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Sermon Notes

  • from Psalm 29

    Heaven praise, earth sing

    Give glory, praise Gods name 

    Bow down, holy ones

    Give ear to the Holy One

     

    We listen as you thunder across oceans

    We cup ears as you echo around the globe 

    We tune in as you whisper through forests

    We catch the rhythm as mountains jump like prancing calf’s 

    We prick up as wisdom flashes like lightening

    as Word shakes the land 

    as creation sings glory. 

     

    May you rule over the waters

    May you rule over all creation

    May your blessing strengthen your people 

    May your blessing sing with peace

     

    May mercy shower upon the earth

    May we know forgiveness, 

    for misdeeds and inaction

    for hate-speak and trash-talk

    for shit-holes and holy crap

    for bare-forests and plastic seas

    for cheap glory and poetic claptrap

     

    Heaven praise , earth sing

    Give glory, praise Gods name 

    Bow down, Holy ones

    Give ear to the Holy One

     

     

     

     

  • Imagine

    Church as

    blind receiving sight

    the lame walking

    lepers cleaned

    the deaf hearing

    the dead raised

    the poor have good news brought

    people who are blessed

     

    Church as

    the healing pool

    the recovery ward

    the regeneration site

    the restoration project

    the redevelopment agency

    the new business park

    the good news agency

    the escape committee

    a signpost for blessings

    a witness to grace

    a welcome to hopefulness

    a green light to adventure

    a journey with God

     

    Church as

    Wilderness voice 

    powerless, 

    marginal,  

    grace-full, 

    reconciled, 

    Immanuel 

    relevant, 

    irritant

    imagining, 

    inspiring

    prophetic

  • Hallfold 23 September 2007

    Amos 8.4-7   
    Luke 16.1-13
    Country Life Video


    Country Life - pictures and song that reflects some of the pressures of modern country life, with a reminder that if we want to enjoy the countryside we have to ensure that the people who manage the land can afford to do so.

    What’s the price of a bottle of milk? is it fair or fixed. In our churches where have a long history of being involved in campaigning for Fairtrade - this involves ensuring farmers are paid a  fair price, ( i.e cost of production + profit) given long term contracts which protect them against fluctuations in the market price, fair to both sides. But this scheme only involves overseas trade shouldn't the same principles with our own farmers? Taking milk as an example - the price a farmer recieves varies from  16.5p per litre  to 24.05ppl - the production cost is about 21ppl - NFU argue fair price would be 25ppl. Tesco have agreed long term price of 22ppl - but a poor summer has resulted in supply 7% below 5yr average, hence there is  temptation to sell to brokers at higher prices - NFU is warning those who do so that short term gains may not be best in the long run. If you go and buy a bottle of milk  in Tesco the price you will pay is 75ppl - a long way above the 22ppl the farmer receives - but of course all the people taking the milk from the farm gate to your shopping trolley also need to make a living.

    Amos - condemnation of those who can’t wait for holidays and rest days to be over so that they can get back to making money by cheating people with short measures, inflated prices and creative accounting. Central to our relationships with one another - honesty, fairness with a particular concern for the poor, ensuring that the vulnerable are not taken advantage of - if the price of our cheap food is people who can’t make a living - does that leave a sour taste in the mouth? 

    Steward - strange story - is Jesus suggesting that we take as a role model a dishonest steward? and how can the manager commend his misdeeds? - manager recognises that stewards actions have left the manager with a problem, if he cancels the new deals it is the Manager who will lose face and popularity -  generosity is the best investment. He gets himself out of a hole by building social capital - he has friends if he needs them. Jesus is not really talking about economics he is talking about Grace - God’s generous love, squandered on everyone whether they deserve it or not,  - generosity brings rewards - so perhaps we are talking about economics - be generous with our wealth - with our property and others will be generous with us, be generous in our love, our care, our lives and we will earn riches way beyond our bank balance 

    Be fair and everyone benefits, be generous and everyone is enriched - the price of a bottle of milk  may be more than it was - but let us not begrudge people a living wage.