It’s good to know

 There are some things in life that are just reassuring to know.  For example, it is reassuring to know that on a wet day you have your umbrella with you, it is reassuring to know that when you are tired you have a comfy bed to sleep in.

It is reassuring to know that whilst we are in the period of Advent we still have two weeks until Christmas, lots more mince pies and more seriously lots more time to think about the great gift for which we are waiting to celebrate once more. 

I remember one occasion whilst travelling that was not as reassuring though.  Whilst walking around Prague with Ian, we were talking about the fact that when we go away we are really sensible, and careful what roads we walk on and the places we go to.  Just at this moment, a motorbike came screeching past nearly running me over – not so reassuring after all ! 

We all like reassurance and this is something that we have spoken in the words of the Magnificat this morning.  We spoke  the familiar words, of the prayer of Mary on hearing that she was to give birth to Jesus.  Words of praise; words which remind us that Jesus was not only going to, but actually has  turned  the world upside down with His revolutionary message that everyone counts, His message that the lowly would be lifted up, and the hungry fed with good things.

How reassuring that we worship God, who has turned the world upside down and brought us our salvation, with His revolution of love. That is, a world where we can know that the most important thing is the love of God which reaches throughout the world.

I read a speech once of Martin Luther Kings; it was after an attack on his life.  After this attack if he had sneezed four times he would have died instantly. He received a number of letters and telegrams, after he recovered from various important people, but the one letter he remembered the most, was from a little girl.  She wrote, “ I am a white girl, but I just have to let you know that I am really pleased that you did not sneeze four times.” He agreed, but he loved this letter, because it was reassuring to know that people cared.

Reassurance is good, we all need it, it is good and we can all give reassurance as well. The words that Mary spoke are not just reassuring words for us, they are words for us to share with others, they speak of a lifestyle that makes a difference in our world.  They speak of a life where the poor matter, they speak of a life where those in need are helped, and are loved.  They speak of the difference that Jesus makes. They speak of the difference which comes after the waiting of advent as we celebrate God breaking into the World as a baby.  They remind us that in our waiting we are still to show Jesus in our lives everyday to all those around us.

The words also speak of the difference that we as followers of Jesus, are to make as well.  So that our lifestyle, based on the lifestyle of Jesus, and His teaching, is one where the poor matter, one where those in need are helped and loved.

There are many people who have allowed themselves to show the hope of advent, the hope brought by Jesus, the hope of a world turned upside down, the hope of a revolution of love. Some of these have done incredible and well publicised things others have simply carried on spreading the love of God in their own community in a quiet way.

I may have told you this before but there was in the early twentieth century a young woman in service. She was not able to go out, and do obviously noticeable things for God, but she wanted the world to know the reassurance that God is with them, that He has a care for the poor, and help for those in need. So, she used to collect the newspapers when she was cleaning, and every night she would go through the family announcements, and pray for all those who had lost loved ones, for all those getting married, for all those who had just announced a birth.

It is reassuring to know that there are people who are going out and turning the world upside down for God, by showing His love. By caring for those who need care, by loving those who no-one else would love.  By doing whatever they can in their community.

What about us though?

We have thought of the words of Mary reminding us that when God came to this world he turned it upside down with the greatest revolution of all, the revolution of love. When God stepped into the World he showed us that we count, in His great scheme and not only do we count but we have such an important  part to play.

In advent people think of the second coming of Jesus and within this they think of the difference that will make. But in our waiting and considering we are not to sit idly by, we are to allow God to use us to show His love to all those around.  

What are we doing to turn the World upside down with the love of Jesus? We can all do our bit, by being the people that God has called us to be. This means, being the best we can be, for God wherever we are at this time.  

We may not do obviously noticeable things for God that will be told for generations to follow, but by being more like Him, by spreading His love around, we can be part of the revolution of turning the world upside down with the love of God. The message that God cares for everyone and He loves us all. So lets start being revolutionary where we are and in our way, as we reach out to people with love. May we use this advent, and every day to celebrate the fact that Jesus is with us, and we can share that with all those around. AMEN

Teddy bears and Dolly Parton. Advent 2 - stop and think.

 

I get to do lots of lovely things, and one of these is going into schools and talking to the children. I remember that I used to take a teddy bear into school with me who had a clerical shirt and collar. The teddy who came to school had often got too excited and missed out on things. I remember explaining that the teddy bear had got so excited that it was December they forgot to go to lots of lovely things happening. The children in school felt sorry for the silly teddy bear, but they also told me that it was important to pay attention, or for us today to stop and think.

In these weeks leading up to Christmas, life can be very busy. We are all preparing, spending time sending cards, checking on presents we want to buy, organising our diaries around seeing friends and family, and other Christmas activities. It never feels like a good time to stop and think as we are called to do in Advent.

As we stop and think, we can take moments to prepare ourselves for the birth of Jesus, to celebrate once again the amazing moment when God became one of us, and then we can also look ahead to Jesus coming again.

In the gospel reading today (Matthew 3:1-12) we heard of John the Baptist with his rallying call to repent and prepare the way for the Lord.

I always think that John the Baptist wouldn’t have been the kind of person that you would want to bump into on a dark night. He wore strange clothes and ate even stranger food. But he had a key part to play. His role was to get everybody ready, to stop people and make them think.

To be honest, the people to whom John the Baptist was speaking had been waiting a long time. For hundreds and hundreds of years, they had been waiting for God to come and change things. They had a promise that a Messiah, which also means anointed one, would come and make all things well. They were waiting, and whether they still believed that God was going to make a difference, seeing and hearing John the Baptist would certainly have made them stop and think.

I am not suggesting that we need a John the Baptist type person to come and make us stop and think this Advent. However, our readings this morning have reminded us that something incredible has happened. There is excitement and hope. This should cause us to stop and think, to pray. As we stop, we are taking time to think of what the coming of Jesus meant over 2000 years ago, what it means for us today, and also what it would mean for Him to return. What would change?

In our readings this morning, we heard of the way that the world changes with God. In the book of Isaiah (11:1-10) we heard of an incredible new way. We heard of the impossible happening, wolves and lambs getting on well, a toddler playing by a snake! This was a new world, a world that was healed. God broke into the world as people knew it, and the vision of Isaiah is a vision of a perfect world, of the kingdom of God when all would be well. God transformed the world by coming and showing us how we can be transformed to be more like Him. These words from Isaiah gave us an amazing vision of how life will be in the Kingdom of God, a vision that should make us stop, think, and wonder how we can show the way of God in our lives.

In the reading from the letter to the Romans (Romans 15:4-13) we heard of the way that we are to be transformed: people who live in harmony with each other, joined in glorifying God. People who welcome each other just as Christ has welcomed us.

This is amazing. We are to be more like God, to love each other and to let our lives be transformed, to live in harmony with each other by not complaining about one another, by going the extra mile to help each other, by being joined in our praise for God.

We prepare the way for Jesus by being like this, by loving, and by following His way.

The kind of behaviour that is being talked of should make other people stop and think as they see the ways of God reflected in us. In the reading from Romans, it says that we are to welcome one another just as we have been welcomed by Christ. This is the Messiah, this is Jesus. The one for whom people had been waiting had not only arrived, but they, and now we, are able to live like Him.

In our preparations during Advent, we are to stop and think. As we do this, we are to seek ways of getting closer to God – and they are to be ways that are lasting, not just until Christmas, but permanently. Advent represents the start of the new year in the Church Calendar, and it’s a wonderful time for us to make resolutions – perhaps to pray more, to read our Bibles more, to read a Christian book. We need to be continually fed by God, and to do that we need to make time for Him – time for quiet reflection, and time for study and being with other believers.

We have the Advent quiet day on Saturday, which is a perfect time to stop and think about what God is saying to us as we seek to be more like Him day by day.

I am a huge Dolly Parton fan, and I watched a programme sometime ago where she was interviewed about her faith. She is a Christian and was asked how she prepares for a show. Her answer was prayer, prayer to be a shining light for God, and to bring happiness.

This is actually a really good prayer. Imagine if this Advent and always we asked God every day to help us to be more like Him, and to bring His peace, love, and hope to others. Imagine if we spent time with Him trying to learn more about Him, and asking Him to help us to walk in His straight paths, to live in harmony with each other, looking forward to the time when wolves and lambs will be together and will be safe!

May the God of hope fill us with joy and peace in believing. 

The king who serves ?

 Sometimes things in life seem backwards or the wrong way around. Last week, I heard the familiar tones of an advert that I love. This advert conspires to make me feel happy as some of my great loves appear together. Yes, Father Christmas, Coca-Cola, and Christmas music all in one advert; it can only mean that the Coca-Cola Christmas advert is out. Therefore, even though we are not in Advent yet, Christmas is coming!

How strange then, in our gospel reading this morning, to hear of the crucifixion. That makes it seem as if Easter is around the corner, and the Church calendar seems to have gone a little bit mad! But I suspect that the Church is not confused, because actually none of the gospel message can make sense without first the crucifixion and then, of course, the resurrection. As we move towards Advent and Christmas, we remember what our Saviour was actually born for.

In the readings this morning, we heard about the image of Jesus, the image of a King, the image of Christ. This morning we celebrate Christ the King, but as we do so, we see all the expectations of kingship squashed.

When we think of a King, we think of someone in a palace, with grand robes who, if we are honest, is separate from us and always goes along with social convention. When we think of Jesus, we think of someone who was with us, born in a stable, who suffered in a way nobody, let alone a King, should. We think of One who turned the world upside down by loving those whom nobody loved, by being different from society as He reached out to those whom society would have seen as untouchables.

The gospel this morning has reminded us that we worship a King who was crucified after suffering probably one of the cruellest forms of punishment and death—a death that was for all of us. What type of image is that? This is not an image we would automatically associate with a King or even a Saviour, but we do. This all seems a bit backwards: the Saviour of the world, a King majestic in power, who is God, dies in this way.

In the reading from the epistle to the Colossians, we are reminded not only of the kingship of Jesus but also the fact that He is the exact image of God the Father. Jesus is not only the image of God but actually is God.

This Sunday we are reminded of who Jesus is and why He came. This is why it is backwards. In fact, when we think of the reason why Jesus came and then start the season of Advent next Sunday, when we prepare for Jesus’ coming, then to think of the crucifixion this morning has helped us to think of why we celebrate.

Christ the King means a different image—not one of kingship in the ways we would assume but rather one of suffering and care. The reading from Paul’s letter to the Colossians reminds us of the majesty and wonder of Christ, meaning the anointed one, and the gospel shows us that this means that Jesus has become one of us and died for us.

There is a hymn that sums up well the kingship of Jesus and also what our response should be to Him. I would like to read some of the words of this:

*From heav’n you came, helpless babe,

entered our world, your glory veiled;

not to be served but to serve,

and give your life that we might live.

This is our God, the Servant King,

he calls us now to follow him,

to bring our lives as a daily offering 

of worship to the Servant King.

The question is: what does this mean to us? As we prepare for Christmas and the beginning of the Advent season, are we ready to remember all that Jesus has done for us?

There are three things that I think we can think of.

Firstly, the fact that Jesus turns everything upside down and is not the King the people were expecting, who would defeat the Romans in a mighty battle, reminds us that Jesus can turn our lives upside down in ways that we might not expect. We worship a King who tore apart social conventions and offered a better world. This means that it is not only our task to be ready for Jesus to turn our lives upside down, though; it means that it is our task to offer a better world by reaching out even to those we wouldn’t normally wish to and to offer them, in our lives and in the way we behave, the love of Christ.

Secondly, because Jesus is the King and we worship Him as such, we need to be thankful for all He offers us. The fact that Jesus died and rose again and is majestic means that we have a King and Saviour we can trust. He has not let us down, and He never will. When Jesus makes promises, they are real and lasting.

Thirdly, we are privileged; we are people who know and worship the ultimate, even if unexpected, King.

Our response to all of this can be in the last verse of the hymn that I read some of earlier, and I pray that this will be our goal today and every day:

So let us learn how to serve,

And in our lives enthrone Him;

Each other’s needs to prefer,

For it is Christ we’re serving.

Where do I fit in ?

 This morning is a set time in the year when we remember all those who have fought in wars, all those affected by war, and all those in the services and their families. A time when we think once again of hope and the need for peace.

Remembrance Sunday is one of those days when you should just know what to say, one of those days when the sermon should be obvious—but this bothers me a little. Why? Well, today is an important day, and sometimes when we know what is likely to be said, we can lose focus on why we are doing what we are doing.

I used to be chaplain to the Air Cadets in a previous church. I remember helping them think about today ahead of the big town remembrance parade they were going to be part of. To do this, I asked them why remembrance is so important.

The usual answers were given, as they talked about poppies, the World Wars, families of service people, wars today, and the need to remember. I kept pushing for more just out of interest, and they said to offer respect and to think about where we fit in.

I remember being very impressed with this answer. It felt as if they were thinking towards the future as well as the past and the present day.

This morning I want to think past the obvious and think about where we fit in today and what this means for the future. In our readings today, we heard of a better world; we have heard of hope. The reading from Job (19:23–27a), which is full of hope in the midst of gloom, has within it these wonderful words: “I know that my Redeemer lives.” In the Psalm (17:1–8), we praised God because He is greatly to be praised. In the reading from the second letter to the Thessalonians (2:1–5, 13–17), we were reminded not to be shaken or alarmed but to give thanks because Jesus loves us, and through grace He will give us eternal comfort. Then in the Gospel reading (Luke 20:27–38), we heard that life is everlasting, it continues, and God is the God of the living.

The readings are full of hope, and it is this hope which frames our remembering on this day as we think to a better future as we work to make the world a better place. When I was looking at the readings, I thought of how hard it must be for people living in war-torn areas to think of peace and to want to praise and exalt God, announcing that He lives when all they see is devastation. When I looked at the epistle reading (2 Thess. 2:1–5, 13–17) with its warning not to be alarmed, I thought that actually I would find it very difficult in certain situations not to be alarmed—such as my home being attacked, seeing people dying, and a world where nothing makes sense anymore. Yet, the readings remind us that all these thoughts are overtaken by the knowledge that God is greater, He loves us, and He is in control.

We could almost feel quite useless, except we have a role to play to make the world better, and it is this which can move us past the natural and correct role of remembering to another role of hoping and praying for a better world.

We remember so we can make things better; we try to bring peace by the way we live. In our readings, we have been reminded of the hope we have in God, and it is this hope which will help us to remember better. We need to make our memories bigger as we remember not what has been but what can be. As we think of the future, this is how we will see where we fit in.

We know that our Redeemer lives, we know that we need not be alarmed, we know that life is everlasting—but it is not always easy to live this way. Today could be an incredibly despondent day. Because today we think of the past and the hope people had for a better world, but we know that the world is still in torment today.

We need to remember bigger because we know that God both can and does give light. I remember a service I used to attend fairly regularly. At this service, there were pictures up on a projector to help focus prayers. One picture was of a place full of rubble and darkness, within which there was one candle. In the middle of all this devastation, the light of Christ shone through in the candle. This picture always moved me to think of hope and to remember the words of Mother Teresa, who said that it was better to light a candle than to curse the dark. As we see despair, we need to remember that there is hope because our Redeemer lives.

We need to think differently; we need to see beyond the annual memory of this day to a better day. A day when everyone will know that their Redeemer lives, a day when everyone will know the love and grace of God, a day when everyone will know that they are truly loved.

This day, as we think and remember all that has been done for us by our troops, as we think of all those affected by war, so we need to think wider—to the greatest act of love ever seen by the sacrifice of the Prince of Peace.

If all we ever learn in life is that Jesus loves us, then we will know everything. Remembrance is about the past, the present, and the future. The future for us is to continue the traditions that we have been taught, as it said in the epistle reading. Those traditions being to worship God, to pray for a better world, and by seeking to be more like Jesus, to do our bit.

May we be as ready to remember and respect as we are to love everyone and pray for peace. May this day truly be a day of hope in our remembrance.

AMEN

Saints wanted: no experience necessary - benefits include eternal life.

 Today is All Saints’ Day.

I love All Saints’ Day—it’s a day of celebration. A time to give thanks for the saints who came before us and to reflect on what it means to be a saint today. When we decided to follow Jesus, we immediately became saints.

I decided to have some fun and think about being a saint as if it were a job advert or job description. I found a made-up example of a job recruitment organisation writing to Jesus about His choice of disciples:

Dear Sir:

Thank you for submitting the C.V’s of the twelve men you have picked for managerial positions in your new organization. All of them have now taken our battery of tests, and we have not only run the results through our computer but also arranged personal interviews for each of them with our psychologist and vocational aptitude consultant.

It is the staff’s opinion that most of your nominees are lacking in background, education, and vocational aptitude for the type of enterprise you are undertaking. They do not have the team concept. We would recommend that you continue your search for persons with experience in managerial ability and proven capability.

Simon Peter is emotionally unstable and given to fits of temper. Andrew has absolutely no qualities of leadership. The two brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, place personal interest above company loyalty. Thomas demonstrates a questioning attitude that would tend to undermine morale. We feel that it is our duty to tell you that Matthew has been blacklisted by the Greater Jerusalem Better Business Bureau. James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus definitely have radical leanings.

One of the candidates, however, shows great potential. He is a man of ability and resourcefulness, meets people well, has a keen business mind, and has contacts in high places. He is highly motivated, ambitious, and responsible. We recommend Judas Iscariot as your controller and right-hand man. 

Thankfully, we weren’t chosen as followers of Jesus—as saints—in that way.

In our readings this morning, we have heard the benefits of being a saint and also the more difficult things that we need to deal with.

Our first reading from the book of Daniel (7:1–3, 15–18) sounds a little confusing. This is because a particular style of writing was used, known as apocalyptic, which would critique political powers and also help people think about how things might be at the end of time.

Daniel had visions of great beasts. These beasts represented the empires that would have control in the world. The passage explains that being one of the holy ones of God means receiving something greater than any worldly empire. This is because the holy ones—those who follow God—will receive the Kingdom, that is, being with God forever. As followers, we have a promise of life everlasting. Life in the Kingdom of God, life in relationship with Him.

Back to our imagining of being a saint as a job—regardless of any job description, this would go down as a benefit of the job. A very good one.

In the reading from the letter to the Ephesians, we heard that the believers had an inheritance. This inheritance was to give glory to God, and later we heard that it is glorious. The inheritance is described as being for all the saints, and it is immeasurably great. The inheritance is so that we can be with God, so we can know the forgiveness and greatness of Him.

I don’t know if there would be an inheritance tax on this—I expect not, because it is God’s free gift to us. If we step back into imagining that we are talking about the job of a saint, then we would see another benefit: God, whom we serve and worship, is now above all others because of His resurrection from the dead.

Seriously, if this were a job advert, I can’t see how we could or would say no. We have been invited into a never-ending inheritance, which is life with God forever. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, we are reminded that God is above all things. Basically, if we choose God, then we are on the right side.

Back to the job imagination. There are tasks in any job. If being a saint were a job, then the tasks would be: following God, being more like Him. It would mean accepting the upside-down world that He offers. This means the times when God challenges society. The times when we realise that being a saint involves trusting even when things seem against us.

In our Gospel reading (Luke 6:20–31), we heard Jesus explaining what life is like in His kingdom. This was as He explained the most improbable things being true. He said that those who were hungry would be filled, those who were weeping would laugh. He also said that when you are attacked because of your belief in God, you can be full of joy, as it is a reminder of the great reward that we will have in heaven. This is because we are followers of Jesus. Then Jesus said that it was woe to those who thought they were doing really well—they were missing out on Him and His promises.

So far, being a saint sounds amazing. God is with us, and when things are going wrong, we can remember the inheritance we are promised: life with God always.

However, we are then shown the harder part of being a saint. We are to love our enemies, to do good to those who hurt us. We are to be different. This is where we know that we daily need God’s power to be more like Him. Being a saint doesn’t involve glory, but it does mean being more and more like God.

It’s great to be a saint. All around you today are other saints. As saints, we are to encourage and help each other as we continue our journey together, seeking to be more like God, as we enjoy the daily knowledge that God is always with us. As we remember the command to do to others as we would have them do to us. It’s not always easy, but it is always worthwhile. 

Now:

“To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.”

(Jude 1:24–25)

Part of the continuing drama

 I love books. And I don’t mean just a little—I mean a lot. In most situations, if you’re looking for me relaxing, I’ll be reading a book. I love thinking about different characters, and I absolutely hate being told the ending. I love buying a new book, and I hate being rushed when choosing one. Basically, books and I are lifelong friends.

I also enjoy reading the blurb on the back of a hard copy or the description of an electronic version. One blurb I particularly like reads:

“These pages contain stories on an epic scale—thrillers, adventures, family sagas, and more—taut with emotion and spanning the whole of history. Yet a single current—one of love, sadness, betrayal, and forgiveness—flows through. It points to a Father who offered his only Son so that we can go free.

A cast of thousands crowds the pages—people living in different times, different places. But the casting isn’t closed. In the continuing drama, each of us is invited to play a part.”

This blurb is from the back of one Bible translation. Today is Bible Sunday—a day to give thanks for the Bible and reflect on its importance to us and to the world.

There have been some unfortunate typing errors in Bible translations over the years—thankfully, most never made it to the shelves. For example:

• In 1832, one edition had Rebekah leaving her tent to meet Isaac with a group of camels instead of damsels.

• An 1810 version read, “If any man come to me, and hate not... his own wife” instead of “his own life.”

• The first English-language Bible printed in Ireland in 1716 encouraged readers to “sin on more” rather than “sin no more.”

• An American printer once published the “Parable of the Vinegar” instead of the “Parable of the Vineyard.”

Back to our Bibles. They’re not always easy to understand, but the Bible is a conversation—a plot into which we are all invited. That means we need to turn to God for help, to Bible commentaries, and to one another. After Christmas, a Bible group will be running weekly on Tuesday mornings from 10:30 to 12:00 in Usk, where we can explore the Bible together.

This morning, there are many things we could say about the Bible, but the main one is this: we are to be thankful.

We can be thankful that the Bible is both about God and from God. In it, we learn that God is deeply interested in humanity. For example, He sends prophets in the Old Testament to guide His people and show them how to turn to Him. As we heard in our reading from Isaiah (45:22–25), God is the only Lord, He is powerful, and He calls each of us to turn to Him.

We can be thankful that the Bible is God’s revelation—His description of Himself. It is the Word of God, a record of how He makes contact with humanity. As we read, we learn more about God, and so the Bible becomes a living word.

We can be thankful that the Bible is not just a historical document. It continues to impact lives today, showing people who God is. As the collect this morning reminds us, God has given us the Scriptures for our learning—to learn about Him.

We can be thankful that the Bible is useful. Because it reveals who God is, it is incredibly valuable to those He has created. It guides us in how to relate to God—the Creator, the Almighty.

In our reading from Romans (15:1–6), Paul encourages the Christians in Rome to care for one another and reminds them of the importance of Scripture. The Scriptures they had were what we now call the Old Testament. Our Bibles continue to teach us how to live.

With all this in mind, it’s no surprise that the Bible is central to our belief. Yet sometimes we forget how important it is. We’re so used to seeing Bibles in shops, in homes, on our own shelves, that we can start to treat it as a helpful extra—something that might even help with crossword puzzles.

But the Bible’s importance is immense. And as I said earlier, we sometimes take it for granted and forget to give thanks for it.

The Bible is considered dangerous in countries where it must be smuggled in because it’s banned. But it should be dangerous for us too—because it has the power to change us, if we’re willing to let God speak to us through it.

In our Gospel reading (Luke 4:16–24), we heard Jesus read from the book of Isaiah—a passage of hope. The people were waiting for a Messiah, someone to save them from Roman rule and make life better. Jesus stood up and declared that He was the One they had been waiting for. Incredible! This is what we know and believe to be true—Jesus is the one who can change everything.

This is how reading and hearing the Bible should make us feel: astounded at what God has done and continues to do, amazed that He wants us to be part of it, and challenged into action to go out and make a difference.

I often imagine that when people heard Jesus speak, they must have been in absolute wonder. His words couldn’t be ignored—a change was needed.

In our reading from Isaiah (45:22-25) we heard that when God speaks a word, it does not return to Him empty. That means we need to act on it.

We can be thankful because the Bible is powerful and it causes us to act, to change as we become more like Jesus. The Bible is  full of the words we need. It’s hard to describe, really. But perhaps the thing we can be most thankful for is this: the Bible is an invitation.

When we read the Bible and hear it read in church, we are invited—just as that blurb said—to be part of the continuing drama.

Now 

“To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

Happy harvest !

 Harvest is here. I remember, as a child, the coming of harvest was rather exciting—after all, it meant half-term must be fairly close, and then, of course, Christmas would follow. I also remember, in school, waiting for the harvest loaf to appear for our harvest thanksgiving and seeing if there was a mouse on the decoration of the loaf. I remember the mad panic and rush to find a useful tin of food to take to school, along with any nice fruit we could find in the house. I also recall seeing other children with their prettily wrapped fruit baskets from the greengrocers.

Harvest—always fun, always a time to be joyful. It is a vital part of life. We need a harvest for our food, for living. It’s not just my memories from when I was younger; it’s real life. In a rural area, it’s part of the year’s cycle. So really, beyond saying thank you, it is part of our year.

Last year, I found some harvest jokes. I’ve done the same this year, so please get ready to groan or laugh. After all, today is a thanksgiving for the harvest, and thanksgivings are joyful.

• How do you make an apple turnover? Push it down the hill.

• What do you call a corn that joins the army? A kernel.

• Why was the apple always getting detention in school? It was rotten to the core.

Our reading this morning from the book of Deuteronomy (26:1-11) reminded us why we need to say thank you. God brought the people of Israel out of a life of slavery, out of misery, into a wonderful new place of freedom. God wanted to make sure the people never forgot what they had been through. To do this, He instructed them to bring the first fruits of the harvest and give thanks. This is what we are doing today. It is a great opportunity to say thank you. This doesn’t exclude us from always being thankful to God, but having a particular set time in the Church’s year ensures we don’t forget.

A while ago, I was asked to lead a children’s workshop on prayer. I was trying to think of creative ways to help children pray, and I came up with a game. I’m sorry, but we’re not going to play a game today. The game involved a football being passed to a child, and they would think of something they wanted to pray about. I used the word STOP to help them remember ways to pray:

• S stood for Sorry

• T stood for Thank you

• O stood for Others

• P stood for Please

As I was preparing for this morning, this idea came back to me as a way for us to think about harvest.

It may seem strange, on a day of giving thanks, to think of the word Sorry, but it is an important one. We can be sorry for all the times we do not appreciate the good gifts God has given us—gifts of food, a home, the work of those who prepare food, who harvest on land and sea. These gifts also include the one we heard about in the Gospel reading: the best bread we will ever have.

The passage from the Gospel of John (6:25-35) happened after the feeding of the 5,000. People had seen that Jesus could do incredible things, and so they came to see more. The point is, by doing this, they were making Jesus into a wonder-worker—someone who would perform whenever they wanted—which meant they were missing out on who Jesus truly was. In the reading, Jesus pointed this out to the people, and it almost seems harsh—sort of a “you’re only here to watch me perform, not to hear me speak.”

Jesus pointed out that while He had performed this amazing miracle, the people were missing out if they didn’t see past the food. Jesus Himself was all that they needed. Yes, food is good, but our greatest need is Jesus. By announcing that He is the bread of life, Jesus was pointing out the way we need to be—people who know they need God, people who know that nothing can compare with the amazing love of God. The life we all need.

We must be sorry for all the times we forget the greatest gifts of God—even the gift of God Himself, sacrificed for us.

We now move on to Thank you. This one is the most obvious harvest feeling. We thank God for the harvest and for His continual provision for us. We are thankful for all those who help bring in the harvest, and we are, like the people in Deuteronomy, to make this thankfulness a major part of our lives. God has provided—we must say thank you.

Then we come to Others. This reminds us, at harvest, of the need to pray for all those in need—for all those for whom a harvest would be a great joy. There was an African woman who met someone from Britain she commented that we must always be rejoicing. After all, we have both a hot and a cold water tap ! Something so simple to us, but so needed by others. We need to pray for others, to try and help them, to seek to show our thanksgiving to God by sharing and giving to those in need.

Then we come to Please. This is where we can ask God to help us continually praise and give thanks. To ask God to use us to help others enjoy the good gifts He provides. We can ask for God’s help to reach out to others with His love. In the reading from the Gospel of John, Jesus pointed people to Himself as one to follow and as the bread of life. We are to reach out and point people to Him.

So—harvest. Let us be sorry, be thankful, pray for others, and seek God’s help to please reach out to all those around us.

Amen.