It’s been great over the last four months to have had Faith Taylor sharing with us.  Faith spent 2015 on CWM’s Training in Mission Programme, sharing with other people from many different parts of the world in a training program for mission. 

It took her to Taiwan, to New Zealand and on a life-changing visit to the Pacific Island nation of Kiribati.  Faith has been able to share with us her first-hand experience of the reality of rising sea levels and the consequences of climate change in our Environment Day.  

She has also helped us launch Messy Church and done some great work with our young people.  She moves to on with our love and prayers to the Congregational church in Crediton where James Gregory is Pastor.  

With her passion for work with young people Faith asks us a big question:  when it comes to our young people do we want to convert and retain or train and release?  She invites us to give them a voice, to make sure there’s a place for our children to move into as they become young people and to give them all the support we can.  Faith is very much in our prayers as we wish her every blessing for the future ahead.

Our service begins with some reflections on ministry and the ministry Faith shared with us.

Today is Easter Sunday for the Orthodox churches.  It ties in with Jewish passover which is just coming to an end.

It's a reminder that the variable date for Easter is related to a lunar calendar and links us to Judaism that precedes Christianity and Islam that comes after Christianity.  God forbid we should break those connections and opt for a fixed date for Easter!

The month later Easter has to do with Leap Year.

Here are some notes I got from the web ... 

he Jewish leap year, referred to in Hebrew as Shanah Me'uberet, has 13 months and occurs seven times in a 19-year cycle.

The Jewish calendar has 13 months in a leap year. There are 29 or 30 days in each month in a Jewish leap year, which has 383, 384, or 385 days.

Adar – The Lucky Month

An extra month, Adar I, is added after the month of Shevat and before the month of Adar in a leap year. The month is also known as Adar Rishon or Adar Alef. According to Jewish tradition, Adar is a lucky and happy month.

A Pregnant Year

A leap year is referred to in Hebrew as Shanah Me'uberet, or a pregnant year. A Jewish leap year occurs 7 times in a 19-year cycle. The 3rd, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th, and 19th years are leap years in this cycle.

This is a Jewish leap year – and in this leap year this last week has been the festival of Passover … and by another quirk of calendar changes – from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar today is Easter Sunday.

So, it’s great to re-visit Easter – after all every Sunday is an Easter Sunday –

Christ is risen … he is risen indeed.

It is the risen Christ who shapes all we do as followers of Jesus

And so we have a call to live as Easter people, risen with Christ to a new life in him … we share a statement of that faith together in words drawn from the Voice Bible, the version we used for our Easter services.  It is so easy to think of Jesus Christ as if Jesus is the first name and Christ the second name.  But actually the word Christ is a translation of the Hebrew word Messiah which in turn means The Anointed one.  That’s how the Voice Bible translates the word Christ.

Philippians 2:1-11

If you find any comfort from being in the Anointed,

if His love brings you some encouragement,

if you experience true companionship with the Spirit, 

if His tenderness and mercy fill your heart; 

then, brothers and sisters, 

here is one thing that would complete my joy—

come together as one in mind and spirit and purpose, 

sharing in the same love. 

Don’t let selfishness and prideful agendas take over. 

Embrace true humility, and lift your heads to extend love to others.

Get beyond yourselves and protecting your own interests;

be sincere, and secure your neighbours’ interests first.

In other words, adopt the mind-set of Jesus the Anointed. 

Live with His attitude in your hearts. Remember:

Though He was in the form of God,

    He chose not to cling to equality with God;

But He poured Himself out to fill a vessel brand new;

    a servant in form

    and a man indeed.

The very likeness of humanity,

He humbled Himself,

    obedient to death—

    a merciless death on the cross!

So God raised Him up to the highest place

    and gave Him the name above all.

So when His name is called,

    every knee will bow,[a]

    in heaven, on earth, and below.

And every tongue will confess

    “Jesus, the Anointed One, is Lord,”

    to the glory of God our Father!

What does Easter mean – this is what Faith helped Cooler to put together for Easter – 

Cooler Video for Easter

Faith’s finishing with us today … ahh!  But not finishing altogether!  Her gorwing discipleship programme is taking her forward to share with other churches in the Federation through the year … so we hope you keep going!!

Wherever Paul went in the Roman world he was never far from a theatre where they put on plays, an amphitheatre where they had pretty gruesome gladiatorial battles or a stadium where the sports were held.

How wonderful to take Faith to the World of Smile stadium yesterday to celebrate Cheltenham Town – the Robins as Champions.

And today?  You are from Manchester.  You are a Manchester City fan?  So as a Manchester City fan do you want Man United to win this afternoon or to lose?  Answer carefully … And if they lose who becomes champions?   It’s great to have Felicity’s sister Angela with us today – from the place where we all grew up – Leicester.

While Hy-Tec were on our weekend away – Faith was filking interviews with people – so people can catch a glimpse of our course and what it’s about.

I wanted to catch on film a conversation I had had with Keith, who has worked with us at our Congregational Centre for well over twenty years and more looking after the place.  Always good for a conversation … from Nottingham, Leicester’s arch rivals.

Here’s his analysis

Video of Richard and Keith

Richard in conversation with Keith, who looks after Cleaves Hall and the conference centre we have in Nottingham.  Keith reflects on the way Leicester City's success is down to their teamwork.  And as a team they bring people together of different nationalities and different faiths modelling the teamwork there should be in society as a whole as people of different nationalities and different faiths work together.

Be together as a team – working as one … and then Paul says, 

Can they keep going and cross the finishing line?   

Keep on going to the end – that’s what Paul goes on to say …

 

Philippians 3:12-14

I’m not there yet, nor have I become perfect; 

but I am charging on 

to gain anything and everything the Anointed One, Jesus, 

has in store for me—

and nothing will stand in my way 

because He has grabbed me and won’t let me go. 

Brothers and sisters, as I said, I know I have not arrived; 

but there’s one thing I am doing: 

I’m leaving my old life behind, 

putting everything on the line for this mission. 

I am sprinting toward the only goal that counts: 

to cross the line, to win the prize, 

and to hear God’s call to resurrection life found exclusively

in Jesus the Anointed.

That’s the call – that’s the special thing … and that’s the call to us all.  It’s a bit daunting.  No pressure!

But actually we can do it not in our own strength but in the strength Christ gives us …

 

Philippians 4:8-13

Finally, brothers and sisters, 

fill your minds with beauty and truth. 

Meditate on 

whatever is honourable, whatever is right, 

whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, 

whatever is good, whatever is virtuous and praiseworthy.

Keep to the script: 

whatever you learned and received and heard and saw in me—do it—

and the God of peace will walk with you.

I could hardly contain my joy in the Lord 

when I realized you have started to show your care for me once again. 

Since you have not had the opportunity 

to show how much you cared until now, 

I want you to know how it touched me.

I am not saying this because I am in need. 

I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances.

I know how to survive in tight situations, 

and I know how to enjoy having plenty.

In fact, I have learned how to face any circumstances:

fed or hungry, with or without.

I can be content in any and every situation 

through the Anointed One who is my power and strength.

I love the way the NRSV puts it …

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Presentations to Faith

Hand over to James and to Crediton – 

with some comments on Crediton and what’s in store there.

A Hy-Spirit song

Activities for over 3’s

The spirit of teamwork is very much the thought taken up in Ephesians 4

Reading: Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16

As a prisoner of the Lord, I urge you: 

Live a life that is worthy of the calling 

He has graciously extended to you.

Be humble. Be gentle. Be patient. 

Tolerate one another in an atmosphere thick with love.

Make every effort to preserve the unity the Spirit has already created, 

with peace binding you together.

There is one body and one Spirit, 

just as you were all called to pursue one hope.

There is one Lord Jesus, one living faith, 

one ceremonial washing through baptism,

and one God—the Father over all 

who is above all, through all, and in all.

This God has given to each of us grace in full measure 

according to the Anointed’s gift

It was the risen One who handed down to us such gifted leaders—

some emissaries, some prophets, some evangelists, 

as well as some pastor-teachers— 

so that God’s people would be thoroughly equipped 

to minister and build up the body of the Anointed One.

These ministries will continue until we are unified in faith

and filled with the knowledge of the Son of God, 

until we stand mature in His teachings 

and fully formed in the likeness of the Anointed, our Liberating King. 

Then we will no longer be like children, 

tossed around here and there upon ocean waves, 

picked up by every gust of religious teaching 

spoken by liars or swindlers or deceivers.

Instead, by truth spoken in love, 

we are to grow in every way into Him—the Anointed One, the head. 

He joins and holds together the whole body 

with its ligaments providing the support needed 

so each part works to its proper design 

to form a healthy, growing, and mature body 

that builds itself up in love.

Worship Song - King of kings

It’s been great to share with Faith –  Faith is going to share with us some of her thoughts as she comes to the end of her trime with usof her thoughts about young people in church 

Youth Ministry An Art Not a Science

An Art or a Science – reflections on Youth Ministry

Faith Taylor – Highbury Sunday, 1st May 2016

Introduction

‘Youth ministry is an art, not a science’.

I heard that phrase when I was in New Zealand last year and it stuck with me.

When you look at doing youth ministry there isn’t a straightforward, scientific formula to use in every situation. Things are constantly changing and this is where the difficulty lies. But there is also a sense of adventure, which I just love.

During the past few years a passion for youth has sneaked up on me. I have always been scared of youth work in the past but all of a sudden it has become something so important to me.

1)         Making Space for voices to be heard

At the moment, the most important thing I have discovered when doing youth work, is making space for voices to be heard.

This actually works across the board regardless of people’s age.  Everyone likes to have his or her opinions or beliefs heard and generally a chance to speak, but I find a lot of the time this privilege is taken away from youth.

I was at a conference in New Zealand last year. At the end of the conference they had a quick church meeting. The idea was that they had a few things to talk about

then some things to vote on.  They asked the youth, if they wanted to, to go out into a separate room, to have their own conversation about the topic the adults were discussing.

This was their chance to ask questions and understand the topic they were focusing on. They would then have the chance to come back into the main room and share what they believe and what their views were.

It started off as planned.

The youth went out, they talked, the adults talked,  the youth came back ready to share what they had discussed.

However, when they were asked to join back, there was a huge discussion,

which turned into a vote on if they wanted the youth to share or not.

This situation shattered the youth that were in the room.

Their chance to have their voices and opinions heard was taken away.  They felt that they didn’t have a place in that meeting, even in the church.

To be honest, it’s really not surprising that when children get to this age they don’t feel they belong.

When they are young, their place is to go out to their children’s activities. But when they grow up, they are too old to stay in that group, but equally too young for being in the ‘adult’ room. They don’t have a place they can call their own.

Having said this,  I have already learnt a lot from being at this church, because you have the separate groups set up for all the different age groups.  I’ve really enjoyed working with the Cooler Group on Sunday mornings – it’s been great to see what you are doing with them but I wonder whether there’s more that you can do.

That situation in New Zealand has helped me to see the importance of voices.

Please give your youth a voice, a chance to share and please do not take it away from them.

2)   Providing a Place in advance

for young people to move on to

When I was in New Zealand, we were taught so much about youth work at one of the church placements.   I believe this is where I realised that my passion was with youth - I hadn’t it accepted until this point. This church did so much that excited me that I couldn’t wait to get back and do things with youth in England.

One thing that really stuck out for me was a conversation I had with the pastor of the church. He said he had been at the church for a couple of years, and in that time he had focused on the youth work mainly, rather than the children’s work. His reason for this was to ensure that there would be a stable and ready youth work established for the children to move up into.

This seemed backwards to me,

I have always seen a focus in churches on the young children, and this isn’t a criticism at all, but it suddenly hit me that it makes a lot more sense to have that youth work ready for the young ones to move up to. Children generally come to church because their parents or grandparents have brought them. But when they are older they usually come to church out of choice, because they want to.

We can all understand that feeling.  We all share that feeling. 

Would you choose to go somewhere if you felt unwelcome or out of place?

I believe this is a common feeling with youth. 

The danger is that they are not made to feel welcome.

Summing up of points 1 and 2

The youth at the church in New Zealand had a space where their voices could be heard.  They also had a place they prepared for them in advance that they could move on to.

That meant they had a reason to be in church. 

Every other Sunday they could either share a song – they were a sort of choir-

or they could share a dance. They basically could do whatever they felt they wanted to share with the congregation.

This wasn’t an over-night thing that happened:it started with them sharing at special events such as mothers day, Easter, etc. and when they had built their confidence up they started doing things a bit more regularly.

3)  The importance of Support

The next thing the youth need is support. 

The most important thing the youth in that New Zealand church had was support. 

Ultimately they were in charge of themselves.

I’ve seen this quite a lot in different churches, and even the Congregational Federation do it with their CFXtra. Their catch-phrase is  ‘By young people, for young people.’

I believe in this so much.

It is a great way to give the youth the feeling that they have something to do, they have a place and a purpose.

However to be able to do this, they need a lot of support, and I know Highbury will have no problem in this area. I know this because I have felt so much support

from the church in the short time I have been here, and I have felt so welcomed into this family.

So I have no doubts at all that Highbury is able to ‘be all things, to all people’.

4)  Convert and retain OR train and release

This brings me to my last point.

Do we want to convert & retain or train & release?

By giving them

a space for their voices to be heard, and

a place in advance for them to move on to and

by giving them all the support

you can you are actually training them to go.

They can go with the confidence to share their faith or whatever they need to do.

I have come to believe that seeing your young people go away whether it is to university or to work is actually an exciting goal for the church to focus on.

We should be encouraging them to go …but go with the confidence that they can do all things through the strength that Christ has given them. (Philippians 4:13)

Ephesians 4:12 tells us ‘to prepare God’s people for works of service’.

·         Give them a space to for their voices to be heard.

·         Give them a place to move into

·         Give them all the support you can

·         And then as you release them have great expectations for them:  Expect fruit in their lives.

For me, Youth ministry is an art, it is not a science.

Hymn: In Christ alone

Prayers of Concern

588 And can it be

Words of Blessing

Holy Ground

In the first part of this morning's service I told the story in Exodus 2 and 3 of Moses's flight and welcome as an alien in an a foreign land.

Then we read of the way Moses sensed the presence of God in the burning bush that was not consumed with fire and the account of the way the name of God was disclosed to Moses from Exodus 3:13-15

But Moses said to God, 

‘If I come to the Israelites and say to them,

“The God of your ancestors has sent me to you”, 

and they ask me, 

“What is his name?” 

what shall I say to them?’ 

God said to Moses, 

‘I am who I am.’ 

He said further, 

‘Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 

“I am has sent me to you.” ’ 

God also said to Moses, 

‘Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 

“The Lord, the God of your ancestors, 

the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, 

has sent me to you”:

This is my name for ever,

and this my title for all generations.

We then noticed the way Jesus echoed this name for God in describing himself as the Good Shepherd, the Resurrection and the Life and in the other 'I AM' sayings of John's Gospel.

We then shared a meditative prayer which led into singing

Treasured Words of Jesus

Be still for the presence of the Lord, the Holy One is here

Bring to mind the Word of God

‘I AM WHO I AM.’ 

This is my name for ever,
and this my title for all generations

Hear again the treasured words of Jesus

‘Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I AM.’

Where two or three are gathered in my name,

I am there among them.’

Be still for the presence of the Lord, the Holy One is here

‘I AM the bread of life.

‘I AM WHO I AM.’ 

This is my name for ever,
and this my title for all generations

Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Be still for the presence of the Lord, the Holy One is here

 ‘I AM the light of the world.

‘I AM WHO I AM.’ 

This is my name for ever,
and this my title for all generations.

Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.’

Be still for the presence of the Lord, the Holy One is here

I AM the gate.

‘I AM WHO I AM.’ 

This is my name for ever,
and this my title for all generations

Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.

Be still for the presence of the Lord, the Holy One is here

I AM the resurrection and the life. 

‘I AM WHO I AM.’ 

This is my name for ever,
and this my title for all generations

Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 

and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. 

Be still for the presence of the Lord, the Holy One is here

 Be still for the presence of the Lord

 The Holy One is here

 Come bow before Him now

 With reverence and fear

 In Him no sin is found

 We stand on holy ground

 Be still for the presence of the Lord

 The Holy One is here

 Be still for the glory of the Lord

 Is shining all around

 He burns with holy fire

 With splendor He is crowned

 How awesome is the sight

 Our radiant King of light

 Be still for the glory of the Lord

 Is shining all around

 Be still for the power of the Lord

 Is moving in this place

 He comes to cleanse and heal

 To minister His grace

 No work too hard for Him

 In faith receive from Him

 Be still for the power of the Lord

 Is moving in this place

 We shared in further reflections inspired by the wonderful art installation, Holy Ground, by Paul Hobbs that has been in St Matthew's church through the week as part of the Christian Arts Festival.

The Grace of God Within

I found myself thinking of her again as we were preparing to watch our film show for the Christian Arts Festival.  She was a diminutive woman, but a firebrand nonetheless.  She was the first President of our Congregational Federation and an inspirational character.  In a sense she was the matriarch of a remarkable family of parliamentarians.  There’s been a member of her family in the House of Commons for well over a hundred years.  Her father, her husband, her son  (Tony Benn) and now her grandson (Hilary Benn) have all been MPs   Her name, Margaret Stansgate.  She was lovely to get to know and I found myself one day in London visiting her in a nursing home just as she had turned 90 and the 90’s were just beginning.  They were heady days.  It had seemed an impossibility for the first thirty five years of my life.  And then it had happened.  The iron curtain was torn down, the Berlin wall demolished, the two halves of Germany reunited and the Cold War over.  The impossible had happened.

With her husband who was Minister for Air Lady Stansgate had visited Stalin’s Moscow.    She insisted, as she had done on a previous visit to Soviet Moscow on going to church on the Sunday of their stay.  More than that she took the opportunity to preach in church on the Sunday.  Pretty remarkable for a woman to be preaching in Stalin’s Moscow at a time when the church was severely persecuted and the iron curtain was about to be raised for a generation.

As she recalled in that memorable conversation with me she chose to preach on a remarkable set of verses in Ephesians 2.13-14

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us.

In many ways Ephesians is a distillation of Paul’s thinking that has no time for barriers and shares a vision for a world without frontiers.

He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, so that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, 16and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. 17So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near;

It's a theme that runs through Paul’s thinking and goes to the heart of what he was about.  And it is a theme that challenges us.

As we welcome Brian and Margaret into church membership it’s good to reflect on what church is about.  We have a vision for Highbury that it should be a place to share Christian friendship, explore Christian faith, enter into Christian mission with Christ at the centre and open to all.  It’s quite some vision and one we won’t fully achieve this side of glory.  But it is a vision to strive for nonetheless.

It’s so easy to be drawn into defining who is ‘in’ and who is ‘out’ who is ‘acceptable’ and who is ‘not’.  Maybe that’s how we’re made – we’re tribal we set our boundaries.  Woe betide those who cross them.  You’re either Spurs or Arsenal … unless you are Leicester City and even when we go off to the Robins on our church outing in a couple of weeks time the away fans will be kept carefully apart from the home fans.

And in church?

Right early on they were very wary of Paul in Jersualem – it hadn’t been long since he was the persecutor.  He was the one hounding the followers of Jesus.  And now he had returned.  Years had passe but he was still the same man … or was he.

It’s fascinating to see what those folk did in the Jerusalem church.  They got to know Paul.  They got to talk with him, to chat.  And as they got to know him the barriers began to come down.  It was Peter, James and John, the ones who had the reputation of being the ‘pillars of the church’ who took time out to get to know Paul.  And a wonderful thing happened.

They saw, in his own words as he recalled in his letter at Galatians 2 ‘the grace of God that had been given to me”

What a wonderful thought.

I glimpsed the grace of God at work in that lovely lady in that nursing home.  To be entirely truthful I have seen the grace of God that’s been given to people in many a nursing home visit.  What would it take for people to see in us the grace that God has given us?  Would it be the kind of person who has a love, a joy, a peace about them that somehow shines out of their words and their deeds?  Would it be the kind of person who had a patience, a kindness a generosity that touched people who got to know them.  Was it indeed a faithfulness, a gentleness a self-control that struck Peter James and John as they recognized the grace God had given Paul?

These are the marks of the gracious senior deacon in the church I grew up in in Leicester who had grown up in what really had been a workhouse in Romford in Essex, had moved to what really was the workhouse in Leicester and then worked his way through to become the chief chef decorating cakes for the Lord Mayor’s annual banquet.  The gentlest, the kindest, the most loving of people.

Mind you even such a person can fall out with others.  And can take his stand.  And what Paul took his stand on as he wrote his letter to the Galatians was that tendency people had within the church family to build up the barriers, to set out the frontiers, to be jealous that there’s was the right and proper way to do things, the right and proper and only way to do things to be truly the people of God.

And the issue was who you eat with and who you don’t eat with and what you eat and what you don’t eat.  Because that’s where a lot of people wanted to draw the lines, that’s where a lot of people wanted to build the barriers.

Reading Galatians 2:11-21

But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood self-condemned; 12for until certain people came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But after they came, he drew back and kept himself separate for fear of the circumcision faction. 13And the other Jews joined him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14But when I saw that they were not acting consistently with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, ‘If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?’

15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16yet we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law. 17But if, in our effort to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have been found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18But if I build up again the very things that I once tore down, then I demonstrate that I am a transgressor. 19For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; 20and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.

That’s what it takes to be someone of grace.  Tear down the barriers.  Don’t get trapped into defining the boundaries.

There’s something else that counts now.  And that something else cannot be reduced to details that separate … I have been crucified with Christ; 20and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

That’s the mark of a place with no barriers.

It is Christ who lives in me.

What a wonderful thought.  A church without walls is a church with Christ at the centre.

We have seen the passing of those who have been for many, many years the pillars of our church.  Last Sunday evening Gwen Clarke’s niece brought her to church before taking her down to the south coast to move into a nursing home.  Just for three weeks … but the three weeks may well extend further.  A couple of weeks ago we gave thanks for Dick Adams and remembered a year before the passing of  Diana Adams.

Is there something about the church they have passed on to us that we can pass on to those who come after us?  One of the most moving places I visited was that church of reconciliation, ultra modern, environmentally friendly built on the site of its gothic predecessor that had been closed as the wall sealed off its front doors and had been demolished in 1988 by East Germany’s President Honecker.  But church is more than a building.  The people had kept on worshipping albeit separated from the church building they loved by the wall.  And when the church was demolished they danced in defiance on the wall.  And then the wall came down .. and a new church went up in its place.

It influence my early ministry and shaped Highbury’s thinking and is a book I would take my stand on.  Its author, Eric Burton whose last two visits here have been to funerals of people who thought the world of him, Dick and Di.  He was here in the late 60’s and the early 70’s when the cold war was at its height, and so he chose a very particular picture for the cover of his book.  It was a picture of the doors to that church cut off by the wall.  And the words of David Shepherd he quoted at the end are words to take to heart today.  They were words it was wonderful to share with one of the ministry team at that church as we stood on the site of the wall and I presened a little bit of Highbury to the church of Reconciliation on the site of the Berlin wall.

Is ours his church without walls?

If people are to see the grace God has given us it must be.

If people are to recognize in us the fruit of the Spirit it must be.

If people are going to see in us that it is Chrsit who lives in us it must be.

Let’s have in Eric’s words no walls within.  And let’s extend the vision and have no walls keeping people out.

I stood on the steps and saw what this church would be toi all the people.  There passed me into its warm interior all sorts of people … with all their difficulties, trials and sorrows

That takes some doing – wouldn’t it be so much better to have people with no difficulties, no trials, no sorrows.  Those non-existent people of the dreamer’s imagination.  But if we are to be a church with Christ at the centre and open to all we need to equip ourselves to be patient and kind and generous and gentle with one another and with those facing such difficulties.   One of those things that’s important for us and right at the heart of what we believe we are called to do is to be first and foremost a church where pastoral care is something real.  Twice a year we invite people to an evening – we used to think of it as for visitors.  But not now. IT’s an opportunity for all of us to reflect together on how better we can build up our pastoral care.  Do join us – not this Thursday but the last Thursday of the month, the 28^th – when we are going to think how better we can respond to the loneliness that some say is reaching epidemic proportions in our society.

Is ours his church without walls?

There passed me into its warm inerior all sorts of people … with all their difficulties, trrials and sorrows. And they said only one thing.  This is our home.  This is where we are going to learn the love of Jesus Christ.  And this is where we are going to put it into practice.

God provides ... a different kind of King. Reflections on the Feeding of the 5000

Text of the Week: John 6:51   I am the living bread that has come down from heaven to rescue those who eat it. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever. The bread that I will give breathes life into the cosmos. This bread is My flesh.  [The Voice]

It’s the season of Easter.  There’s joy in the air.  And it’s not just because Spring is well and truly on the way.  It’s because there’s a new life, a resurrection life, to delight in.  In our Bible reading at the moment we are feasting with God and this week we are going to be challenged by some of Jesus’ table talk.  And it’s quite some table talk.  There’s feasting to look forward to and feasting to share.  And with the feasting goes thanksgiving.  Do you say grace before meals?  Make a point this week of saying grace.  And then try something different.  Try something new.   As we read our Bible notes this week we will be in conversation with Malcolm Carroll, a Baptist Minister, who works for Greenpeace organizing volunteer activities.  He asks a thought provoking question: “How can we make our food taste of love, truth, justice, peace?”  And issues a thought-provoking challenge: “The kingdom is better served if we say our grace before we shop.”  What do you think that might mean?  Give it a try!

Welcome

A time of Praise

Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer

Saying thank you

All good things come to an end!  It’s back to school tomorrow!

That’s how the people of Israel felt when they were wandering in the wilderness – they had forty years of wandering – they had escaped from slavery in Egypt for what?   They complained for all they were worth.

Why didn’t God let us die in comfort in Egypt where we had lamb stew and all the bread we could eat? You’ve brought us out into this wilderness to starve us to death, the whole company of Israel!

Then it was that the Lord said I am going to rain bread from heaven for you … and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day.

Story of Exodus 16 – some wanted more for themselves – some couldn’t gather in enough – but miraculously everyone had just enough, not too much, not too little.

Exodus 16 from the Voice Bible

As soon as they got to the desert of Sin, the entire community of Israelites complained to Moses and Aaron.

Israelites: ³ It would have been better if we had died by the hand of the Eternal in Egypt. At least we had plenty to eat and drink, for our pots were stuffed with meat and we had as much bread as we wanted. But now you have brought the entire community out to the desert to starve us to death.

Eternal One (to Moses): ⁴ Look! I will cause bread to rain down from heaven for you,^[a] and the people will go out and gather a helping of it each day. I will test them to see if they are willing to live by My instructions. ⁵ On the sixth day, they will gather the usual amount; but when they go to prepare it, it will end up being twice what they usually gather.

Moses and Aaron (to the Israelites): ⁶ When evening falls, you will know that the Eternal has led you out of the land of Egypt. ⁷ In the morning your eyes will see His glory because He takes your complaints against us as complaintsagainst Him. Who are we, that you direct your complaints to us?

Moses (continuing): ⁸ This will take place when the Eternal One provides you with meat in the evening and plenty of bread in the morning because He hears all your grumbling and complaining against Him. Why do you complain to us? Your complaints are not against us, but against Him.

⁹ (to Aaron) Tell the entire community of Israelites, “Draw near to the Eternal. He has heard your complaints.”

¹⁰ While Aaron was speaking to the entire community of the Israelites, they all looked out toward the desert, and theradiant glory of the Eternal could be seen in the cloud. ¹¹ The Eternal spoke to Moses.

Eternal One (to Moses): ¹² Rest assured, I have heard theconstant complaining of the Israelites. Tell them, “In the evening, you will have meat to eat; and in the morning, you will have enough bread to satisfy your gnawinghunger. Then you will know that I am the Eternal your God.”

¹³ That evening, quail flew in and covered the camp; and when morning arrived, what seemed to be ordinary dew was all around the camp.

¹⁴ But when the dew evaporated, it left behind a thin,mysterious, flaky substance that looked like frost on top of the dry desert ground. ¹⁵ The people of Israel went out to examine it. They had never seen anything quite like it.

Israelites (to one another): What is it?

The people didn’t have a clue what this strange substancewas.

Moses: It is the bread which the Eternal has given you to eat. ¹⁶ Here are His instructions: “Gather only as much of it as you should eat by yourself. Pick up two quarts^[b] of bread for each person who lives in your tent.”

¹⁷ The Israelites did as they were told. Some people gathered a lot, others gathered less. ¹⁸ When they used a two-quart jar to measure it, the one who had gathered a lot didn’t have more than he needed; and the one who gathered less had just what he needed.^[c] Miraculously, each person and each family—regardless of how much they gathered—had exactly what they needed.

Moses (continuing God’s instructions): ¹⁹ Don’t try to keep any of it until the morning. Either eat it all, or throw it away.

²⁰ But some people ignored Moses and tried to keep some of it until the next morning. Overnight it became wormy and started to have a dreadful smell. Moses became furious with them because they had disobeyed God’s instructions.

²¹ Every morning the people went out and gathered it—each family took only what it needed. By the time the sun became hot, it had melted away. ²² On the sixth day the people went out and gathered, but they came back with twice as much as usual—four quarts per person. All the leaders of the community thought they needed to tell Moses what had happened.

Moses (to the leaders): ²³ Listen to what the Eternal commanded: Tomorrow, the seventh day, is to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath dedicated to Him. Bake or boil whatever you need for today’s meals. Whatever is left over, keep it to eat tomorrow. It won’t spoil.

God wants His people to keep the Sabbath as a special day and to depend on Him—not their own efforts—to supply all they need.

²⁴ So the people stored some of it until the next morning, just as Moses had instructed. None of it spoiled, nor did it have any worms.

Moses: ²⁵ Eat what is left over today, because today is a Sabbath to the Eternal, a day of rest. You will not find any of it in the field today. ²⁶ You are to gather it for six days, but on the seventh day (the Sabbath), none of it will be on the ground.

²⁷ When the seventh day arrived, some of the people ignored Moses and went out to gather it anyway; but there was noneto gather.

Eternal One (to Moses): ²⁸ How much longer are you going to disobey My commands and instructions? ²⁹ Look! I have given you the Sabbath as a day of rest. That is why I give you an extra portion of food on the sixth day. Everyone should stay where they are and not go out to work on the seventh day.

³⁰ So the people did as God directed and rested on the seventh day.

³¹ The community of Israel decided to name this mysterious substance “manna” (which means, “What is it?”). It was white like a coriander seed, and it tasted sweet like honey wafers.

Moses: ³² This is the instruction of the Eternal: “Preserve two quarts of the manna so that future generations can see the bread I provided for you in the desert when I led you out of the land of Egypt.”

³³ (to Aaron) Go, find a jar and fill it with two quarts of manna. Put it in a special place before the Eternal to preserve it for future generations to see.

“The Eternal Provides.” That could well be the theme for the entire exodus adventure. When there is no water, He provides. When there is no bread, He provides. When there is no meat, He provides. These provisions are clearly God’s gift to His people. They do not depend upon the cleverness, skill, or hard work of the Israelites. It must be difficult for these former slaves—whose lives have been all about work—to stop, to rest, and to truly believe their lives and futures depend upon God and not upon themselves.

And God provided.   Bread from heaven.

All good things came to an end – the travelling went on, the moment passed.  But always the people remembered … and they remembered at a feast called the Passover – that was the time of Easter.

It was at that time that a large crowd kept following him because they saw the signs he was doing for the sick.   Jesus sat down with his twelve, Jesus said to Philip where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?

 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, ‘Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.’ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, ‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?’ Jesus said, ‘Make the people sit down.’ Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, ‘Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.’ So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets.

Wonderful that God provided just enough – not too much, not too little.

Just enough.

The prayer Jesus taught us to pray.

Give us this day our daily bread.

Not too much, not too little.

The wonderful thing is that that does not come to an end.

It goes on – Jesus is the bread of life we need to live life to the full from one day to the next.

Reading:  John 6:47-51

⁴⁷Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life.⁴⁸I am the bread of life. ⁴⁹Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. ⁵⁰This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. ⁵¹I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’

A Hy-Spirit Song

Prayer

Sunday Special Continues

There’s something special about the story of the feeding of the 5000.  It’s the only miracle story to be recorded in all four gospels.  All sorts of reasons, no doubt.

I wonder whether it goes to the heart of what Jesus was about.  It’s about changing lives.   That’s what Jesus is about.  It’s about life and living it to the full, it’s about life to eternity.  It’s about life, eternal life.

All of those things.

But it’s also about something that Jesus is not.

And by the time the Gospel writers came to write the story of Jesus it had taken on a new significance for them.

Something had happened.

Jesus came with a life changing message – but he rode into Jerusalem not on a war horse, but on a donkey, he came to speak peace to the nations.  And he went to the cross.  He was the suffering servant king, the messiah.  It was through love that transformation would come into the world, love people had for each other, love people had for their neighbours, their enemies too, love people had for God.  More than that it was the love of God that would transform people’s lives.

It’s as you get to the end of the story of the Feeding of the 5000 in John’s gospel that you see something that’s easy to miss.  And it all has to do with the numbers.

So,

As you get to the end of the story of the Feeding of the 5000 in John’s Gospel …

When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, ‘Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.’ So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets …

What happened next?  John 6

¹⁴When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, ‘This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.’

15 When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

The people wanted to come and take him by force and to make him king.  Force of arms would do it … and numbers too.

So, what is the significance of the 5000?

Something had happened between the life of Jesus and the writing down of John’s gospel.  As Mark was writing it was all hitting off.  By the time Luke and Matthew and John were writing it was history.

Jesus opened up a new way … but people thought they knew best.  What happened was they did take up arms against the Romans.  It began in Galilee and the rebellion spread down to Jerusalem.  And from AD 66 the armed militants among the Jewish people took control of Jerusalem.  And they got rid of the Romans.

The Romans turned to an experienced commander who had made his mark twenty or so years earlier when he had commanded the II Augusta Legion in Claudius’ Conquest of Britain.  His name was Vespasian.  And he led the legions down from the north to take first Galilee and then Jerusalem for the Romans.  As civil war broke out in Rome over the succession to Nero he saw his chance and leaving the command of the Roman legions and the final defeat of the Jewish revolt to his brother Titus, Vespasian become Emperor of Rome.  And the Romans destroyed Jerusalem … and the temple itself.

What’s the tie in with Jesus and the feeding of the 5000?

It’s in the numbers.

A Roman legion was made up of 5000 men.

It’s Matthew who says there were 5000 men.  They sat in companies.  Mark tells us they were in 50’s and 100’s in ranks and files.  This had the feel of an armed force – just the way the Legion was made up of 5000 fighting men and divided into smaller units.   A cohort and a century of 80 men under a centurion.

There were 5000 of them  They had effectively got a Legion and they were ready to make Jesus their king and take Rome by force.

And that’s what they planned to do …

¹⁴When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, ‘This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.’

15 When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

But Jesus had a very different idea … a very different course of action to follow.

His was a different way – but no less the way of the prophet.  The way to transform people’s lives – not by force of arms, but by love, the love of the God who is love.

What’s the programme Jesus follows?

It had all begun with John the Baptist.  He had preached a powerful message – what’s needed is a whole new way of thinking about the world.  That’s what the little word ‘repent’ means.  See things differently.  He fell foul of the authorities and he was imprisoned.  He wanted to be sure … was Jesus the one to make all the difference?

Matthew 11:2-19

When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.’

That’s it.  That’s the measure of the way Jesus maps out.  That’s the love that makes the world of difference – this is the alternative way of Jesus – not by force of arms, but by bringing healing into a hurting world, bringing good news to the poor.  This is what the kingdom of God is all about.  This is the new way of thinking.

Jesus reflected on this whole new way of thinking mapped out by John.  And he came to a conclusion, that what counts are the little things we do.

While John's disciples were leaving, Jesus spoke about him to the crowds:

“When you went out to John in the desert, what did you expect to see? A blade of grass bending in the wind?⁸ 

What did you go out to see?

A man dressed up in fancy clothes? People who dress like that live in palaces!⁹ 

It’s what they had been expecting when they were determined to make Jesus their King!

Tell me, what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes indeed, but you saw much more than a prophet.¹⁰ For John is the one of whom the scripture says: ‘God said, I will send my messenger ahead of you to open the way for you.’¹¹ I assure you that John the Baptist is greater than anyone who has ever lived. But the one who is least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than John.¹² From the time John preached his message until this very day the Kingdom of heaven has suffered violent attacks, and violent men try to seize it.¹³ Until the time of John all the prophets and the Law of Moses spoke about the Kingdom;¹⁴ and if you are willing to believe their message, John is Elijah, whose coming was predicted.¹⁵ Listen, then, if you have ears!¹⁶ 

Yes he was the one.,  But he wasn’t going to be the King they expected – he would be the suffering servant messiah who declared peace to the nations.

God's wisdom, however, is shown to be true by its results.”

It’s not just the thinking that counts – true wisdom is made real in actions.

So what are the actions for us to take?

Ideas to share

It’s taking time out to visit your grandfather who has alzheimer’s and bring a smile to his face.  That’s doing the little thing that makes the world of difference as you bring healing – not, most certainly not cure, but healing in that moment as things are well in that moment.

Our Bible readings this week are all about eating and feasting.  Maybe it’s in the eating we do this week that we can do something small that can make a difference.

Do you say grace before meals?  Make a point this week of saying grace.  And then try something different.  Try something new.   As we read our Bible notes this week we will be in conversation with Malcolm Carroll, a Baptist Minister, who works for Greenpeace organizing volunteer activities.  He asks a thought provoking question: “How can we make our food taste of love, truth, justice, peace?”  And issues a thought-provoking challenge: “The kingdom is better served if we say our grace before we shop.”  What do you think that might mean?  Give it a try!

Hymn:  The kingdom of God is justice and joy

Prayers of Concern

180 Rejoice the Lord is king

Words of Blessing