The Old Testament today was areal shot across the bows for me with the ; 'Whenever you hear a word from me - warn those who need to be warned' bit.
Actually this is just half of the problem for me because apart from the waning to me that failure to do so brought it all crashing down on me I'm challenged because it seems we have no option but to confront (lovingly) those to who God speaks regarding their attitude, lifestyle and relationships (by which I mean the way we live and relate). It is with this in mind I turn to the psalms in the hope of some respite and find the cry 'teach me and I'll live within that until I die' Goodness me - there's no wriggle room here at all, is there?
Surely Romans will be a bit of help - perhaps paul will give me a bit of Grace or call me Gods beloved or something? Nah, he's just telling us that we need to keep Gods commandments and live rightly and remember that time is short (back to the 'end of your life' bit from the Psalm.
So what does the Gospel add to the picture but more of the same! If we find someone sinning against us - which means not living as a believer and doing the stuff God tells us to do, or worse still perhaps, doing the stuffGod tells us not to do - we are to go to them and sort it! if they listen then the family continues to function well; and if they don't then we are to take along some others - to add weight to the situation and to act as witnesses (yep - the Bible here is being practical as ever) and if it get fixed then - hallelujah. But the explosion comes when it tells us that those who won't listen, won't change, won't mend it and live rightly - eventually get banned.. A shot across the bows for all of us and a remedy to those who using the 'thought you were supposed to be nice you Christians' seek to make us duplistic and limp!
simple message today then - live right, help others to live right - mend broken relationships, put the wrong right and sack them who become a curse.
Time to look in the mirror and make sure I'm not one of them I reckon (how about you?)
The Collect
God of constant mercy, who sent your Son to save us:
remind us of your goodness, increase your grace within us,
that our thankfulness may grow, through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen.
Ezekiel 33.7-11
So you, mortal, I have made a sentinel for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked ones, you shall surely die’, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but their blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from their ways, and they do not turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but you will have saved your life.
Now you, mortal, say to the house of Israel, Thus you have said: ‘Our transgressions and our sins weigh upon us, and we waste away because of them; how then can we live?’ Say to them, As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from their ways and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel?
Psalm 119.33-40
Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes and I shall keep it to the end.
Give me understanding and I shall keep your law; I shall keep it with my whole heart. Lead me in the path of your commandments, or therein is my delight. Incline my heart to your testimonies and not to unjust gain.
Turn away my eyes lest they gaze on vanities; O give me life in your ways.
Confirm to your servant your promise, which stands for all who fear you.
Turn away the reproach which I dread, because your judgements are good.
Behold, I long for your commandments; in your righteousness give me life.
Romans 13.8-14
Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet’; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.
Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light; let us live honourably as in the day, not in revelling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Matthew 18.15-20
‘If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax-collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.’
Post Communion
God of all mercy,
in this eucharist you have set aside our sins and given us your healing:
grant that we who are made whole in Christ may bring that healing to this broken world, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Sorry for the lack of music and images but I'm writing this fromFrench soil in rather testing conditions - pax
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