Thinking and Doing

•February 13, 2014 • Leave a Comment

By Tszho1997 (Own work)

I suppose there are all kinds of things that go off in our heads that we would never act on.  Dreams that we pursue, things we wish for and feelings that we would never express – some good, some bad.

But Jesus reminds us that if those thoughts are wrong, it is no better to just think them.  Thinking them is as bad as doing.  Our faith is as much about what we think as what we do.

 Matthew 5:21-37 (CEV)

Anger

21 You know that our ancestors were told, “Do not murder” and “A murderer must be brought to trial.” 22 But I promise you that if you are angry with someone, you will have to stand trial. If you call someone a fool, you will be taken to court. And if you say that someone is worthless, you will be in danger of the fires of hell.

23 So if you are about to place your gift on the altar and remember that someone is angry with you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. Make peace with that person, then come back and offer your gift to God.

25 Before you are dragged into court, make friends with the person who has accused you of doing wrong. If you don’t, you will be handed over to the judge and then to the officer who will put you in jail. 26 I promise you that you will not get out until you have paid the last cent you owe.

Marriage

27 You know the commandment which says, “Be faithful in marriage.” 28 But I tell you that if you look at another woman and want her, you are already unfaithful in your thoughts. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, poke it out and throw it away. It is better to lose one part of your body, than for your whole body to end up in hell. 30 If your right hand causes you to sin, chop it off and throw it away! It is better to lose one part of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

Divorce

31 You have been taught that a man who divorces his wife must write out divorce papers for her. 32 But I tell you not to divorce your wife unless she has committed some terrible sexual sin. If you divorce her, you will cause her to be unfaithful, just as any man who marries her is guilty of taking another man’s wife.

Promises

33 You know that our ancestors were told, “Don’t use the Lord’s name to make a promise unless you are going to keep it.” 34 But I tell you not to swear by anything when you make a promise! Heaven is God’s throne, so don’t swear by heaven. 35 The earth is God’s footstool, so don’t swear by the earth. Jerusalem is the city of the great king, so don’t swear by it. 36 Don’t swear by your own head. You cannot make one hair white or black. 37 When you make a promise, say only “Yes” or “No.” Anything else comes from the devil.

What harm can it be to think something?  It’s not hurting anyone.  Well it does.  It hurts us.  It messes with our lives and our relationships.  And it comes between us and God.  There will always be people who press our buttons, but how I respond is more likely to affect me than them.

And so Jesus wants us to do something about it.

I love the whole picture of getting to church with your offering, remembering someone you’re arguing with, so putting your offering down whilst you go away and sort it out.  I can imagine if we did this, there might be quite a pile of offerings in church waiting for people to come back to. But what smiles and lightening of hearts there would be as people came back having sorted things and presented their offerings to God.

It is only in sorting out our arguments that we can truly come to God in offering.  We are bringing ourselves, not held back by all those things we’re thinking.  We should be thinking about God, and focussing on him.

Paul in the Corinthians reading  admonished the Corinthians for squabbling and told them to get on with it.  Here Jesus re-enforces that.  He wants people to leave those things behind, they just get in the way, and to come to God unburdened and at peace with the world.  And he challenges not just wrong behaviour, but wrong thinking too.

Can I do that?  Can I sort through my feelings?  If the action would be wrong, then thinking about it is too. It’s not easy, but it will be worthwhile.  Can I put those thoughts down, sort out differences, and get on with being and doing what God asks of me?

In the immortal words of Noel Gallagher

Don’t look back in anger

Sort it!

Lord
I come to you.
There are things in my mind and heart
that should not be there.

Release me from them.
Help me to sort out my relationships
and offer myself to you;
not burdened by unnecessary
and unhelpful baggage,
but clear and free
working for you.

Posted in bible, church, faith, forgiveness, God, Jesus, Lectionary, Religion, theology
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Grow Up!

•February 12, 2014 • Leave a Comment

New born babies cannot eat solid food, their bodies are just not ready for it.  They can only cope with milk, until their bodies have matured until they can both swallow and digest anything else.

1 Corinthians 3:1-9 (CEV)

Working Together for God

3 My friends, you are acting like the people of this world. That’s why I could not speak to you as spiritual people. You are like babies as far as your faith in Christ is concerned. 2 So I had to treat you like babies and feed you milk. You could not take solid food, and you still cannot, 3 because you are not yet spiritual. You are jealous and argue with each other. This proves that you are not spiritual and that you are acting like the people of this world.

4 Some of you say that you follow me, and others claim to follow Apollos. Isn’t that how ordinary people behave? 5 Apollos and I are merely servants who helped you to have faith. It was the Lord who made it all happen. 6 I planted the seeds, Apollos watered them, but God made them sprout and grow. 7 What matters isn’t those who planted or watered, but God who made the plants grow. 8 The one who plants is just as important as the one who waters. And each one will be paid for what they do. 9 Apollos and I work together for God, and you are God’s garden and God’s building.

Paul compares the Corinthians to new-born babies.  Spiritually, they are not ready for anything other than milk.  They cannot take it in or digest it, their faith is not yet mature enough for it.

So how are they to mature?  First of all, they need to stop arguing about which one of the leaders they follow, which one had brought them to faith.  It is team work, and more importantly it is all done through and for God.

Leading churches and growing people in faith is team work.  One person may be there at the point of decision, but many others will have had input – everyone is working together for one thing – and it is God’s work ultimately.  While ever they are arguing which figurehead they follow, they are showing their immaturity.  The church shouldn’t have celebrities, just everyone working together to bring about what God asks.  Some will have one role, others a different one – but it is all part of the main work.  We need to learn that and work in and through it.  To stop looking at what each person is doing, but what we are collectively doing together.  It’s the only way to grow.

Lord,
forgive me when I look at who and not you,
when I compare the work of different people,
instead of what we are doing collectively
when there is jealousy
and arguing
instead of
looking at what you are doing.

Help me to remember that it is your work,
not my work,
or their work,
but all yours.
Help me to grow,
to be ready for the next stage,
to mature
in and through you.

There’s a Quiet Understanding
When we’re together
Sharing understanding

Posted in bible, calling, faith, God, Lectionary, Religion, Thanksgiving
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Care Costs

•February 11, 2014 • 1 Comment

*RANT ALERT*

SO, the awful flooding in the south of England has brought out the worst of the blame culture “they” should have done this or *that*. Of course, the flooding is awful, lives and livelihoods have been destroyed and it is tragic.  My argument is entirely with the response of some people.

These are not the current English floods, the issue is far wider

This morning, certain despicable newspapers are peddling something I saw on Facebook over the weekend.  I refuse to link to them, but I’m sure you’ve heard about it, the suggestion that we should stop all foreign aid while we sort out the flooding problems in this country.

I am going to align this with the cuts in provision for the homeless and social care, and the terrible consequences that such cuts are creating.

The fact of life, whether we like it or not, is that care costs.  And someone has to be willing to pay.  Lots of people are struggling at the moment, the cost of a basket of food has increased every time we go to the shops, but those costs are magnified so much more the less you have.  It is the responsibility of those who can, to support those whose life is not so easy.

We should not ignore the plight of those who are suffering in this country, but neither should that mean we should stop the support of those who have, quite literally, nothing.

The only way I can see for a solution to all this, and it will not be popular, is taxes.  Proper taxing.  No loopholes, no tax advantages, not tricks and tips, no letting huge companies being allowed to ‘negotiate’ how much they pay, no evasion and no scrimping at the cost of essential services.  I know tax isn’t popular.  We’d all like to pay less, but that is not how society works.  It is the responsibility of each and every one of us to support society – and that includes the whole world. And that will cost us, it will cost us personally.

Council tax has not risen in this country for several years.  This inevitably means that funds are reduced, no wonder councils are having to make difficult decisions about what provision is made and what cut.  Maybe it’s about time we reversed this policy.  It may be helpful on a personal level, but not on a societal one – though of course it’s apparently a vote winner…

And while I’m at it, why not raise the level of the personal tax allowance significantly – and then tax properly above that – no let-outs?  That should help with making sure those who can do pay, and those who can’t don’t.

Supporting society is the responsibility of us all.  Yes care costs.  Yes we’d all like to reduce our outgoings, but while ever we want to live as part of the human society, we have responsibilities to one another.  After all, we expect others to look after us in our moment of need.

This is not a party-political issue, it is for however the government is made up.  These are not short-term, knee-jerk reactions that are needed, but long-term public policy, regardless of which MPs sit in the Houses of Parliament.

That is probably not rant over, but it’s a start…

Posted in community, justice, life, love, Rants and Ramblings, response, theology
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