Can't make it to church? 27 September 2015

The green season that is Ordinary Time has almost run its course and today's reading present us with a very human Moses who is found complaining about thoseGod has given him as he asks: 'hat have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me?' I love this because it shows a human side to the man and resonates well with the experiences of every leader (Church or secular) who at some time will have undoubtedly uttered the same sort of sentiments I am sure.

So read the Numbers passage and then stop and spare a thought for those who lead congregations, asking yourself whether you might be one of those who would cause such a question to be asked of God (and if you are, what are you going to do to remedy that situation?). And whilst your there, take a look at the moaning of the people in the first bit: Cucumbers? Probably the only thing I've not had a church member moan at :-)

The second thing to take from the numbers find a resonance in the James passage as we find Moses spoken of as having met with God he comes down and, 'he took some of the power of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders.' This passing on of the mantle, the laying on of hands and imparting God's living power into others: Same thing goes for the elders and praying for the sick - have you been prayed for in that way? Have I prayed for others like that? We'll consider that in a moment but we need to consider the last nugget from the Numbers passage in the shape of being jealous about who 'does the stuff'?

Yesterday (Saturday) I passed a bunch of Christian who were doing some quite aggressive outreach: something which brought a 'Hallelujah' and an, 'Oh no!' in equal measure. They were pouncing on shoppers as they passed and challenging them about the power of God. As the noticed the dog collar they looked the other way or otherwise avoided me and so, as I neared the end of the pack I smiled at one of the older members and wished them a good morning. "Do you have someone who is physicallly ill? Would you like to see what the power of God looks like?' they asked!

'Cheeky Wotsit!,' I thought, 'So I pointed out that I had seen it many times before and had witness the blind see and many other physical healing during my time as a believer and, 'No, I didn't happen to have an ill person in my pockets at the moment!'

I was so pleased to see people witnessing - and in a marginally better way than the muppet around the corner screaming into a microphone about God, hell and a sad and bitter life (I assumed they also supported the Villa or Chelsea ;-) ) but the arrogance of assuming that they had it all and the assumption that I, looking like an Anglican (or perhaps worse still for these pentecostal types - a Catholic*) shows how the 'jealous for' bit found here and in the Gospel is still alive and well. But we don't live like that, do we?

The James passage asks some great questions of us; and provides some sound answers too:

Is anyone among you in trouble? Then that person should pray. 

Is anyone among you happy? Then that person should sing songs of praise.

Is anyone among you sick? Then that person should send for the elders of the church to pray over them. They should ask the elders to anoint them with olive oil in the name of the Lord.

And the cherry here is regarding those who have sinned and strayed from the truth:
Anyone who keeps a sinner from going astray will save them from death.

Four absolutely rocking thoughts regarding ministry and Christian living - but don't forget that we are called to restore those who are caught up in sin gently because it's easy to sin ourselves if we do it in the wrong way.

The elders, should be filled with the Spirit just as the seventy were in the Numbers passage - common sense that bit, innit?

Bit of sound thinking to take away for free!

And so we land with the Gospel reading and there's the resonance with being jealous about who is doing the stuff (would that many more were) and the 'if it offends or causes you to sin - cut it off' bit!

I'm going to credit you with enough nous to see the connections and to consider the attitudes here and in the Numbers reading regarding jealousy about ministry and the like. We need to support and pray for all who are truly trying to do the stuff out there - perhaps we might need to offer some guidance or correction (and the way it is given and received are the test of this in terms of being sound I would offer) - but I'm sure you can join the dots.

But the 'chop it off' bit. My take on this is that when faced with the loss of a body part because it is engaged in, or perhaps leads you into, sin that the rational person would step back and take the extreme presented her as the warning shot across the bows and stop whatever it is that they are doing. This is the reaching of an absolute rather than a casual caution!

So, whatever you continually or habitually do that is wrong, STOP IT. 

So here we are - a quick overview of some of the highlights of today's readings with a hope you'll read this and take something from it and the passages before you - and here's a prayer to start you praying for the Church, the world, your town, the needs of others and those who have departed this life (and those who remain to mourn their passing):

The collect
Gracious God, you call us to fullness of life: deliver us from unbelief and banish our anxieties with the liberating love of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Numbers 11.4-6,10-16, 24-29
The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat!  We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost - also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic.  But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”

Moses heard the people of every family wailing at the entrance to their tents.

The Lord became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled.  He asked the Lord, “Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me?

Did I conceive all these people?

Did I give them birth?

Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their ancestors?

Where can I get meat for all these people?

They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’

I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me.

If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me - if I have found favour in your eyes - and do not let me face my own ruin.”

The Lord said to Moses: “Bring me seventy of Israel’s elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people. Have them come to the tent of meeting, that they may stand there with you.

The Lord answered Moses, “Is the Lord’s arm too short? Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.” So Moses went out and told the people what the Lord had said. He brought together seventy of their elders and had them stand around the tent.  

Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and he took some of the power of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied - but did not do so again. However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp.  

A young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses’ aide since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!” But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”

James 5.13-20

Is anyone among you in trouble? Then that person should pray. Is anyone among you happy? Then that person should sing songs of praise.

Is anyone among you sick? Then that person should send for the elders of the church to pray over them. They should ask the elders to anoint them with olive oil in the name of the Lord.  The prayer offered by those who have faith will make the sick person well. The Lord will heal them. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. So confess your sins to one another. Pray for one another so that you might be healed. The prayer of a godly person is powerful. Things happen because of it.

Elijah was a human being, just as we are. He prayed hard that it wouldn’t rain. And it didn’t rain on the land for three and a half years. Then he prayed again. That time it rained. And the earth produced its crops.

My brothers and sisters, suppose one of you wanders away from the truth. And suppose someone brings that person back. Then here is what I want you to remember. Anyone who keeps a sinner from going astray will save them from death. God will erase many sins by forgiving them.

Mark 9.38-50
“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.

“If anyone causes one of these little ones - those who believe in me - to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.

And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where“ ‘the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.’ Everyone will be salted with fire. “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again?

Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”

*Many years ago whilst in ministry in a pentecostal church it was the party line that those of the RC persuasion were to be considered as unbelievers and were fair game for conversion into the truer heresy, whoops - I meant faith,  that was our brand of church. Once when pointing out the Spirit-filled RC believers I knew I was almost made to stand in the naughty corner!!