Barrier Breakers

•July 17, 2012 • Leave a Comment

The biggest breaking down of a barrier in recent memory has to be that of the Berlin Wall coming down in 1989, and the reunification of a country and a people torn apart.  Sadly since then walls have continued to be built in other places (perhaps most notoriously and sadly the West Bank Wall in Israel).  But people are not meant to live with barriers – however good we have got at constructing them, physical or in our mind-set.

It seems to be human nature to try to divide people.  Those who are, and those who aren’t, whatever distinction we like to put in.

The writer to the Ephesians is concerned for unity

Then when the time is right, God will do all that he has planned, and Christ will bring together everything in heaven and on earth. (1:10)

All are forgiven and set free by Christ, so there is nothing else really to argue about.

Ephesians 2:11-22

United by Christ

11 Don’t forget that you are Gentiles. In fact, you used to be called “uncircumcised” by those who take pride in being circumcised. 12 At that time you did not know about Christ. You were foreigners to the people of Israel, and you had no part in the promises that God had made to them. You were living in this world without hope and without God, 13 and you were far from God. But Christ offered his life’s blood as a sacrifice and brought you near God.

14 Christ has made peace between Jews and Gentiles, and he has united us by breaking down the wall of hatred that separated us. Christ gave his own body 15 to destroy the Law of Moses with all its rules and commands. He even brought Jews and Gentiles together as though we were only one person, when he united us in peace. 16 On the cross Christ did away with our hatred for each other. He also made peace between us and God by uniting Jews and Gentiles in one body. 17 Christ came and preached peace to you Gentiles, who were far from God, and peace to us Jews, who were near God. 18 And because of Christ, all of us can come to the Father by the same Spirit.

19 You Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens with everyone else who belongs to the family of God. 20 You are like a building with the apostles and prophets as the foundation and with Christ as the most important stone. 21 Christ is the one who holds the building together and makes it grow into a holy temple for the Lord. 22 And you are part of that building Christ has built as a place for God’s own Spirit to live.

There is a world of difference between unity and uniformity.  The former does not demand the latter.  But it does require an awareness of what we hold in common.

John Wesley summed those up in what we call the Four Alls:

  1. All need to be saved – the doctrine of original sin
  2. All can be saved – Universal Salvation
  3. All can know they are saved – Assurance
  4. All can be saved completely – Christian perfection

Beyond that there is nothing much to separate us.  We all need God, and can all know God.  God accepts us all.  Anything else is preference and difference of labels.

The Ephesians are reminded,

Christ has made peace between Jews and Gentiles, and he has united us by breaking down the wall of hatred that separated us.

We are called as God’s people to be barrier breakers not builders.  To free people, not tie them down with labels or marginalisation.  Jesus has done away with hatred, it is not up to us to make some more! No one is strange, no one is foreign, we are all citizens of God’s kingdom – and equal ones at that.

So that is how we need to live.  Not throwing labels around, not trying to squeeze people into boxes of our making, not emphasising differences and making people feel the “odd one out”, but recognising what we all share in God.

Thank you Lord

that you know me and love me,

that you accept me and save me

– but not only me,

but every other person in the world.

Help me to remember that,

to see it in them,

and live it in my life.

May I not be guilty of building barriers,

or marginalising others;

but may I live to bring freedom

and the breaking down of barriers

to you and to life in all its fullness

Posted in bible, community, God, Jesus
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Living Together

•July 16, 2012 • Leave a Comment

A grandiose building plan. A fabulous place to live.  Everything you could want.  And then the light dawns…

The Lord’s Message to David

King David moved into his new palace, and the Lord let his kingdom be at peace. 2 Then one day, as David was talking with Nathan the prophet, David said, “Look around! I live in a palace made of cedar, but the sacred chest has to stay in a tent.”

3 Nathan replied, “The Lord is with you, so do what you want!”

4 That night, the Lord told Nathan 5 to go to David and give him this message:

David, you are my servant, so listen to what I say. Why should you build a temple for me? 6 I didn’t live in a temple when I brought my people out of Egypt, and I don’t live in one now. A tent has always been my home wherever I have gone with them. 7 I chose leaders and told them to be like shepherds for my people Israel. But did I ever say anything to even one of them about building a cedar temple for me?

8 David, this is what I, the Lord All-Powerful, say to you. I brought you in from the fields where you took care of sheep, and I made you the leader of my people. 9 Wherever you went, I helped you and destroyed your enemies right in front of your eyes. I have made you one of the most famous people in the world.

10 I have given my people Israel a land of their own where they can live in peace, and they won’t have to tremble with fear any more. Evil nations won’t bother them, as they did 11 when I let judges rule my people. And I have kept your enemies from attacking you.

Now I promise that you and your descendants will be kings. 12 I’ll choose one of your sons to be king when you reach the end of your life and are buried in the tomb of your ancestors. I’ll make him a strong ruler, 13 and no one will be able to take his kingdom away from him. He will be the one to build a temple for me. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son.

David has a sudden attack of guilt.  He has built himself a beautiful palace.  He had gone to a lot of trouble and expense, and when he thinks about it, he feels bad that he has left God, the sacred chest, out in a tent.

But God speaks to him quite clearly.  He doesn’t want a special Temple building.  He doesn’t want a special place. He has always lived in a tent, among the people.

Whilst David’s intentions might be good, God wants to be with his people, where they are, not put away in a special place.   God wants to be one with his people, living with them, going where they go – not stuck in a building.  He was where they were, if a permanent structure was built, the people would have to come to him – a huge shift in the kind of relationship God had with his people.

Later a Temple was built, and with it a whole list of rules about how God could be accessed.  He was no longer there amongst them, but behind several walls – and it took God a long time, and Jesus, to break back out of it!

As we think of our lives, how do we want it?  Do we want God in a special place, somewhere where we have to go to him, or living with us where we are.

How are you going to make that happen in your life and your community?

Thank you Lord

that you are where I am,

you are not an aloof God,

living in a special building;

but a God who is about and about,

in all the places where your people,

everyone,

is.

Help me to remember that.

That you are in the everyday,

and not just the “special”,

and to live that way.

Posted in bible, community, God, Lectionary
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Getting it Wrong – and Putting it Right

•July 10, 2012 • Leave a Comment

It was  a great party.  Everyone was having a brilliant time.  All the movers and groovers were there, all the people to be seen with.

Then the daughter of Herodias, my wife, came out to entertain us.  Well, I say my wife… actually she was my brother’s wife, but, well…

I was fine with it, well I am the ruler, I can do what I like.

I’d been challenged on it by that John the Baptist.  I suppose if I’m honest, I knew he had a point.  He made me feel uncomfortable, afraid even.  But Herodias was furious.  She wanted him out of the way.  Asked me to kill him – but I couldn’t do that!  I put him in prison – as much for his own safety!  But still there was that niggle… What if he was right?  I had a lot of time for John  in a way.

Anyway, back to the party. Her daughter danced for us.  She was marvellous.  Everyone loved it.  I was so pleased with her, and if I’m honest trying to big myself up in front of my guests, I promised her that she could have anything she wanted – right up to half my kingdom if she wanted it.  I thought she’d want some jewellery of fancy clothes.  How stupid I was.

She went off to ask her mother.  Bad idea.  She’d been waiting for her chance.  There was only one thing she wanted and she was willing to use her daughter to get it.

Right now on a platter I want the head of John the Baptist!

That was her request.  What could I do? The right thing and lose face with all those important and influential people?  Or give in to her wishes, let everyone see I was a man of my word, but somehow let the wrong thing happen?

I went with her request.

How I regret that decision now.

And now I’m hearing about this Jesus, and I’m even more worried.  Is this John, come back to life?  Come to haunt me with my stupid actions?  Come to reprehend me for my for giving in and not doing what I knew was right?

Mark 6:14-29

The Death of John the Baptist

14 Jesus became so well-known that Herod the ruler heard about him. Some people thought he was John the Baptist, who had come back to life with the power to work miracles. 15 Others thought he was Elijah or some other prophet who had lived long ago. 16 But when Herod heard about Jesus, he said, “This must be John! I had his head cut off, and now he has come back to life.”

17-18 Herod had earlier married Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. But John had told him, “It isn’t right for you to take your brother’s wife!” So, in order to please Herodias, Herod arrested John and put him in prison.

19 Herodias had a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she could not do it 20 because Herod was afraid of John and protected him. He knew that John was a good and holy man. Even though Herod was confused by what John said, he was glad to listen to him. And he often did.

21 Finally, Herodias got her chance when Herod gave a great birthday celebration for himself and invited his officials, his army officers, and the leaders of Galilee. 22 The daughter of Herodias came in and danced for Herod and his guests. She pleased them so much that Herod said, “Ask for anything, and it’s yours! 23 I swear that I will give you as much as half of my kingdom, if you want it.”

24 The girl left and asked her mother, “What do you think I should ask for?”

Her mother answered, “The head of John the Baptist!”

25 The girl hurried back and told Herod, “Right now on a platter I want the head of John the Baptist!”

26 The king was very sorry for what he had said. But he did not want to break the promise he had made in front of his guests. 27 At once he ordered a guard to cut off John’s head there in prison. 28 The guard put the head on a platter and took it to the girl. Then she gave it to her mother.

29 When John’s followers learned that he had been killed, they took his body and put it in a tomb.

How easy it is to get carried away with the moment; to do something to impress others, even when you know it’s wrong.  But Jesus has come not to condemn us for the things we have done wrong, but to offer us forgiveness for them.  Knowing what we have done, acknowledging that at times we make wrong and stupid decisions is something God can work with – and, in Jesus, offers us forgiveness and the opportunity to start over.

As one of this weeks other lectionary readings says,

Christ sacrificed his life’s blood to set us free, which means that our sins are now forgiven. Christ did this because God was so kind to us. Ephesians 1:7-8

Lord,

I know that there are things that I’ve got wrong,

stupid decisions I’ve made,

things I’ve done that would have been better not done,

things I should have done that I haven’t.

I bring them before you now,

acknowledging them,

and saying sorry.

Thank you that you do not write me off,

but through what Jesus has done,

forgive me

and let me start again.

Lord I pray

that I may know that reality

Posted in bible, forgiveness, God, Jesus, Lectionary
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