Life is fragile at times and today I am reminded of this in the funeral visits done and the death of a friend . . . and when we are gone, what is there that remains?
memories, loved one, our children, friends, monuments to our abilities, lives changed? We take nothing from the world but we leave so much behind as a testimony to our having been here. And beyond? The words, "Death where is your sting: Grave where is your victory?" loom large.
The sting of death is obvious and the victory is found in the Christ - but the immediate pain, confusion, hopelessness are the stumbling block along the road that leads us to the cross.
So many challenges today:
How do we as ministers make sense of the stuff people experience for the people experiencing it?
How do we proclaim the love of the Christ in real and tangible ways?
How are we to live as salt and light to the world?
News that one of ours has had her motorised wheelchair stolen - a cynical and callous act leaving an old woman housebound and a victim - adds to the challenges as some would love to leave those who took the thing wheelchair bound and the fallout is everywhere around us. But is this justice or revenge? What punishment fits the crime and, should they find those behind the theft, what punishment will they receive?
Justice and revenge, settling scores, acting the right way - more challenges for the community and for those who seek to guide and shape the public responses to be what they should be.
Lord - in your mercy - hear our prayers - and meet our needs.
Thank goodness for Micah 6
This place of reflection is here initially for me to dialogue internally and gain insight and perspective. It first appeared as an extension of this blog for some of those looking at creating their own journal as part of the their journey to discerning vocation. The Morning prayer is there also for that same purpose: to create the discipline of prayer. Dialogue, insights and experience of others concerning this entry is always welcome - all grist to the mill.
Showing posts with label micah 6. Show all posts
Showing posts with label micah 6. Show all posts
Monday, 6 February 2017
Thursday, 1 September 2016
The 'ALL' lives matter conundrum
I was recently privy to an interesting, yet depressing, display of passion as some people engaged in a discussion over the 'Black lives matter' campaign. One person, advocating civil disobedience and action to highlight the plight of black people, was incensed when another responded with the observation that, "All lives matter."
This comment, in the ears of the campaigner, apparently diminished the offence against blacks and supported the shooting of black men in the US and the discrimination against blacks, and the death of black people in custody, in the UK.
In a bid to bring some balance and reason to the debate the questions, "So are you saying black lives matter more?" was asked. This brought a silence which gave me the chance to make the observation that the 'Black Lives Matter' campaigners themselves say that there is a silent, yet implicit 'too' at the end of the statement - of course it would be helpful if the implicit was made explicit as this would stop some people from adding an emphasis that adds a match to the interracial conflicts that so trouble us.
Having managed to bring about a momentary hiatus in the debate, so one piped up with a comment about the number of whites killed by blacks and vice versa - a gift of a point because it gave me the opportunity to point out that the majority of murders are intraracial (in the US this is 93% of black murders and 84% of white murders) - so not a true statement at all.
What we need to understand is the fact that in the US there have been a number of black people killed by the police and that this campaign is a response to that - especially in the light of judicial, institutional; and even populat support from some (presumed white) communities - for it seems there are grounds to assume that in some places they do count blacks lives cheaply.
This movement is an attempt to address some of the attitudes regarding black people, and there are obviously many (in the US and the U.K.) for where I live I have heard the following speak of black people as being more prone to crime because it's part of their culture.
The reality is that some places and some people display prejudice and act wrongly towards certain people groups. Take a look at the press and you'll see stories reporting these against people with different skin colours, sexual orientations, religions and more beside. All of these people matter but in the setting in which crimes and inequity occur, it is right to highlight the underlying issue behind the abuse.
The Church is great at standing up for campaigns and making a stand on just about everything (other than it seems at times the Gospel) but we need to be a voice for understanding, compassion, justice and mercy. Micah 6.6-8 (one of my 'live by' passages) calls us to exhibit humility: A call to make sure that no one person, people group or class regard themselves, or are regarded as more than equal.
Micah calls for justice: So we treat all people rightly and equally.
He calls for mercy: which means that rather than seek revenge or to settle scores, we turn the other cheek and regard those before us as we would have others regard us.
"Black lives matter' is not a response against whites, neither is it an attack on the police, the institution that is the state, or any other group who have authority: It is a plea to make all lives matter universally and whatever group is being acted against wrongly in particular.
and we, the Church, should be championing that cause.
This comment, in the ears of the campaigner, apparently diminished the offence against blacks and supported the shooting of black men in the US and the discrimination against blacks, and the death of black people in custody, in the UK.
In a bid to bring some balance and reason to the debate the questions, "So are you saying black lives matter more?" was asked. This brought a silence which gave me the chance to make the observation that the 'Black Lives Matter' campaigners themselves say that there is a silent, yet implicit 'too' at the end of the statement - of course it would be helpful if the implicit was made explicit as this would stop some people from adding an emphasis that adds a match to the interracial conflicts that so trouble us.
Having managed to bring about a momentary hiatus in the debate, so one piped up with a comment about the number of whites killed by blacks and vice versa - a gift of a point because it gave me the opportunity to point out that the majority of murders are intraracial (in the US this is 93% of black murders and 84% of white murders) - so not a true statement at all.
What we need to understand is the fact that in the US there have been a number of black people killed by the police and that this campaign is a response to that - especially in the light of judicial, institutional; and even populat support from some (presumed white) communities - for it seems there are grounds to assume that in some places they do count blacks lives cheaply.
This movement is an attempt to address some of the attitudes regarding black people, and there are obviously many (in the US and the U.K.) for where I live I have heard the following speak of black people as being more prone to crime because it's part of their culture.
The reality is that some places and some people display prejudice and act wrongly towards certain people groups. Take a look at the press and you'll see stories reporting these against people with different skin colours, sexual orientations, religions and more beside. All of these people matter but in the setting in which crimes and inequity occur, it is right to highlight the underlying issue behind the abuse.
The Church is great at standing up for campaigns and making a stand on just about everything (other than it seems at times the Gospel) but we need to be a voice for understanding, compassion, justice and mercy. Micah 6.6-8 (one of my 'live by' passages) calls us to exhibit humility: A call to make sure that no one person, people group or class regard themselves, or are regarded as more than equal.
Micah calls for justice: So we treat all people rightly and equally.
He calls for mercy: which means that rather than seek revenge or to settle scores, we turn the other cheek and regard those before us as we would have others regard us.
"Black lives matter' is not a response against whites, neither is it an attack on the police, the institution that is the state, or any other group who have authority: It is a plea to make all lives matter universally and whatever group is being acted against wrongly in particular.
and we, the Church, should be championing that cause.
Thursday, 15 May 2014
International Conscientious Objector Day and the fog of . .
Well it should be war but instead it has to be misinformation and manipulation! I say this because so far this morning I have heard three people speak on the issue of conscientious objectors. All were spot on when they spoke of the integrity and courage of so many of those who were abused and berated for maintaining their position and the attitudes that existed in 1914-18 and into today's mindset.
One spoke of the courage that so many of them exhibited as they formed part of mobile hospitals and carried the wounded from the jaws of death (facing death themselves at every turn) - one of them, Lance Corporal William Harold Coltman, VC, DCM and Bar, MM and Bar, one of the highest awarded soldiers being a hero of mine, was sadly not mentioned (but deserved to be).
Another spoke of the inner sanctity of life and how this needed to be heard to stop us being involved in taking life around the world in the name of serving the oppressed.
The error, and perhaps intentional misrepresentation, came when all used the word 'kill' in the context of Exodus 20.13 and explained how this shaped conscientious objectors then and now and this is the focus of my concern for the word, as I understand it, is of not 'kill' but 'murder'.
Now in a world where we can move from 'sex' and 'gender' and assume them to be one and the same it is perhaps no surprise that many also view 'kill' and 'murder' in the same way - but of course there is a great, and most important, difference.
Murder is the unlawful taking of life - regardless of the circumstances or situation - it is something that the British Forces take extremely seriously (as do all who are signatories of the Geneva and other conventions). There are strict rules regarding conflict and the way that it is enacted. This is why we have extensive teaching on the Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC) and why all those on operational duties have in their possession a 'Rules of Engagement' (RoE) card - something that outlines when, why and how deadly force might be taken up - because soldiers don't (or should not) murder anyone!
Killing is the taking of life in circumstances that are not regarded as murder. If someone is sentenced to capital punishment, regardless of how one might view that issue, they have been killed. If someone loses their life through an act of self defence, then the other party walks away without the stigma, or penalties, that is associated with being a murderer. Taking a life to stop a criminal act, always regrettable as it is, is not murder either.
The Bible is quite explicit on the use of the word 'Murder' and this is how it is translated in the majority of the translations (the King James Version and it's many variants being the majority user of 'Kill'). Murder, in the Exodus context was (and for this I draw on the rabbinic teaching I received whilst studying Jewish Christian dialogue): The unlawful taking of life and the taking of life by mischievous or culpable negligence. The negligence part amazed me for it meant that should a workman cut corners to complete a job (say fitting a wheel to something or building a wall) and that causes a failure that takes life - they were guilty of murder.
So having made the point that life may be taken legally or illegally and, I hope made it clear that military engagement is not about committing murder but stopping it, let's move on to pay tribute to Coltman (and the many like him). If you can make it to the Staffordshire Regiment's museum at Whittington (between Lichfield and Tamworth) you can find his medal and WWI trenches named in his honour too.
Coltman saw action but came to the decision that his Christian values were in conflict with carrying a weapon and so, already tested by war, exchanged his rifle for a stretcher and served his nation and his God. A man of undoubted courage and Christian commitment - but don't take my word for it. Here's his entry in the London Gazette:
For most conspicuous bravery, initiative and devotion to duty. During the operations at Mannequin Hill, north-east of Sequehart, on the 3rd and 4th of Oct. 1918, L.-Corp. Coltman, a stretcher bearer, hearing that wounded had been left behind during a retirement, went forward alone in the face of fierce enfilade fire, found the casualties, dressed them and on three successive occasions, carried comrades on his back to safety, thus saving their lives. This very gallant NCO tended the wounded unceasingly for 48 hours.
So today, please take a moment to remember ALL who have for reasons of conscience made decisions that have changed the direction of their lives and the regard of those around them. I applaud people who think and challenge that which is before them because of their belief (and lack of belief too) and act with integrity.
Please pray for those who seek to be peacemakers in wars that deny the taking up of arms and for those who do bear arms and travel to foreign lands.
Please pray for those who through ignorance might decry and belittle those who for reasons of faith or philosophy that they would find within themselves charity and understanding - if not to accept then not to oppose in ways that deny God's love.
One of my desires is to help people with their choices and to remove misinformation and misunderstanding wheresoever I can - hence part of this entry today. Another is to recognise, honour and celebrate courage, integrity, justice and mercy - after all that's what God calls all people to exhibit isn't it?*
ps. The 1916 Conscription Act brought into be a 'conscience clause' which gave the right to claim exemption from military service and yet the instructions to the panels who heard the applications (and there were almost 17,000 of them) was to deny them and get as many in uniform as possible. All part of the same mindset that shot brave men who had been broken in mind and spirit. A sad part of our history indeed!
*Micah 6.6-8
One spoke of the courage that so many of them exhibited as they formed part of mobile hospitals and carried the wounded from the jaws of death (facing death themselves at every turn) - one of them, Lance Corporal William Harold Coltman, VC, DCM and Bar, MM and Bar, one of the highest awarded soldiers being a hero of mine, was sadly not mentioned (but deserved to be).
Another spoke of the inner sanctity of life and how this needed to be heard to stop us being involved in taking life around the world in the name of serving the oppressed.
The error, and perhaps intentional misrepresentation, came when all used the word 'kill' in the context of Exodus 20.13 and explained how this shaped conscientious objectors then and now and this is the focus of my concern for the word, as I understand it, is of not 'kill' but 'murder'.
Now in a world where we can move from 'sex' and 'gender' and assume them to be one and the same it is perhaps no surprise that many also view 'kill' and 'murder' in the same way - but of course there is a great, and most important, difference.
Murder is the unlawful taking of life - regardless of the circumstances or situation - it is something that the British Forces take extremely seriously (as do all who are signatories of the Geneva and other conventions). There are strict rules regarding conflict and the way that it is enacted. This is why we have extensive teaching on the Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC) and why all those on operational duties have in their possession a 'Rules of Engagement' (RoE) card - something that outlines when, why and how deadly force might be taken up - because soldiers don't (or should not) murder anyone!
Killing is the taking of life in circumstances that are not regarded as murder. If someone is sentenced to capital punishment, regardless of how one might view that issue, they have been killed. If someone loses their life through an act of self defence, then the other party walks away without the stigma, or penalties, that is associated with being a murderer. Taking a life to stop a criminal act, always regrettable as it is, is not murder either.
The Bible is quite explicit on the use of the word 'Murder' and this is how it is translated in the majority of the translations (the King James Version and it's many variants being the majority user of 'Kill'). Murder, in the Exodus context was (and for this I draw on the rabbinic teaching I received whilst studying Jewish Christian dialogue): The unlawful taking of life and the taking of life by mischievous or culpable negligence. The negligence part amazed me for it meant that should a workman cut corners to complete a job (say fitting a wheel to something or building a wall) and that causes a failure that takes life - they were guilty of murder.
So having made the point that life may be taken legally or illegally and, I hope made it clear that military engagement is not about committing murder but stopping it, let's move on to pay tribute to Coltman (and the many like him). If you can make it to the Staffordshire Regiment's museum at Whittington (between Lichfield and Tamworth) you can find his medal and WWI trenches named in his honour too.
Coltman saw action but came to the decision that his Christian values were in conflict with carrying a weapon and so, already tested by war, exchanged his rifle for a stretcher and served his nation and his God. A man of undoubted courage and Christian commitment - but don't take my word for it. Here's his entry in the London Gazette:
For most conspicuous bravery, initiative and devotion to duty. During the operations at Mannequin Hill, north-east of Sequehart, on the 3rd and 4th of Oct. 1918, L.-Corp. Coltman, a stretcher bearer, hearing that wounded had been left behind during a retirement, went forward alone in the face of fierce enfilade fire, found the casualties, dressed them and on three successive occasions, carried comrades on his back to safety, thus saving their lives. This very gallant NCO tended the wounded unceasingly for 48 hours.
 |
| William Harold Coltman VC, DCM & Bar, MM & Bar |
So today, please take a moment to remember ALL who have for reasons of conscience made decisions that have changed the direction of their lives and the regard of those around them. I applaud people who think and challenge that which is before them because of their belief (and lack of belief too) and act with integrity.
Please pray for those who seek to be peacemakers in wars that deny the taking up of arms and for those who do bear arms and travel to foreign lands.
Please pray for those who through ignorance might decry and belittle those who for reasons of faith or philosophy that they would find within themselves charity and understanding - if not to accept then not to oppose in ways that deny God's love.
________
ps. The 1916 Conscription Act brought into be a 'conscience clause' which gave the right to claim exemption from military service and yet the instructions to the panels who heard the applications (and there were almost 17,000 of them) was to deny them and get as many in uniform as possible. All part of the same mindset that shot brave men who had been broken in mind and spirit. A sad part of our history indeed!
*Micah 6.6-8
Wednesday, 2 April 2014
Saturday, 16 November 2013
Justice, mercy and humility - add up to Tolerance
Today is the United Nations’ (UN) International Day for Tolerance - a day set aside to make people aware of the need for tolerance towards others and the awful results when intolerance becomes the order of the day. So as you perhaps ponder the ways in which you could be perhaps be a little more tolerant why not think also about the price that has been paid for you to hold the beliefs, live the lives and act as you do today - and listen to a great piece of music too?
What does God demand of us?
To act justly, love mercy and live lives of humility.
To act justly, love mercy and live lives of humility.
Micah 6.8
Sunday, 10 November 2013
Honouring the dead - Not glorifying war
Today I will have occasion to stand in silence with men, women and children as we remember, and give thanks for, those who have given their lives in conflict - peace being the prize they sought and death being the price.
We will remember those who, as civilians, have had lives, homes and lifestyles marred and taken away - and pray that wars will cease and justice, mercy and humility become the prevailing conditions within across this globe.
We will pray for those who have served and for those who serve, remembering those who find themselves on operational tours, those preparing for tours and the families and friends they leave (or will leave) behind.
We will pray for those members of NGOs and other organisations who leave the comfort and security of home to work for a better world; for those who work for peace.
Today is not a day when war becomes glorious - for it never has or will be (as those who promote the myth would know had they had the courage to serve or the integrity to dialogue honestly) - but a day to remember those who have 'gone to glory' (for that is what 'glorious dead' means. Today is a day to commit ourselves to bringing about the peace others have given their lives to win.
Please take a moment today to visit your local cenotaph or war memorial and pay your respects - visit your local church and be one of the many voices that pray for peace, remember the dead and commit to living a just and equitable life.
We will remember those who, as civilians, have had lives, homes and lifestyles marred and taken away - and pray that wars will cease and justice, mercy and humility become the prevailing conditions within across this globe.
We will pray for those who have served and for those who serve, remembering those who find themselves on operational tours, those preparing for tours and the families and friends they leave (or will leave) behind.
We will pray for those members of NGOs and other organisations who leave the comfort and security of home to work for a better world; for those who work for peace.
Today is not a day when war becomes glorious - for it never has or will be (as those who promote the myth would know had they had the courage to serve or the integrity to dialogue honestly) - but a day to remember those who have 'gone to glory' (for that is what 'glorious dead' means. Today is a day to commit ourselves to bringing about the peace others have given their lives to win.
Please take a moment today to visit your local cenotaph or war memorial and pay your respects - visit your local church and be one of the many voices that pray for peace, remember the dead and commit to living a just and equitable life.
Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
The words of John 15 above talk of the reasons we honour the dead and the reason that so many of us do so in the name of a man who did exactly what the verse says for us all.
May we learn to make the peace of the world a reality and may the peace of the risen Christ be with us all today.
May we learn to make the peace of the world a reality and may the peace of the risen Christ be with us all today.
Saturday, 26 October 2013
Daily Office - Oct 26
Alfred the Great, King of the West Saxons, Scholar, 899
Cedd, Abbot of Lastingham, Bishop of the East Saxons, 664
Psalm 20
May the Lord hear you in the day of trouble,
the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
Send you help from his sanctuary and strengthen you out of Zion;
Remember all your offerings and accept your burnt sacrifice;
Grant you your heart’s desire and fulfil all your mind.
May we rejoice in your salvation and triumph in the name of our God;
may the Lord perform all your petitions.
Now I know that the Lord will save his anointed;
he will answer him from his holy heaven,
with the mighty strength of his right hand.
Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we will call only on the name of the Lord our God.
They are brought down and fallen,
but we are risen and stand upright.
O Lord, save the king and answer us when we call upon you.
Psalm 21
The king shall rejoice in your strength, O Lord;
how greatly shall he rejoice in your salvation!
You have given him his heart’s desire and have not denied the request of his lips.
For you come to meet him with blessings of goodness and set a crown of pure gold upon his head.
He asked of you life and you gave it him, length of days, for ever and ever.
His honour is great because of your salvation;
glory and majesty have you laid upon him.
You have granted him everlasting felicity and will make him glad with joy in your presence.
For the king puts his trust in the Lord;
because of the loving-kindness of the Most High,
he shall not be overthrown.
Your hand shall mark down all your enemies;
your right hand will find out those who hate you.
You will make them like a fiery oven in the time of your wrath;
the Lord will swallow them up in his anger and the fire will consume them.
Their fruit you will root out of the land and their seed from among its inhabitants.
Because they intend evil against you and devise wicked schemes which they cannot perform,
You will put them to flight when you aim your bow at their faces.
Be exalted, O Lord, in your own might;
we will make music and sing of your power.
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd; therefore can I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters.
He shall refresh my soul and guide me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;
for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me;
you have anointed my head with oil and my cup shall be full.
Surely goodness and loving mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Micah 6
Hear what the Lord says:
Rise, plead your case before the mountains,
and let the hills hear your voice.
Hear, you mountains, the controversy of the Lord,
and you enduring foundations of the earth;
for the Lord has a controversy with his people,
and he will contend with Israel.
‘O my people, what have I done to you?
In what have I wearied you? Answer me!
For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
and redeemed you from the house of slavery;
and I sent before you Moses,
Aaron, and Miriam.
O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised,
what Balaam son of Beor answered him,
and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal,
that you may know the saving acts of the Lord.’
‘With what shall I come before the Lord,
and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with tens of thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?’
He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
The voice of the Lord cries to the city
(it is sound wisdom to fear your name):
Hear, O tribe and assembly of the city!
Can I forget the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked,
and the scant measure that is accursed?
Can I tolerate wicked scales
and a bag of dishonest weights?
Your wealthy are full of violence;
your inhabitants speak lies,
with tongues of deceit in their mouths.
Therefore I have begun to strike you down,
making you desolate because of your sins.
You shall eat, but not be satisfied,
and there shall be a gnawing hunger within you;
you shall put away, but not save,
and what you save, I will hand over to the sword.
You shall sow, but not reap;
you shall tread olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil;
you shall tread grapes, but not drink wine.
For you have kept the statutes of Omri
and all the works of the house of Ahab,
and you have followed their counsels.
Therefore I will make you a desolation, and your inhabitants an object of hissing;
so you shall bear the scorn of my people.
John 18.28-end
Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate’s headquarters. It was early in the morning. They themselves did not enter the headquarters, so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover. So Pilate went out to them and said, ‘What accusation do you bring against this man?’ They answered, ‘If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.’ Pilate said to them, ‘Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law.’ The Jews replied, ‘We are not permitted to put anyone to death.’ (This was to fulfil what Jesus had said when he indicated the kind of death he was to die.)
Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?’ Pilate replied, ‘I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?’ Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.’ Pilate asked him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’ Pilate asked him, ‘What is truth?’
After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, ‘I find no case against him. But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover. Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?’ They shouted in reply, ‘Not this man, but Barabbas!’ Now Barabbas was a bandit.
The Collect
God, our maker and redeemer,
we pray you of your great mercy
and by the power of your holy cross
to guide us by your will and to shield us from our foes:
that, after the example of your servant Alfred,
we may inwardly love you above all things;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Alfred the Great, King of the West Saxons, Scholar, 899
Cedd, Abbot of Lastingham, Bishop of the East Saxons, 664, Psalm 20, Psalm 21, Psalm 23, Micah 6, John 18.28-end, collect, morning prayer, daily office, Oct 26
May the Lord hear you in the day of trouble,
the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
Send you help from his sanctuary and strengthen you out of Zion;
Remember all your offerings and accept your burnt sacrifice;
Grant you your heart’s desire and fulfil all your mind.
May we rejoice in your salvation and triumph in the name of our God;
may the Lord perform all your petitions.
Now I know that the Lord will save his anointed;
he will answer him from his holy heaven,
with the mighty strength of his right hand.
Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we will call only on the name of the Lord our God.
They are brought down and fallen,
but we are risen and stand upright.
O Lord, save the king and answer us when we call upon you.
Psalm 21
The king shall rejoice in your strength, O Lord;
how greatly shall he rejoice in your salvation!
You have given him his heart’s desire and have not denied the request of his lips.
For you come to meet him with blessings of goodness and set a crown of pure gold upon his head.
He asked of you life and you gave it him, length of days, for ever and ever.
His honour is great because of your salvation;
glory and majesty have you laid upon him.
You have granted him everlasting felicity and will make him glad with joy in your presence.
For the king puts his trust in the Lord;
because of the loving-kindness of the Most High,
he shall not be overthrown.
Your hand shall mark down all your enemies;
your right hand will find out those who hate you.
You will make them like a fiery oven in the time of your wrath;
the Lord will swallow them up in his anger and the fire will consume them.
Their fruit you will root out of the land and their seed from among its inhabitants.
Because they intend evil against you and devise wicked schemes which they cannot perform,
You will put them to flight when you aim your bow at their faces.
Be exalted, O Lord, in your own might;
we will make music and sing of your power.
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd; therefore can I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters.
He shall refresh my soul and guide me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;
for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me;
you have anointed my head with oil and my cup shall be full.
Surely goodness and loving mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Micah 6
Hear what the Lord says:
Rise, plead your case before the mountains,
and let the hills hear your voice.
Hear, you mountains, the controversy of the Lord,
and you enduring foundations of the earth;
for the Lord has a controversy with his people,
and he will contend with Israel.
‘O my people, what have I done to you?
In what have I wearied you? Answer me!
For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
and redeemed you from the house of slavery;
and I sent before you Moses,
Aaron, and Miriam.
O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised,
what Balaam son of Beor answered him,
and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal,
that you may know the saving acts of the Lord.’
‘With what shall I come before the Lord,
and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with tens of thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?’
He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
The voice of the Lord cries to the city
(it is sound wisdom to fear your name):
Hear, O tribe and assembly of the city!
Can I forget the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked,
and the scant measure that is accursed?
Can I tolerate wicked scales
and a bag of dishonest weights?
Your wealthy are full of violence;
your inhabitants speak lies,
with tongues of deceit in their mouths.
Therefore I have begun to strike you down,
making you desolate because of your sins.
You shall eat, but not be satisfied,
and there shall be a gnawing hunger within you;
you shall put away, but not save,
and what you save, I will hand over to the sword.
You shall sow, but not reap;
you shall tread olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil;
you shall tread grapes, but not drink wine.
For you have kept the statutes of Omri
and all the works of the house of Ahab,
and you have followed their counsels.
Therefore I will make you a desolation, and your inhabitants an object of hissing;
so you shall bear the scorn of my people.
John 18.28-end
Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate’s headquarters. It was early in the morning. They themselves did not enter the headquarters, so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover. So Pilate went out to them and said, ‘What accusation do you bring against this man?’ They answered, ‘If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.’ Pilate said to them, ‘Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law.’ The Jews replied, ‘We are not permitted to put anyone to death.’ (This was to fulfil what Jesus had said when he indicated the kind of death he was to die.)
Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?’ Pilate replied, ‘I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?’ Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.’ Pilate asked him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’ Pilate asked him, ‘What is truth?’
After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, ‘I find no case against him. But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover. Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?’ They shouted in reply, ‘Not this man, but Barabbas!’ Now Barabbas was a bandit.
The Collect
God, our maker and redeemer,
we pray you of your great mercy
and by the power of your holy cross
to guide us by your will and to shield us from our foes:
that, after the example of your servant Alfred,
we may inwardly love you above all things;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Cedd, Abbot of Lastingham, Bishop of the East Saxons, 664
Psalm 20
May the Lord hear you in the day of trouble,
the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
Send you help from his sanctuary and strengthen you out of Zion;
Remember all your offerings and accept your burnt sacrifice;
Grant you your heart’s desire and fulfil all your mind.
May we rejoice in your salvation and triumph in the name of our God;
may the Lord perform all your petitions.
Now I know that the Lord will save his anointed;
he will answer him from his holy heaven,
with the mighty strength of his right hand.
Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we will call only on the name of the Lord our God.
They are brought down and fallen,
but we are risen and stand upright.
O Lord, save the king and answer us when we call upon you.
Psalm 21
The king shall rejoice in your strength, O Lord;
how greatly shall he rejoice in your salvation!
You have given him his heart’s desire and have not denied the request of his lips.
For you come to meet him with blessings of goodness and set a crown of pure gold upon his head.
He asked of you life and you gave it him, length of days, for ever and ever.
His honour is great because of your salvation;
glory and majesty have you laid upon him.
You have granted him everlasting felicity and will make him glad with joy in your presence.
For the king puts his trust in the Lord;
because of the loving-kindness of the Most High,
he shall not be overthrown.
Your hand shall mark down all your enemies;
your right hand will find out those who hate you.
You will make them like a fiery oven in the time of your wrath;
the Lord will swallow them up in his anger and the fire will consume them.
Their fruit you will root out of the land and their seed from among its inhabitants.
Because they intend evil against you and devise wicked schemes which they cannot perform,
You will put them to flight when you aim your bow at their faces.
Be exalted, O Lord, in your own might;
we will make music and sing of your power.
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd; therefore can I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters.
He shall refresh my soul and guide me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;
for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me;
you have anointed my head with oil and my cup shall be full.
Surely goodness and loving mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Micah 6
Hear what the Lord says:
Rise, plead your case before the mountains,
and let the hills hear your voice.
Hear, you mountains, the controversy of the Lord,
and you enduring foundations of the earth;
for the Lord has a controversy with his people,
and he will contend with Israel.
‘O my people, what have I done to you?
In what have I wearied you? Answer me!
For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
and redeemed you from the house of slavery;
and I sent before you Moses,
Aaron, and Miriam.
O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised,
what Balaam son of Beor answered him,
and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal,
that you may know the saving acts of the Lord.’
‘With what shall I come before the Lord,
and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with tens of thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?’
He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
The voice of the Lord cries to the city
(it is sound wisdom to fear your name):
Hear, O tribe and assembly of the city!
Can I forget the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked,
and the scant measure that is accursed?
Can I tolerate wicked scales
and a bag of dishonest weights?
Your wealthy are full of violence;
your inhabitants speak lies,
with tongues of deceit in their mouths.
Therefore I have begun to strike you down,
making you desolate because of your sins.
You shall eat, but not be satisfied,
and there shall be a gnawing hunger within you;
you shall put away, but not save,
and what you save, I will hand over to the sword.
You shall sow, but not reap;
you shall tread olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil;
you shall tread grapes, but not drink wine.
For you have kept the statutes of Omri
and all the works of the house of Ahab,
and you have followed their counsels.
Therefore I will make you a desolation, and your inhabitants an object of hissing;
so you shall bear the scorn of my people.
John 18.28-end
Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate’s headquarters. It was early in the morning. They themselves did not enter the headquarters, so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover. So Pilate went out to them and said, ‘What accusation do you bring against this man?’ They answered, ‘If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.’ Pilate said to them, ‘Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law.’ The Jews replied, ‘We are not permitted to put anyone to death.’ (This was to fulfil what Jesus had said when he indicated the kind of death he was to die.)
Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?’ Pilate replied, ‘I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?’ Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.’ Pilate asked him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’ Pilate asked him, ‘What is truth?’
After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, ‘I find no case against him. But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover. Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?’ They shouted in reply, ‘Not this man, but Barabbas!’ Now Barabbas was a bandit.
The Collect
God, our maker and redeemer,
we pray you of your great mercy
and by the power of your holy cross
to guide us by your will and to shield us from our foes:
that, after the example of your servant Alfred,
we may inwardly love you above all things;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Alfred the Great, King of the West Saxons, Scholar, 899
Cedd, Abbot of Lastingham, Bishop of the East Saxons, 664, Psalm 20, Psalm 21, Psalm 23, Micah 6, John 18.28-end, collect, morning prayer, daily office, Oct 26
May the Lord hear you in the day of trouble,
the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
Send you help from his sanctuary and strengthen you out of Zion;
Remember all your offerings and accept your burnt sacrifice;
Grant you your heart’s desire and fulfil all your mind.
May we rejoice in your salvation and triumph in the name of our God;
may the Lord perform all your petitions.
Now I know that the Lord will save his anointed;
he will answer him from his holy heaven,
with the mighty strength of his right hand.
Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we will call only on the name of the Lord our God.
They are brought down and fallen,
but we are risen and stand upright.
O Lord, save the king and answer us when we call upon you.
Psalm 21
The king shall rejoice in your strength, O Lord;
how greatly shall he rejoice in your salvation!
You have given him his heart’s desire and have not denied the request of his lips.
For you come to meet him with blessings of goodness and set a crown of pure gold upon his head.
He asked of you life and you gave it him, length of days, for ever and ever.
His honour is great because of your salvation;
glory and majesty have you laid upon him.
You have granted him everlasting felicity and will make him glad with joy in your presence.
For the king puts his trust in the Lord;
because of the loving-kindness of the Most High,
he shall not be overthrown.
Your hand shall mark down all your enemies;
your right hand will find out those who hate you.
You will make them like a fiery oven in the time of your wrath;
the Lord will swallow them up in his anger and the fire will consume them.
Their fruit you will root out of the land and their seed from among its inhabitants.
Because they intend evil against you and devise wicked schemes which they cannot perform,
You will put them to flight when you aim your bow at their faces.
Be exalted, O Lord, in your own might;
we will make music and sing of your power.
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd; therefore can I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters.
He shall refresh my soul and guide me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;
for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me;
you have anointed my head with oil and my cup shall be full.
Surely goodness and loving mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Micah 6
Hear what the Lord says:
Rise, plead your case before the mountains,
and let the hills hear your voice.
Hear, you mountains, the controversy of the Lord,
and you enduring foundations of the earth;
for the Lord has a controversy with his people,
and he will contend with Israel.
‘O my people, what have I done to you?
In what have I wearied you? Answer me!
For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
and redeemed you from the house of slavery;
and I sent before you Moses,
Aaron, and Miriam.
O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised,
what Balaam son of Beor answered him,
and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal,
that you may know the saving acts of the Lord.’
‘With what shall I come before the Lord,
and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with tens of thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?’
He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
The voice of the Lord cries to the city
(it is sound wisdom to fear your name):
Hear, O tribe and assembly of the city!
Can I forget the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked,
and the scant measure that is accursed?
Can I tolerate wicked scales
and a bag of dishonest weights?
Your wealthy are full of violence;
your inhabitants speak lies,
with tongues of deceit in their mouths.
Therefore I have begun to strike you down,
making you desolate because of your sins.
You shall eat, but not be satisfied,
and there shall be a gnawing hunger within you;
you shall put away, but not save,
and what you save, I will hand over to the sword.
You shall sow, but not reap;
you shall tread olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil;
you shall tread grapes, but not drink wine.
For you have kept the statutes of Omri
and all the works of the house of Ahab,
and you have followed their counsels.
Therefore I will make you a desolation, and your inhabitants an object of hissing;
so you shall bear the scorn of my people.
John 18.28-end
Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate’s headquarters. It was early in the morning. They themselves did not enter the headquarters, so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover. So Pilate went out to them and said, ‘What accusation do you bring against this man?’ They answered, ‘If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.’ Pilate said to them, ‘Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law.’ The Jews replied, ‘We are not permitted to put anyone to death.’ (This was to fulfil what Jesus had said when he indicated the kind of death he was to die.)
Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?’ Pilate replied, ‘I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?’ Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.’ Pilate asked him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’ Pilate asked him, ‘What is truth?’
After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, ‘I find no case against him. But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover. Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?’ They shouted in reply, ‘Not this man, but Barabbas!’ Now Barabbas was a bandit.
The Collect
God, our maker and redeemer,
we pray you of your great mercy
and by the power of your holy cross
to guide us by your will and to shield us from our foes:
that, after the example of your servant Alfred,
we may inwardly love you above all things;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Wednesday, 24 July 2013
Tolerance: How do you do yours?
It doesn't matter who you are, or who you talk to, the reality is that everyone claims to be tolerant and yet tolerance for many is not a constant but a variable.
One of the fun things with tolerance us that it carries with it the potential for us to be more intolerant than those we might otherwise consider to be intolerant bigots. The reality is that those who who claim to be open-minded are, more often than not, more dogmatic and prescriptive than those they label as closed!
Try telling someone that they are behaving wrongly or have a flawed mindset and you will find yourself criticised and more likely than not, lectured, vilified and acted against - even if its done in a Christian rather than secular setting.
Try telling someone that they are behaving wrongly or have a flawed mindset and you will find yourself criticised and more likely than not, lectured, vilified and acted against - even if its done in a Christian rather than secular setting.
Oddly, remaining in a Church setting, using the Bible as the reason for your position, you will find yourself labelled as judgemental and 'narrow minded' and should you dare to use the word 'sin' then the gauntlet is well and truly laid down. Lob in salvation, new creation, different lifestyle and standards and that's a declaration of war (don't forget we're still talking about Church).
Tolerance, is an inconsistent state of being in that drawing line require consistent measurements and yet the traditional measure in this, our Judeo-Christian society, has of course been the Bible and removing this leaves us with what? I'm a Christian and so, perhaps surprisingly, I continue to take the Bible as my measure or yardstick (after all, that's what Canon means) but where do others turn for an authoritative and consistent constant?
It seems that many would have us work along a basis of consensus, that is keeping the majority happy, but what of those who are not happy or are perhaps acted against or dealt with unfairly because it pleases the masses?
What about those who support 'natural justice' where people 'get what they deserve' and where law is a movable feast to ensure that revenge (rather than justice) and desired outcomes (rather than fair play) are the rule?
We don't have to look too far back into the history of the world to see what happens when a society eschews rigid, and perhaps dogmatic, laws and takes up attitudes which support the masses or marginalises some parts of the community. Law has to be consistent and public attitude needs to support what is right rather that demand what is, for that moment at least, desirable.
Perhaps we should leave justice and tolerance to the press - but if we do what happens to those who are marginalised, vilified and generally belittled in newspapers like the Daily Fascist; those people who are benefit scroungers, career single-Mums, immigrants and the like? Look at the red tops and take five minutes to read them from cover to cover - do you find consistency, fair play and justice? No of course you don't - what you find is cries for vengeance and a stirring of the pot against whosoever they choice to act against (not always wrongly, just often) and the tub-thumping about rights and expectations (often dashed).
No, it's obvious that there's too much spin and inconsistency to trust the newspapers.
So what's left? Perhaps we need to look at 'family values and traditions' (as one politician recently put it. The problem being that we come full circle to find that these are embodied, and lived out, in the Bible. You see, the need for a consistent and coherent measure is essential and for some two thousand years, that has for our Western mindset be found in the Bible.
But the commandments - who has the right to 'command' anyone about anything - are not popular. After all, stealing is wrong if someone does it from you but isn't always wrong when you do it yourself ( a direct quote ladies and gentlemen - I jest not!). Not only that but there are times when stealing is OK because it's 'victimless' (after all, no one really suffers if you nick something from a shop or falsify stuff to get a little extra). It's not wrong to do stuff unless you get caught and that's perhaps the first consistent guideline of our society today: Don't get caught!
The next constant is that we have developed the attitude that says that as long as what we are doing makes us happy and gives us what we want, then that's alright. Everyone has the right to be happy and do what they want - unless of course they don't agree with your attitude and then they are wrong. But let's note the second constant: Being happy is a right!
The third constant is that no one has the right to tell other people what to do (unless of course it's us telling other people that is) and if they do then they are, quite legitimately, open to attack, and even more so should they impose their old traditional Bible stuff. So constant the third: You're not the boss of me!
Starting to feel like I should be hitting piece of stone with a chisel as we move on the fact that our new tolerant society is happy for people to do what they want without any criticism or comeback, unless of course you decide that an attitude or lifestyle doesn't suit you. When this happens, even though they might not act against others who think or live as they choose not too, they are wrong because you have to agree. So the fourth constant is: Everyone has the right to think and act as they wish unless it goes against what I think, in which case they are wrong!
I hope that the above shows you why I opt for a consistent and just approach to tolerance - embracing the demands of Micah 6: 6-8 which calls for:
Justice - that means treating everyone the same, applying the rules consistently regardless of who or what.
Mercy - that means not looking for revenge but restoration. I want people to live differently and stop doing what is wrong and this underpins the application of the law.
Humility - I don't think of myself as being more worthy or valid than others and even thought I might not agree with what people choose to do, I accept their right to live as they choose (just as I have that right).
And of course, my fourth constant is to be found in the commandments which establish, and maintain, some consistent boundaries (even if you leave the God and Sabbath bits out!), namely,
Don't take murder (or even hurt) people,
Don't nick stuff,
Don't tell lies,
Don't swear - there are much better words open to you that expletives,
Be nice to your parents (nuclear families have lots going for them)
Be faithful in your marital/cohabitational relationships
Be happy with what you have - stop looking at others and let envy eat you away.
A nice set of rules that makes life good and relationship easier - what could be wrong with that?
Have nice day :-)
Tolerance, is an inconsistent state of being in that drawing line require consistent measurements and yet the traditional measure in this, our Judeo-Christian society, has of course been the Bible and removing this leaves us with what? I'm a Christian and so, perhaps surprisingly, I continue to take the Bible as my measure or yardstick (after all, that's what Canon means) but where do others turn for an authoritative and consistent constant?
It seems that many would have us work along a basis of consensus, that is keeping the majority happy, but what of those who are not happy or are perhaps acted against or dealt with unfairly because it pleases the masses?
What about those who support 'natural justice' where people 'get what they deserve' and where law is a movable feast to ensure that revenge (rather than justice) and desired outcomes (rather than fair play) are the rule?
We don't have to look too far back into the history of the world to see what happens when a society eschews rigid, and perhaps dogmatic, laws and takes up attitudes which support the masses or marginalises some parts of the community. Law has to be consistent and public attitude needs to support what is right rather that demand what is, for that moment at least, desirable.
Perhaps we should leave justice and tolerance to the press - but if we do what happens to those who are marginalised, vilified and generally belittled in newspapers like the Daily Fascist; those people who are benefit scroungers, career single-Mums, immigrants and the like? Look at the red tops and take five minutes to read them from cover to cover - do you find consistency, fair play and justice? No of course you don't - what you find is cries for vengeance and a stirring of the pot against whosoever they choice to act against (not always wrongly, just often) and the tub-thumping about rights and expectations (often dashed).
No, it's obvious that there's too much spin and inconsistency to trust the newspapers.
So what's left? Perhaps we need to look at 'family values and traditions' (as one politician recently put it. The problem being that we come full circle to find that these are embodied, and lived out, in the Bible. You see, the need for a consistent and coherent measure is essential and for some two thousand years, that has for our Western mindset be found in the Bible.
But the commandments - who has the right to 'command' anyone about anything - are not popular. After all, stealing is wrong if someone does it from you but isn't always wrong when you do it yourself ( a direct quote ladies and gentlemen - I jest not!). Not only that but there are times when stealing is OK because it's 'victimless' (after all, no one really suffers if you nick something from a shop or falsify stuff to get a little extra). It's not wrong to do stuff unless you get caught and that's perhaps the first consistent guideline of our society today: Don't get caught!
The next constant is that we have developed the attitude that says that as long as what we are doing makes us happy and gives us what we want, then that's alright. Everyone has the right to be happy and do what they want - unless of course they don't agree with your attitude and then they are wrong. But let's note the second constant: Being happy is a right!
The third constant is that no one has the right to tell other people what to do (unless of course it's us telling other people that is) and if they do then they are, quite legitimately, open to attack, and even more so should they impose their old traditional Bible stuff. So constant the third: You're not the boss of me!
Starting to feel like I should be hitting piece of stone with a chisel as we move on the fact that our new tolerant society is happy for people to do what they want without any criticism or comeback, unless of course you decide that an attitude or lifestyle doesn't suit you. When this happens, even though they might not act against others who think or live as they choose not too, they are wrong because you have to agree. So the fourth constant is: Everyone has the right to think and act as they wish unless it goes against what I think, in which case they are wrong!
I hope that the above shows you why I opt for a consistent and just approach to tolerance - embracing the demands of Micah 6: 6-8 which calls for:
Justice - that means treating everyone the same, applying the rules consistently regardless of who or what.
Mercy - that means not looking for revenge but restoration. I want people to live differently and stop doing what is wrong and this underpins the application of the law.
Humility - I don't think of myself as being more worthy or valid than others and even thought I might not agree with what people choose to do, I accept their right to live as they choose (just as I have that right).
And of course, my fourth constant is to be found in the commandments which establish, and maintain, some consistent boundaries (even if you leave the God and Sabbath bits out!), namely,
Don't take murder (or even hurt) people,
Don't nick stuff,
Don't tell lies,
Don't swear - there are much better words open to you that expletives,
Be nice to your parents (nuclear families have lots going for them)
Be faithful in your marital/cohabitational relationships
Be happy with what you have - stop looking at others and let envy eat you away.
A nice set of rules that makes life good and relationship easier - what could be wrong with that?
Have nice day :-)
Sunday, 2 December 2012
Sunday Radio - frustration and dismay
I'm listening to an advocate for folk religion and a member of a pseudo-Christian group discuss justice and forgiveness, "There are so many things that cannot be forgiven," cries one (wonderfully misquoting the Bible) and my toes and fingers tense and begin to ache.
"We cannot lock people up for life even when it is done to 'protect society'," says the other and, thankfully, leaving out God (for after all there are many in the group they represent who do) and Bible talk about things as if they are an authority.
Oddly, the one authority that matters didn't really get a true perspective or voice today and justice (restorative or harsh) was the victim.
There is but one 'unforgiveable' sin as I understand it and I don't know what it is but, to quote a wise old teacher, "The day you care whether you've committed is is probably the day that you have!"
As we start our Advent journey - that cleaning of the house that is ourselves in preparation for the visitor that is to come, born in a stable, and be celebrated we need to examine ourselves and ensure that we have no unconfessed sin and no unforgiven acts.
As we consider the bringer of Peace to this world - we need to remember that whilst He beings Peace, we need to take that Peace from Him and use it; pass it around; live it ourselves - otherwise it site, impotent and useless on the shelf.
God calls us in Exodus 20 to neither commit murder (nor bring about death by misadventure, poor workmanship or folly). He calls us to exercise justice and mercy (with humility) in Micah 6.
In Luke 6 we are told this:
“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.
Do to others as you would have them do to you."
This is the path to taking the gift of peace that Jesus brings and making it real for us, those around us and, if we all embrace it, the world.
Almighty God,
give us grace to cast away the works of darkness and to put on the armour of light,
now in the time of this mortal life,
in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility;
that on the last day,
when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge the living and the dead,
we may rise to the life immortal;
through him who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
A bless´ed, peaceful and joyous Adventide to us all
"We cannot lock people up for life even when it is done to 'protect society'," says the other and, thankfully, leaving out God (for after all there are many in the group they represent who do) and Bible talk about things as if they are an authority.
Oddly, the one authority that matters didn't really get a true perspective or voice today and justice (restorative or harsh) was the victim.
There is but one 'unforgiveable' sin as I understand it and I don't know what it is but, to quote a wise old teacher, "The day you care whether you've committed is is probably the day that you have!"
As we start our Advent journey - that cleaning of the house that is ourselves in preparation for the visitor that is to come, born in a stable, and be celebrated we need to examine ourselves and ensure that we have no unconfessed sin and no unforgiven acts.
As we consider the bringer of Peace to this world - we need to remember that whilst He beings Peace, we need to take that Peace from Him and use it; pass it around; live it ourselves - otherwise it site, impotent and useless on the shelf.
God calls us in Exodus 20 to neither commit murder (nor bring about death by misadventure, poor workmanship or folly). He calls us to exercise justice and mercy (with humility) in Micah 6.
In Luke 6 we are told this:
“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.
Do to others as you would have them do to you."
This is the path to taking the gift of peace that Jesus brings and making it real for us, those around us and, if we all embrace it, the world.
Almighty God,
give us grace to cast away the works of darkness and to put on the armour of light,
now in the time of this mortal life,
in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility;
that on the last day,
when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge the living and the dead,
we may rise to the life immortal;
through him who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
A bless´ed, peaceful and joyous Adventide to us all
Thursday, 2 August 2012
Military Chaplaincy - Another pace (the role)
Having established that our forces are not in the business of murdering, we now turn our gaze towards the role of the Chaplain in a military setting.
First and foremost the Chaplain is there to provide moral and spiritual guidance and pastoral support to ALL members of the armed forces, and the service in which they serve in particular. The Chaplain is present for those of ALL religions and those of NO religion. Regardless of the who or what, we engage with them and bring the otherness that we, as minister of the Gospel, have in this setting.
The Chaplain teaches and reinforce the values and standards of the service of which they are a part and will also find themselves engaged in the teaching of LOAC (Law of Armed Conflict) and engaging in some extremely challenging conversations regarding RoE (Rules of Engagement) and the reasons for our presence in places (and the jobs we are doing). Alongside this we have the field services, communions and other 'church' services, which include vigils, acts of remembrance, sending off of those who have died in combat and the receiving of same back here in the UK. We do funerals (military and civillian), weddings, baptisms and the other stuff normally associated with the parish/pastoral roles.
There is the joy of sharing Christ and seeing men and women in uniform accept Him and come through in their faith to a place where they themselves are selected for training. There is the precious ability to discuss with those in uniform the philosophy and theology of faith and to help ALL with their journey along their chosen path (one of my joys has been to help a young Buddhist grow in their faith such that they are now becoming a leader of others).
We are not in the forces to excuse or justify wrong, for this is not what our faith requires (Micah 6 - humility, justice, mercy says it all). We NEVER glorify war and do, in our acts of remembrance, accept the folly and failures that bring us to conflict - honouring the dead of all sides and those who were non-combatants too.
If anyone wants to be fully engaged in the pastoral role and have before them the opportunity to share their faith and to display it in their own life and attitudes, then look no further than the military Chaplaincy roles - full on and for christ - always
First and foremost the Chaplain is there to provide moral and spiritual guidance and pastoral support to ALL members of the armed forces, and the service in which they serve in particular. The Chaplain is present for those of ALL religions and those of NO religion. Regardless of the who or what, we engage with them and bring the otherness that we, as minister of the Gospel, have in this setting.
The Chaplain teaches and reinforce the values and standards of the service of which they are a part and will also find themselves engaged in the teaching of LOAC (Law of Armed Conflict) and engaging in some extremely challenging conversations regarding RoE (Rules of Engagement) and the reasons for our presence in places (and the jobs we are doing). Alongside this we have the field services, communions and other 'church' services, which include vigils, acts of remembrance, sending off of those who have died in combat and the receiving of same back here in the UK. We do funerals (military and civillian), weddings, baptisms and the other stuff normally associated with the parish/pastoral roles.
There is the joy of sharing Christ and seeing men and women in uniform accept Him and come through in their faith to a place where they themselves are selected for training. There is the precious ability to discuss with those in uniform the philosophy and theology of faith and to help ALL with their journey along their chosen path (one of my joys has been to help a young Buddhist grow in their faith such that they are now becoming a leader of others).
We are not in the forces to excuse or justify wrong, for this is not what our faith requires (Micah 6 - humility, justice, mercy says it all). We NEVER glorify war and do, in our acts of remembrance, accept the folly and failures that bring us to conflict - honouring the dead of all sides and those who were non-combatants too.
If anyone wants to be fully engaged in the pastoral role and have before them the opportunity to share their faith and to display it in their own life and attitudes, then look no further than the military Chaplaincy roles - full on and for christ - always
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