows: "My dear Willie,I can't tell you how much your letter meant to me. I am now in mynineties, living alone in a small room, cooking my own meals, lonely, andlike the last leaf of fall lingering behind. You will be interested toknow that I taught school for forty years and yours is the first letter ofappreciation I ever received. It came on a blue, cold morning and itcheered me as nothing has for years. Willie, you have made my day."

As Christians do we make a difference? Who’s day can we make today?
In the time of Isaiah, the pilgrims wanted to go to Jerusalem to remember their God, but they were persecuted by the stronger nations, to be a pilgrim meant to experience great fear to have no real expectation, but to trudge on.
We are too often like the pilgrim with no hope, we think what is the world coming to, all we do never makes a difference even the work we do for God is not doing any good, but God promised those pilgrims of days gone by and we pilgrims today to be strong and have no fear, for he will come to rescue us, the streams will flow in the desert.

The pilgrims had to trudge through the desert with no path for their feet, we too feel that we trudge through God’s will on the journey he has called us to travel, but God promised the way in the desert a road to make travel easier. This is of course a call to travel upon the way that Christ has shown us, he is the way the truth and the life, he points us to the Father, he makes travel in this world safer and easier, in the sense that we know where we are going and who travels with us, the redeemed walk there.
God has redeemed us, this originally was the legal term for buying someone’s freedom from slavery, this is what God has done for us, when he sent Jesus, to die for us so that we may be restored in relationship with the Father, the way we were created to be, we are the ransomed people, God has delivered us from the slavery of sin, we are no longer the slaves to sin, we are the servants of God, we are the brothers and sisters of Jesus, we are the family of God, travelling this world together in the promise that God is with us, going before us and behind us to the holy city.
When the pilgrims saw the city they would break forth in joy singing with gladness that they had found the city. But you know, we are already in that city, when Christ died on that cross we arrived in that city, we are still journeying to meet with God one day in the world to come, but today we have access to that city the minute we turn and acknowledge God as our saviour through his grace.

At no point do we ever need to be alone, at no point should we fear, even when we hurt and suffer we are still comforted by the presence of God, God goes with us, we are in his presence today, he promises to never leave us or forsake us, when we don’t give thanks for what he has done, the wilderness takes hold once more, when we criticize, when we gossip when we fail to help others in need, the desert chokes the bloom, but when we let God’s Spirit grow in us when we let God’s love flow through us, then water will flow in the wilderness, the flowers burst into bloom, when we give thanks for what God has done and will continue to do in our lives if we let him, we bloom, our Church blossoms and God is honoured, that is where I want to be!

Now Thank We All Our GodYou can even be thankful during the most difficult of circumstances inlife. It's true! We see an especially inspiring example of a brave andthankful heart in the story behind one of the church's most popular hymns,"Now Thank We All Our God." This particularly hymn was written during theThirty Years War in Germany, in the early 1600s. Its author was MartinRinkart, a Lutheran pastor in the town of Eilenburg in Saxony.Now, Eilenburg was a walled city, so it became a haven for refugeesseeking safety from the fighting. But soon, the city became too crowdedand food was in short supply. Then, a famine hit and a terrible plague andEilenburg became a giant morgue.In one year alone, Pastor Rinkart conducted funerals for 4,500 people,including his own wife. The war dragged on; the suffering continued. Yetthrough it all, he never lost courage or faith and even during the darkestdays of Eilenburg's agony, he was able to write this hymn:Now thank we all our God,with hearts and hands and voices,Who wondrous things hath done,In whom the world rejoices...[So] keep us in His grace,and guide us when perplexed,and free us from all ills,in this world and the next.Even when he was waist deep in destruction, Pastor Rinkart was able tolift his sights to a higher plane. He kept his mind on God's love when theworld was filled with hate. He kept his mind on God's promises of heavenwhen the earth was a living hell. Can we not do the same - we whose livesare almost trouble-free, compared with the man who wrote that hymn?Whom can you say "thank you" to?

sermon 7th oct

Luke 8 v 43-48
The “seet see” (Tzitzit) first appear in Numbers 15 God says to Moses, throughout the generations you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel, you will have these tassels to look at so you will remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not chase after other religions
God tells the people to attach tassels so they will be visually reminded to live as he created them to live. The word for corners is “kanaf”, the word for tassel is “seet see”
To this day many Jews wear a prayer shawl to obey this text, the prayer shawl appears in interesting places in the bible, one of the most significant is in the prophet Malachi with the prediction of the messiah which says the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, the Hebrew word for wings is kanaf, the same word in numbers to refer to the edge of a garment, so a legend grew that when the messiah came there would be healing powers in the tassels of his prayer shawl.
Fast forward to the time of Jesus, a woman has a an illness for 12 years, no one can cure her, she grabs his cloak, Jesus is a torah observant Jewish rabbi, he would be wearing the prayer shawl, the woman grabs the cloak believing he is the messiah, that his tassels have healing powers, this is the one she feels that Malachi is talking about
If you were in the crowd, what would you think of this woman, this woman believes this man is the messiah, she touches the tassels and is healed just as the prophet said it would be, but the physical healing is not what Jesus is about in this story, it is what he says as they part ways that really counts, “Go in peace”
The Hebrew word for peace is “shalom”, it is very important in the bible, it is not completely accurate to say it is simply “peace” Many of us understand peace as the absence of conflict, we talk about peace in the home, or in the world of giving peace a chance, but the understanding of shalom in the time of Jesus is far more than the absence of conflict or strife
Shalom is the presence of the goodness of God, it is the presence of wholeness, completeness
So when Jesus says go in peace, he is placing the blessing of God on all of her, not just her physical body, he is blessing her with God’s presence in her entire being, and this is because for Jesus, salvation is holistic, for Jesus being saved is not simply a legal transaction, where he takes our sin and we take his goodness, for Jess being saved or reconciled to God involves far more than the saving of the body, or the soul, it involves all of you, God’s desire I for us to live in harmony with him, body, soul, spirit mind, emotions, every inch of us.
Too often we think it is a wiping away of sin and then we go on our merry way, fire insurance if you like, but Jesus actually gives us eternal life today, which fundamentally changes who we are, salvation is a way of life, and I think too often we see Jesus as a means to an end rather that a new way of living, that brings peace, that brings shalom. That is what I am looking for, that is what I have found.
To say salvation is for every part of our lives, means it is not all about the legal transaction where God has to deal with sin as he is holy, so Jesus gets what we deserve, and we get what he deserves, salvation is more, it is living today and everyday in harmony with God, it is a process that goes on forever. It is one thing to be forgiven, which I thank God for everyday, but it is another thing to become more and more and more and more the person God made you to be.
Jesus did not teach us that eternity kicks in when we die, because we have the golden ticket to heaven, Jesus said when we believe we have crossed from death to life, God always has been and always will be, when I enter into a relationship with Christ I am connected with God now and for ever. Salvation is now!
I need God now, I need healing now, I need help now, yes greater things will happen someday but Salvation is now, for all of you, not simply about getting somewhere better in the next life, giving life with God today, body mind soul, spirit, emotions all of us. The point is it is not about us, it is about God and what he has designed us to be
It is one thing to be saved, to believe in Jesus, but it is another to be healed by him body and soul, we can be saved and be miserable, it is possible for the cross to have done something for you, but not in them.
The cross is not a one off, we need healing from it everyday, which brings forgiveness, but the point of the cross is not simply forgiveness, but restoration, God isn’t interested in covering over our sins, he wants us to be the people we were originally created to be, it is not simply wiping the slate clean, it is God pulling us into the people he created us to be.
This is why Jesus’ message is to call us to be kind, generous and compassionate people, the goal isn’t simply not to sin, it is to increase the peace, the shalom of God in the world, God is calling to us all, with our sins, with our anger, with our hate, with our guilt, with our hurt with our pain, he is calling us all to receive from him as the woman who was cured when she touched his cloak
and to go in peace, and to live in peace, and to share the peace and to never be the same, because everyday we will choose to go in peace.

the sermon for this week!

Sermon this week
Once upon a time in Scotland, on a long road out of Edinburgh, and passing what was probably the St Johnstone football ground, one man said to another man, “You should hear them cheer in there on a Saturday? Why isn’t it like that in church?” And the other man pondered a while and said, “Because they are cheering something that just happened.” And maybe we’ve stopped telling each other what has just happened, what God has just done, what he is doing now in us, through us, what prayers have been answered, what insights grasped, what sins understood, what grace released, what healing lavished, what rescue effected, what life imparted… in our love of God have we forgotten what he is doing for us today, when we show our love?

Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus
replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all
your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest
commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as
yourself.’” Matthew 22:36-39 (NIV)

Do you remember how many commandments God gave to Moses? Ten???? Well
that is the number of commandments that were carved on the stone tablets.
But there were actually 613 commandments given to the people of Israel in
all 248 positive commandments and 365 negative commandments. That is a
lot of commandments to keep track of isn’t it!!!

When the lawyer asked Jesus, “Teacher which is the greatest commandment?”
there were a lot to chose from. The lawyer was testing Jesus to see if he
knew the correct answer. And he did. Jesus answered him like other great
teachers of the faith had always done. He said: “Love the Lord your God
with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, this is
the greatest commandment.” And then he added, “And the second is like
it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’” Why do you think Jesus said that
these were the greatest commandments? It is because Jesus knew that if we
could keep these two commandments, we would not have any trouble keeping
the others.

Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees were delighted but they wanted to see Jesus was orthodox, there were others who had said the same as Jesus. Akiba, Hillel, Ben Azzai, we are not sure if Jesus is the first to put Deuteronomy 6:5 Love the Lord God part of the shema the credo of Judaism (still spoken at the beginning of Jewish services) with Leviticus 19:18 love your neighbour as yourself, but it is certain no lawyer or teacher of the law could ever faulted him for doing so. But the summary is powerful and disturbing, it takes us from an area where we think we can achieve, perhaps fulfil, to that of attitude where no one can boast fulfilment. The experts on the law were strong on ethics, but weak on relationships, what Jesus was teaching revealed the heart.
Nobody has ever loved God with all his being; no one has loved her neighbour as herself, so nobody can possibly deserve eternal life (Jehovah’s witnesses)
This brings us back to grace… when we arrive in the kingdom of God, it will be due to the undeserved, unmerited grace of God, for sinners who could never make it by themselves. Grace is the gospel; the gospel is grace, full stop.
This is what Christianity is, if there is love for God, there will be love for our neighbour, God’s love is infectious, you can measure how much you love God by the way you treat those made in his image, (that is everyone!). It is not enough to say “I don’t cause anyone harm”, you have to do good! If you put God as number one, neighbour second, you will have a heart that is correct before God. When grace fills you you love in recognition of what he has done for you and you want to help your neighbour in need.
So how do we do it? Well as we look at the word love, it is not “Phileo” which expresses friendly affection, but “agapao”, the commitment of devotion that is directed by the will and be commanded as duty, so we help not because we like people, but because we are called by God to help, we are to love with our heart, soul and mind. Sometimes we love only in part, sometimes we say we love God but never take time to express that love in word, song or prayer.
Sometimes we worship every week, and do good deeds, but do it out of duty, or pride, or fear, and we really think this is the last thing we want to do, so we are not in harmony with ourselves let alone God, sometimes we pour all our mind and will upon doing God’s will, but do not feel positive, let alone affectionate to God, we feel empty, even when we do the right thing.
We become like Charlie brown who says “I love mankind! It is the people I can’t stand!” Often easier to say I love you, than show that you love, God knows this, he forgives us, that is what grace is, but he still calls us to love him totally and love our neighbours as we love ourselves. Easy you say I don’t really like myself, I don’t have to love others much then! But you need to see yourself as God sees you, not so you act like if you were a bar of chocolate you would like yourself, but to see that God loves you so much that he gave his only son for you try John 3:16 replace world with your own name, let that take significance in your life, live as God loves you.
Jesus is saying love God which we can do without anyone else pulling us up on it , after all it is a personal thing, but then he goes on to say and love your neighbour as yourself. People can see if you are fulfilling that commandment. Be accountable to someone else, ask them to challenge you as to how you are loving your neighbours, the lovely and the no so lovely alike! You know you love well if you live up to the standards of the greatest commandment and the example of Jesus. This reminds me of things like duty, responsibility, accountability, punishment, justice, prayer, power, peace and reconciliation. Do we respect , do we allow others dignity, do we give to others ourselves out of love or because of our own agendas? Do I lie, cheat, speak about others behind their backs, do I give God my best or the leftovers?"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love." (Rebecca - age 8) "When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth." (Billy - age 4) "Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs." (Chrissy - age 6) "Love is what makes you smile when you're tired." (Terri - age 4) "Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK." (Danny - age 7) "Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen." (Bobby - age 5) "If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend whom you hate." (Nikka - age 6) "Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it every day." (Noelle - age 7) "Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well." (Tommy - age 6) "Love is when mommy gives daddy the best piece of chicken." (Elaine - age 5) "Love is when mommy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford." (Chris - age 8) "Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day." (Mary Ann - age 4) "Love is when mommy sees daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross." (Mark - age 6) And one last one "You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget." (Jessica - age 8)

people forget, love those made by God, love because you are part of God’s family, by word and action, by doing what Jesus did and believed what Jesus did, a servant not a master, poor not rich, obedient to God, even though obedience meant suffering and death, he trusted and he was rewarded as will we ConclusionOnce upon a time in a company in Southern England a young woman would walk the office corridors and smile at a colleague from another department, whose name she did not know, and whose job she could only guess at. And the other woman would smile in return. Occasionally, a little hello would accompany the smile but they had no occasion to pause or chat, for both had work to do and places to go and people to meet whose names they knew. And besides the work of the one did not touch the work of the other. And so time passed, counted in smiles and little hellos.And the young woman we shall call Anita because that is her name and because it means ‘grace’ or perhaps ‘gracelet’ or ‘graceling’ and because it is the kind of name that a weaver of fiction would have chosen for such a woman as a clue. But she is real and so the name was well chosen indeed. Once upon a time at the end of a day Anita was walking to her car and there coming towards her was the woman. And the woman stopped and they began to talk. And she told Anita that her child was chronically ill with asthma and eczema that would not go away and that she wanted to leave her husband. And Anita listened and asked if she could pray for her and if her home group could pray for her child. And the woman said ‘yes’. And Anita offered her a Bible from the box of Bibles in the boot of her car. And afterwards Anita prayed. And her home group prayed.The child recovered and the woman did not leave her husband but drew close to him and to Christ and became one with him and his people.And so the tale was told to me by the lady of grace. And I told it a conference. And an older man heard the tale. And it swirled around in his mind, and from time to time it would pop up like a tennis ball in a garden that you come across again and again but always somehow in a different place. Two years later the man retired after 40 years as a vicar and 25 years in one parish. He moved to a town where no one knew him and he knew no one. How then might he serve in this place? How then might God use him here? And so he prayed and the Lord brought Jeremiah 29:7 to mind: “Seek the prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile.”How could he bless the city he had been brought to?And the Lord told him to pick up the litter. He who had been a pastor for forty years. It reminded him of Jesus washing the disciples feet in the upper room – cleaning off the dirt. So he went to the Council and asked them for a litter-picking claw. They gave him one on permanent loan and so on the days that he goes on his 2 mile walk to, and through, and from the nature reserve that’s close to his home, he prays and praises God for his world and picks up the litter that mars it and puts it in a plastic bag. And he smiles at people and says ‘hello’. Just like Anita in the story that swirled around in his mind. Pretty soon people began to say ‘hello’ back, and little conversations began as people passed on the path. And the months passed and people would ask him “Why do you it?” – because God loves the world he has made – and “Are you being paid?” – which he hasn’t been. And one person said, “That’s a thankless job. You’ll get to heaven for that”, though they didn’t know he was a vicar and might already have had his ticket bought for him. So he replied that he hoped to get to heaven but not because he picked up the litter but because he knows Jesus who gave his life for him. And some people have come to evangelistic meetings at the church. And in Easter week, he says hello to the people he normally says hello to and gives them a gift – a little cross, made, he tells them, from olive wood from Israel where Jesus lived, a gift to remind us that at Easter Jesus died and rose again. So as he walks Peter the Litter-Picker picks up litter. And drivers he doesn’t know toot their horns and wave in respect and gratitude. And then, on one ordinary day like any other ordinary day, a white van pulled up beside him. The window rolled down and the man in the white van who had, of course, like all drivers of white vans, somewhere to go, and work to do, and people to meet whose names he knew, said, “Thanks very much.” And so Peter the Litter-picker has blessed his community, as God commanded the people through Jeremiah, and many have seen it and declared it ‘good’. Some have heard the reason why and walked on – for the moment – and some have taken a step towards the one whose path Peter treads.Is this too small a tale to tell? Of how an older man changes his bit of the world around him by a ‘little’ thing that he does and calls forth gratitude and wonder from passing drivers and a man in a white van.And so to a tale of ten-years olds? Once upon a time in a primary school close, close to where the A404 runs down by a great oak, and snug up against the parish church, there was a group of Christian children. Now every year, the whole school – the teachers, the staff, and the kids – discuss what the school’s values should be, the values that are displayed in the school hall on paper elephant heads and shape all that everyone does. And anyone may suggest a new value to replace an existing value. And every year everyone votes. And the school, which is called Holy Trinity, sits snug up against the parish church is a Church of England school but counts among its people Muslims and Hindus and Sikhs and many with no particular faith at all. And so the group of Christian children pondered how they might in this place of study and play, of talk and food and many faiths, bring the warm light of Christ to shine? And so they went to the head teacher and said, “We think one of our values should be ‘What would Jesus do?’” And so the head talked to the Muslims who didn’t mind, because after all Jesus is a prophet. And she talked to the Hindus and the Hindu children talked with the children who were Christians and they talked with the Headteacher and they talked together about this strange and unusual value. And after much discussion the Hindu children returned to the Headteacher and said this is after all a Christian school, so we feel you have every right to have this value. And so it was agreed that WWJD should become one of the school’s values, one of the criteria by which everything that happens in that school should be evaluated. And though the Christian children had never heard grown-up phrases like ‘changing corporate culture’ or ‘transforming ethos’ this is what they had done. And they were 10 years old.Was it easier, I wonder, or more difficult for Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego? Is it easier or more difficult for you or me? Or have you or I perhaps already done it?Is this too small a tale to tell, I wonder, of how the life of Jesus so courses through a ten year old that they want to see his name high and lifted up… as indeed it is, for all to see, on a paper elephant head on the walls of their school hall? Of course, we must also proclaim the greatest tale of all, with all our hearts, minds, souls and capacities. But how much more potent it is when we can both proclaim the truth of his resurrection and testify to its power in our lives.May it be so for each of us. Love God and grow the kingdom, let people tell stories of us and this Church of how we love as God has loved us.

sermon for the week

if you are interested I thought I would do this whenever I remember too!
Sermon notes
What's your favourite sign on a church notice board? Eg: Seven days without prayer makes one weak. "Do not wait for the hearse to take you to church."The carpenter from Nazareth seeks joiners. "Searching for a new look? Have your faith lifted here!"Here's a good one, which fits in with today's gospel reading: TRESPASSERS will not be prosecuted, they may be forgiven. This is a good reminder that the Church is first and foremost a community of forgiven sinners. To many people, church-going is so closely associated with respectability that anyone who is not strictly law-abiding might well feel out of place in such company. But if we have even the tiniest sense of God's grace working in our lives then we know the reality is, thankfully, quite different. Another church notice-board asked passers-by to consider, Who would you rather spend an hour with this Sunday morning: hypocrites who are going to heaven or hypocrites who aren't? You could replace the word hypocrites with any other word for wrongdoing, because all wrongs God longs to right. And God is happy to have a church full of wrongdoers who long to be righted. That's not to say that when we do wrong, when we do wrong to each other, we shouldn’t try to right it. Jesus made it clear to his followers that they should deal with people who wrong each other within their community of believers. So how should the Church deal with people who wrong others when they are found within its community? Should it openly condemn the sinner or, by keeping silent, seem to condone the sin? Neither, suggests this Gospel reading, quoting the practical instruction Jesus gave to the Church about ways of dealing with wrong-doers and restoring them to the fellowship of forgiveness. The author of Matthew's Gospel, steeped as he was in the Hebrew Scriptures, would have known well what the prophet Ezekiel wrote: that those who did wrong should be directly confronted with their faults. It was a solemn responsibility of the community to warn such sinners to turn away from their wickedness. If they did not, the community itself would share the blame. The Gospel prescribes a three-stage process. First there should be a personal, private opportunity afforded for the culprit to be confronted openly with the reality of the offence. If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. Notice it says, confront the problem. Don't go away and hide from it; don't go away and complain to your friends about it while doing nothing to put things right. In recent years there have been some shocking stories in the press about how even cases of sexual abuse within the church community have been hushed up for fear of causing scandal. In the World Council of Churches Decade to Overcome Violence, a spotlight has been thrown too on the extent of domestic violence found even in some church-going families, whose victims have kept quiet about it. [Now it's hard, if you're in that situation, to speak up about it - it could put you at more risk. But a trusted friend could perhaps be told...] As the title of a recent WCC report puts it, such cases should be 'No Longer a Secret!' If a one-to-one conversation fails, then the Gospel suggests that two or three other people should be invited to come and listen to what is said and try to discern all the facts of the case, which can so often become twisted in the telling. Following Jewish custom, there should be at least two independent witnesses to such a conversation. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. Notice why the person who has been wronged, or who has seen the wrong, takes two other people with them next time - not to 'gang-up' on the sinner, but to find out the truth. This is so important, because we are always tempted to to place blame and to find a scapegoat, and we need to get others on our side to make that happen. Jesus isn't telling us to get people on our side to gang up against someone who's done us wrong. He's asking us to accept our responsibility to put things right, by inviting others to use their judgement to find out the truth. If that doesn't work, then the whole community should be drawn into the discussion as a final decision is made as to whether the wrongdoer can be restored to full fellowship. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax-collector. Gentiles and tax-collectors were outside the church; this verse means that someone who refuses to repent puts themselves outside the church, needing to rediscover God's mercy and grace all over again. All believers in Christ have been given the solemn power of absolution, by which in Christ's name they have the right to give or withhold forgiveness. This is serious business, it means we have to take each other seriously, care for each other deeply, live close to God so we can judge things right. We all know well the last verse of this passage: '... where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.' It's a pity that these words have become one of the most frequently misused texts in the whole of Matthew's Gospel. They are quoted so often as a word of consolation to those who may be feeling disappointed when fewer people have turned up to a service than they expected. 'Never mind', they say, looking at the empty pews, 'where two or three are gathered together, Jesus will be with us'. That's not what Matthew meant at all. Note that here Matthew is not writing about worship nor even about prayer, but about reconciliation within the community. In the verse, which goes before it Jesus says, 'Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.' This is what Christians are called to do when we come together - to work out agreements where there are disagreements, to work towards harmony where there has only been disharmony. Wherever there is such harmony, says the Gospel writer, Jesus Himself is present. Another church notice board I heard about used to say, Christians may not always see eye-to-eye, but they can walk arm-in-arm. That's not always the reality, of course, but it is what we can help each other to do, as we let Jesus walk beside us. This is Church, a place where sinners know they need forgiveness and give it to others as they are forgiven. Lord’s prayer
Filling The Sponge Between Our EarsScripture: Philippians 4:8 Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.Introduction: The human brain weighs only about 1.5 kg but contains 12 to 14 billion cells and its computing power exceeds that of the 100 largest computers invented. However, the most amazing thing about the human brain is that it can think the things of God (1CO 2:16 "But we have the mind of Christ"). The mind is the crown jewel of man. It is the control-center. If our mind believes something to be good and desires to obtain it, then our affections and will automatically follow. Every sin that was ever committed began first as a thought in the mind. Therefore, whoever controls the mind, controls the man (PRO 4:23). Life's battles are won or lost in the mind. Satan, therefore, concentrates his attack on our minds. Sometimes he does so directly by distracting our mind when we read God's Word, or placing evil thoughts in our minds about others whom we are with. More often he attacks us by filling our minds with ungodly things through what we see, read, hear or experience. He knows that our brain is like a sponge - naturally soaking up information around us. The emptier it is, the quicker it soaks up information. Like a sponge, it soaks up things more easily than it discharges it. In other words, it is easy to absorb information presented to us but very difficult (almost impossible) to remove the information from our brain once it has entered. Therefore, we have to be extremely careful what we allow to enter into our minds. Think: Apostle Paul mentions a long list of things that we should think on. To think means to consider carefully. A cow ruminating on his cud is a good illustration of this process. It slowly chews on the cud to break down the cellulose cell walls of the grass so that the nutritious portion of the grass is made available. When it runs out of cud to chew, it regurgitates semi-digested cud from one of its stomachs and continues to chew on it, to extract whatever nutrition that is still available in it. The most nutritious portion of grass is extracted by this laborious process. Similarly, useful and godly ideas are often not easily obtained but have to be carefully sought out from things around us (eg. Bible, people, events, books). Every great life and work is produced by deep thoughts. The nutrition obtained from the cud nourishes the body. Similarly, the good lessons learned from good things around us influence our minds, give us new ideas and challenge us to attain greater heights. Without realizing it, we will be "transformed by the renewing of our minds" (ROM 12:2). The higher the example, the higher our transformation (2CO 3:18 "Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory"). Therefore, we must continually fill our "sponge" with good things.On these things: The list mentioned by Paul is not limited to things mentioned in the Bible nor is it limited to spiritual things. The word whatsoever is all-encompassing. To re-emphasize this, Paul adds the concluding phrase "if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." The Greek word that is here translated as virtue was commonly used by Greek moralists, and this is the only place in Scripture where Paul uses this word. In other words, Paul tells us that there is much to be learned from outside the Bible - though the highest and purest form of knowledge is found in it, and the most perfect example of a virtuous life is found in the Lord Jesus Christ. Like grass that is freely available to cows, useful lessons are freely available to all men - if they would only look for it in the things around them. We should think on things that are true (as opposed to things that are false). God's Word is true (JOH 17:17). God's promises are true, and so are His warnings. The Gospel is true. Satan is a liar and his promises are lies (JOH 8:44). The world also often makes false promises. We should think of things that are honest (ie, honorable, valuable, reverent). Some things are true but not valuable (eg. the facts about Hitler's life). Christians can learn reverence from worshipers of other religions. Things that are just (ie, righteous) refer to our dealing with others (ie, doing unto others, what we would have others do unto us). Many Christian employers can learn from heathen employers regarding fair employment practices. Things that are pure refer to things that are holy and undefiled. We must be careful to avoid contaminating our "sponge" with filth because it is very difficult to clean a dirty sponge. Furthermore, since we are "the temple of God" (1CO 3:16) we must not be defiled.Things that are lovely (better translated: lovable) refer to things that are pleasing and attractive to good men (eg. humility, gentleness, patience). We can learn so much from the gracious behavior of others.Things that are of good report refer to things that are well spoken of (eg. courtesy, respect to elders, diligence, organization). Conclusion: Life's battle is won in the mind. We must be careful to fill our minds with good and godly thoughts. God has placed many opportunities around us to benefit from - if only we will learn to learn from them our minds will be filled with good. If we do not, then our empty minds will be filled with worthless and ungodly thoughts - and we will lose life's battle and be drawn further and further away from God.

birthday week

Hey there, it will be a year since Sophie was born on the 2nd of June, it has been an amazing year, it has flown by, this wee baby born on a friday night at 9pm has grown into this person with such a personality, and is so happy (most of the time!)

It got me thinking what else has happened this year? Well the Iraq situation has got worse it seems, Tony has finally called it a day and Aberdeen have finally got back into Europe!

Good year or a bad year what do you think?

I was pondering the other day what if I met myself of 15 years ago today? What would he say to me, would he be proud of me, would he think I had sold out on everything I held dear? What would his reaction to 33 year old Keith be? What would your younger self say to you? Would they be amazed by your achievements Would they be disgusted by what you have become?

I think a bit of both for me, but you know I keep trying. I guess what makes me happy now is different from then, but I find myself at peace, very happy with my lot and not sure what the future holds but looking forward to it!. I guess the thing that drove me then was the call of God to the ministry, and that call still drives me today. In all I do I hope to keeping building the kingdom in my patch, and I think the 18 year old Keith would agree with that, I guess the 48 year old Keith (if I make it that far) will look back and God willing will still be striving to let people know of their need of Jesus as the 33 year old does!

Anyway enough babble here are some snaps!