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  • St Andrew's 19 November 2006

    Mark 13:1-8

    Hebrews 10:11-14, 19-25

    Building Community - wars and rumours of wars, society under attack - all hands required? - Mark, little acopalypse - tract on Christian reaction to war? - recalls Jesus’ views on the temple - widow - oppressive system - should it be defended supported - or torn down? - people will claim that we need to fight this war in God’s name, with right on our side, to maintain our freedom - sound familiar? - Mark through Jesus argues that we have no place defending such a system - the temple is corrupt - the new temple is about community, the people living faithful lives - judged by the lives they lead not the buildings they leave.

    Building freedom - Manchester keeps changing - new developments, new investment, new people, reflecting on the changes - Piccadilly Basin, voices, Brittania, Hilton, Radisson, - impressive, disciples looking at the temple - sucked in - Does this build freedom, new life for all? Booth Centre is still there - and the people, new immigrants are here, new voices, squeezed out into other places including here in Rochdale - is their new life, is freedom being built alongside impressive new buildings? Will we build community, build freedom if Rochdale’s regeneration plans come to fruition? We sit looking at a regeneration site - do  we  do anything more than look?

    Building society - Town centre chaplaincy - plans afoot, Unexpected - has the bible anything new to say today? have we anything new, anything positive to say? can we be part of building good society? 

    19Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 20by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, 25not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

    Temple necessary - atonement - day after day - Jesus has atoned - therefore walk confidently into Holy of Holies - whatever rank, status, gender, race, - this is the new society that is to be built and we do it by encouraging one another, loving one another, “provoking one another to love and good deeds” - Building Community, Building Freedom, Building Society.


  • Hallfold 12 November 2006

    Mark 12: 38-44

    A couple of weeks ago we looked at power and the alternative power structure of the Kinship Community of God 


    In our Act of Remembrance and in our reading of Mark's gospel we are again looking at issues of power.

    War is the ultimate power game - the way in which one group, nation, group of nations imposes their will on another - the way in which a nations glory and power is measured - we must remember - yet little changes - the war to end wars ended nothing - war has continued unabated - and still young people die & suffer to fulfill the ambitions of an older generation.

    In the temple jesus is involved in power plays - what is to become of the symbol of religious power the temple? -

    William Loader at http://wwwstaff.murdoch.edu.au/~loader/MkPentecost23.htm spells out the situation, "Warnings about the temple have been simmering under the surface of the narrative since Jesus reached the temple as his final destination in 11:11, travelling from Caesarea Philippi in the far north (8:27). The shrivelled fig tree interprets Jesus’ symbolic act in the temple as a statement of judgement (11:12-21). The temple, his Father’s house, had become a place of corruption. It was a mountain which faith must cast into the sea (11:22-23). Mark celebrates a new temple: a forgiving community of faith which will pray (11:24-25). It will be a community tended by leaders who will make it fruitful (12:1-9), a new construction build on the Son/Stone (12:10-11). This Jesus, the promised Son of David, but more (12:35-37, will build a true temple where mercy will matter more than sacrifice (12:28-34)."

    Jesus contrasts the wealthy scribes with the widow - those who benefit from the system and those who are oppressed by it - and that their fine clothes, rich lifestyle is bought with the sacrificial gifts of one who is oppressed by the system.

    God’s way is the way of sacrificial, self-giving love - widow is giving to a doomed institution but her instincts are right - the new community - the kinship of God  is built on sacrificial love - but it must not be abusive, it must not allow any of us to flaunt our positions of power - we are all in need of the sacrifice that Jesus has made - it will not be made again - once for all time - the sacrifice to end all sacrifices - human power requires the poor, the vulnerable to make constant sacrifices for the benefit of the rich and the powerful - Jesus - the Son of God, the powerful one - made one sacrifice so that we can live in the kinship of God.

    How does such sacrifice make an impact on the way we live our lives?

  • St. Andrew's 5 November 2006

    Mark 12:28-35
    Ruth 1:1-8

    Join hands, then, all the human race
    whate'er your nation be
    all who my Father's image bear
    are surely kin to me
    Rejoice & Sing 647 

    Made in the Image of God, 

     - is that me? is that you? 

    - is that all the things I like about myself and the things I don’t like? 

    and you?

    think over week - all the people you have met been in contact with - those who have been good to meet - made in the image of God? 

    those who have made you angry, uncomfortable, irritated, scared, .... image of God? 

    - look at your neighbour ... image of God? 

    imagine the face of  the world around -  White British, Pakistani, African, Chinese, Eastern European, American - image of God?

    you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength

    which image of God?

    You shall love your neighbour as yourself.

    which neighbour? all neighbour’s?  Bingo Hall, Broadwater Hall, car dealers, health centre, bus station,  demolition contractors, motorcise, do we love them all?

    the neighbours who use these premises .......   those who we like and those who leave sweet papers and pop cans lying around and the thieves who have targeted our car park  - do we love them? 

    ‘You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that “he is one, and besides him there is no other”; and “to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength”, and “to love one’s neighbour as oneself”,—this is much more important than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.’ When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ After that no one dared to ask him any question.

    why not far? - he understands, he agrees ... intellect not emotion - theory not practice.

    Leviticus 19:18 - loving neighbour comes after list of practical measures to care for the poor, to love God - is to love our neighbours and to do it with the heart not just the head, Does our lifestyle express love? does the way we treat people express love? Words are fine but how we behave says much more.

    Last week a couple made Wedding vows in here  - test will be in the way they live their lives in the years to come.

    Today Elders and Stewards have made Ordination, Induction & Commissioning Promises - sincerity & love will be expressed in the way roles are fulfilled.

    Made in the image of God to love and be loved - how far are we from the Kingdom of God?