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“Today, salvation has come to this house.” Jesus in Luke 19:1-10.

“One who makes no mistakes makes nothing.” Saint Teresa of Avila. 

All Saints’ Day is usually celebrated on 1st November, but this year it’s transferred to 2nd November, so that such an important festival, marking those saints who are famous or obscure, can be commemorated on the nearest Sunday. Accordingly, All Souls’ Day, honouring those who have died, is then transferred to 3rd November. These days traditionally link the saints in heaven, the saints on earth who are still living, and those who have died, the faithful departed. This is also a time to think of those who have encouraged us in our own personal journey of faith and had an influence for good in our lives. Who might those people be?

Today’s Gospel cites an encounter in Jericho which had a great effect on the life of a man often shunned by those around him but welcomed by Jesus. Zacchaeus is a rich chief tax collector but is short and so climbs a sycamore tree to see Jesus as he passes by. When Jesus notices him, he not only knows his name but tells him that he is going to stay at his house that day. Zacchaeus is happy at this but the other onlookers around begin to grumble – and, in the thinking of the day, perhaps for good reason. 

In those days tax collectors, the publicani, collected tolls and taxes on behalf of the Romans who were in occupation at the time. The Romans preferred to use locals to enforce payment because they knew the people and locality well – a chief tax collector like Zacchaeus would be in charge of a large area, employing others to gather the taxes for him, from which he would take a cut just as they did. As such, the system was open to bribery and greed, with tax collectors charging more than the actual amount to be paid to the Romans and becoming wealthy through the imposition of taxes that were unpopular and often hard to pay. As a chief tax collector, Luke writes that Zacchaeus was rich – but he was ostracised by others, who grumble when they see Jesus going to be the guest of someone regarded as a sinner for fleecing taxpayers. 

However, the effect of having Jesus come to his house is immediate for Zacchaeus, who is transformed by the encounter. He declares that he will give half of his possessions to the poor and will repay four times the amount he has defrauded from others. Even as a rich man, that would represent a significant change in his personal finances and circumstances. 

The name Zacchaeus means ‘righteous’ and by vowing to do  this, Zacchaeus lives up to it. He makes no mention of future practice but owns the wrongs of his past and does what he can to put things right. Tax collectors are usually linked with sinners in the Bible, St Matthew formerly being one of them, and the translation of verse 8 could also be taken to mean that the crowd has misjudged Zacchaeus and that he is one who has always given alms to the poor and also compensated the defrauded. Whichever it is, it’s clear that the encounter with Jesus brings out the best in Zacchaeus, who Jesus then calls a Son of Abraham. The outcast has become included.

Is Zacchaeus a tax cheat or is he wronged by the crowd and actually a righteous man? Perhaps he is a mixture of both saint and sinner, as we probably are. As the budget draws near and many are concerned about possible increases in taxation and the cost of living, tax evasion (illegal), tax avoidance (legal), scams, cash in hand and other means available through the black economy are still ways of avoiding paying what is usually due to the government and the public purse. This All Saints’ Sunday, as we consider the blend of sinner and saint in us all, would our reaction to taxation or the other pressing issues before us eventually be as righteous as that of Zacchaeus?

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian.

“Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Jesus, in Luke 4:16-24.

“This is the day, this is the day!” Hymn by Leslie Garrett.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus has returned to Nazareth where he grew up, having been teaching in the surrounding synagogues and countryside of Galilee. On the sabbath, he goes to synagogue in Nazareth where, as was the custom, he is asked to read from the scriptures and then speak to the congregation. The scroll handed to him is the book of Isaiah and Jesus then reads the prophet’s words proclaiming that the Spirit of the Lord is upon him, that he has been anointed to bring good news to the poor, release for the captives, recovery of sight for the blind, freedom for the oppressed and the proclamation of the year of the Lord’s favour. When he finishes reading, Jesus then states that this familiar prophecy has been fulfilled that very day in the hearing of those present. This becomes, in effect, his mission statement for the next three years and those listening to him receive what he tells them well at first, becoming astounded at what he says to them because they know him as Joseph’s son. Many of them perhaps grew up with Jesus or lived near him and it must have been hard for them to hear him proclaim these words for himself. Jesus eventually tells them that no prophet is accepted in his own hometown – this and his later challenging words reinterpreting the scriptures lead to him eventually being driven out of town by the enraged worshippers, after which Jesus goes on his way alone.

All this happens after Jesus’ baptism and the testing he faced in the wilderness but before he has chosen his first disciples so he faces all this on his own. Nevertheless, saying that these prophetic words about the Messiah have been fulfilled in him was bound to be controversial because Jesus is telling the worshippers that they are listening to their fulfilment – that very day. For them to hear that from one so familiar must have been astounding. 

Like many places of worship, orthodox synagogues and many churches have a strong sense of tradition and the past, whether in the liturgy used, the old hymns sung or the ancient buildings being used for worship. Equally, there can sometimes be much emphasis on the future with concerns about falling numbers of worshippers attending services, plans for the future and how to raise money to pay the costs of what needs to be done. The past has much to teach us and the future may involve careful planning but the emphasis Jesus puts on the scriptures and what he says indicates the importance of today and this moment, now, rather than the past or what will be. This is the day, says Jesus, now is the time – but those present find what he is telling them too controversial. As he reinterprets the scriptures, this is too much for those listening – and sometimes for us, too, today. It’s easy, at times, to be preoccupied with the past or the future and to forget the urgency of the Gospel for today as we listen to it and play our part in fulfilling it as we ask God in the Lord’s Prayer to give us this day our daily bread and take it for granted that he will. 

The Bible is the best selling book in history, a library of 66 different books with varying purposes such as prophecies, poetry, history, the growth of the early church and so forth. Just as Jesus chose these particular  words from Isaiah to guide him and his mission, what verses might we choose for our lives today? Would those verses change at times according to the stages of our lives and situations? For God’s purposes are not only fulfilled in the life of Jesus and his understanding of God’s word then but in the lives and the possibilities facing his followers today as the search for faith, truth, hope and love continues. As Jesus reminds us as well as those who listened to him then, today is the day – but the day for what mission and purpose?

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian. 

“When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Jesus, in today’s Gospel, Luke 18:1-8.

‘He’s become a persona non-garter.’ Sean Coughlan, BBC reporter, of Prince Andrew.

Today’s Gospel seems to be about an unjust judge who neither fears God nor has the respect of the people. He has power but does not always use it fairly and when a powerless widow comes to him seeking justice, he eventually does as she asks for fear that she will otherwise assault him! 

In the time of Jesus, most disputes were taken to one of the elders but civil matters were dealt with by judges appointed by Herod or the Romans. They were notoriously corrupt and lazy, with bribes and threats often resulting, so a seemingly defenceless widow would appear to stand little chance of justice without even a male relative to plead her case as was the custom then. However, she is clearly persistent and determined to be vindicated, when all parties presented and argued their own case themselves and the judge vindicated or decided the outcome, having listened to all involved. In this case, is the judge vindicating the widow because he believes she is right or for fear of an aassault and because he doesn’t want to be worn out by her continual appearances?

The widow wins her case through her sheer persistence and Jesus makes it clear that this is what the parable is about. He likens God to a judge who, unlike the unjust judge, will listen to those who call to him and deal fairly with them – justice will quickly prevail with him. But God will not force or bribe people – he will wait patiently for them to come to him and persist in asking for his intervention. And so those who come to him must trust that, when they make their case, this will happen through their persistence in prayer. However, that is hard and prayer is not always answered in the way or time anticipated so will those coming to him be tempted to give up and perhaps opt out of the demands of the Gospel? As Jesus says, will faith be found on earth at the Last Judgement? 

This parable contrasts sharply with the ongoing case being made in the court of public opinion over Prince Andrew and the consequences of his involvement with the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Following recent evidence that he was not honest about when their association ended, this has lead to doubts about other actions and comments the Prince had previously made and suggestions that, as he continues to protest his innocence, he should testify in a court of law in America, as requested, since he would have nothing to fear.

Andrew is now being called the banned Old Duke of York, rather than the Grand Old Duke of York as in the nursery rhyme. This may refer to Prince Frederick the Duke of York and Albany, second son of George III and Commander-in-Chief of the British Army who, in 1794, was forced to retreat during the Flanders Campaign and may have lead his troops up and then down a hill in Cassel, France. In the complexity of this ongoing situation today and its consequences for the Prince personally as well as the Royal Family, it seems as if the now former Duke of York has retreated from public life permanently and that there may yet be further challenges to his title and reputation as the police, lawyers and media persist with their investigations. 

The Prince has already been termed persona non-garter following his withdrawal from the Order of the Garter and one of the considerations is whether, with the enormous amount of allegations and speculation, he would be able ever to have a fair trial. But, in the blaze of publicity about the Prince, are the ordeals of the young women allegedly abused and trafficked by Epstein and his circle on so great a scale being ignored? 

However, concerns are also mounting that the publication of the posthumous memoir by Virginia Giuffre this week will eclipse the historic meeting  between King Charles, the Supreme Governor of the Church of England and Pope Leo, the Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church – there have been various meetings over the years, but both will pray together for the first time since the Reformation. Amidst the divisive issues swirling around the controversies over his brother Andrew, whose actions have had to be judged by the King, this symbolic reconciliation may be undermined. Jesus himself was also caught up in similar controversy: “What is truth?” asked Pilate, as Jesus appeared before him at his trial. Whatever the disputed truth of this matter, each of us may face events in our own lives where we also have to judge the accuracy of what is being said and done or strive for a just outcome. Jesus suggests that prayer is key and persistence essential – he asks then as now, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Could one appropriate and immediate response to Jesus’ challenge be to pray faithfully and persistently for all involved in and affected by the controversial and devastating events surrounding Prince Andrew as they continue to unfold?

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian. 

“Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.” Jesus, in Luke 17:11-19.

“Joy is more infectious than leprosy.” Baba Amte, who worked with lepers in India.

In today’s Gospel, Luke tells the story of ten lepers who approach Jesus as he is travelling through the border between Samaria and Galilee, a place where tensions still existed from ancient disputes between Samaritans and Jews to the extent that some preferred to take a longer route to avoid the area altogether. Today, that area is still disputed in the wider conflict ongoing in the Middle East although the peace proposals may bring some relief from the current hostilities. 

As Jesus enters a village, ten lepers call to him from a distance as they were bound to do according to the hygiene laws of their day, asking Jesus to show them mercy. In those days, leprosy was dreaded and Jews were expected to stay at least two metres away from anyone affected by it. Most were kept further away than that, with some people refusing to buy food in an area where there was leprosy and others throwing rocks to prevent lepers coming near. Lepers had to cry out that they were unclean if anyone approached and were alienated from their families, friends and communities until they were either cured or died a horrible death. As leprosy was thought in those days to be a punishment from God, lepers had to go to the priests for procedures to be carried out to establish whether actual leprosy was present or if other infectious diseases such as ringworm, psoriasis, smallpox and measles (which could look like leprosy in the early stages) were the cause of the skin infections. In doing so, the priests acted as some of the first public health officers in effect, with the disease being diagnosed by careful criteria outlined in Leviticus 13  and the priestly judgements being made not just for the infected person but for the safety of the community too. 

When he sees them, Jesus doesn’t ask anything of the lepers other than telling them to go and show themselves to the priests. As they comply with what he asks of them, all ten are healed – but only one goes back to thank Jesus for it. Ironically, he is the only Samaritan – the traditional enemies of the Jews, although the adversity the lepers shared seems to have led to him being accepted by the other nine as would not normally have been the case. Perhaps the other lepers were desperate to have the validation of their priests or to see their families and friends again – but Jesus does notice and he asks where the other nine are when the Samaritan returns and prostrates himself as a sign of humility and thankfulness. Jesus calls the leper a foreigner rather than an enemy and tells him to get up and go on his way. He enables the man to be integrated with others once more, cleansed of his leprosy and anything else that may be amiss, as Jesus tells him that his faith has made him well. 

In a place and time of exclusion, dreadful suffering and heartbreak, acceptance, healing and restoration find a way to overcome hatred and fear as enemy and outcast meet and begin to find hope in and through each other despite their differences. Despite – and perhaps because of – the terrible cost for all involved, may it begin to be so amidst the renewed efforts to establish a just settlement for peace throughout the Middle East today and in other places of violent conflict. Will it?

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian. 

“One sows and another reaps.” Jesus, in John 4:31-38.

“If you don’t like what you are reaping, you had better change what you have been sowing.” Jim Rohn, American entrepreneur and author.

Today is Homelessness Sunday and also Harvest Festival here. The age old celebration of the agricultural year comes from times when dependence on the land was far greater than it is today with the availability of freezers and fridges, cans and packets for storing food. However, changing habits also mean that it’s much easier to live on ready meals, convenience food or take-aways with less being stored accordingly – for a city like London, it’s suggested that it would only be six meals away from starvation if there was a disaster of some kind. Sadly, in places like Gaza, the consequences of disaster and war are only too evident with so many civilians suffering or dying from malnutrition, although the welcome news of a possible breakthrough in the peace proposals may now enable food and aid to reach the places and people where it’s most needed. 

The harvest here this year has varied due to the changing climate with root vegetables and grain being smaller due to lack of rain – the recent heavy downpours have come too late to make much difference in some areas – although the crops of berries, apples, pears and plums have been abundant. It’s a troubling time for many farmers, producers and gardeners, as for some councils where adverse decisions have had to be made regarding the continuation of allotments due to economic necessity, even though waiting lists for them are lengthy. 

It was in 1843 that the Reverend Robert Hawker began the celebration of Harvest Festival at his church in Morwenstow, Cornwall, this being linked to the practice of the Children of Israel at the Feast of Tabernacles when they were commanded to ‘..observe the festival of ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labour.’ Exodus 23:16. This was when booths or tabernacles were made from branches in remembrance of the time in the wilderness when food was scarce and thanks were given for the food and farming that developed when the Israelites reached the Promised Land. It’s thought that, in the days of Jesus, around 90% of time would be spent in growing or preparing food and the Gospels have many references to farming, harvest and the land. Today, Harvest Festival remains one of the occasions when people may consider coming to church or helping with the proceeds of what’s gathered for it and, due to local need, the foodstuffs, toiletries and money given at the service here will go to the local Food Bank which supports the homeless as well as those struggling to provide for themselves as well as their families.

Although traditionally a time of thanksgiving, there could be a bitter harvest following the proposed peace settlement in the Middle East, when the hope of peace and hostages being released is tinged with sorrow for many as some hostages are dead and the death rate on all sides has been great, as with the war between Russia and Ukraine. Bitterness may also be a consequence of the terrorism at the Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester whilst its members were marking Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. There are references to a bitter harvest in Isaiah 5, when sour grapes were being produced in God’s vineyard instead of the sweet fruit expected. In the first chapter of the book of Ruth, Naomi declares that she is to be called Mara, bitter, following the death of her husband and sons, as God “has dealt very bitterly with me.” After three days without water in the wilderness, the Israelites found only bitter water to drink at Marah and grumbled about it – in these situations, there was good reason for bitterness but, with perseverance and patience, faith and hope eventually prevailed. The same is true today – the challenge lies before us all in the face of terrorism, division and hardship to overcome bitterness and hatred with the hope of peace, justice and love. That requires hard work and, often, forgiveness and a change of heart as well as the will to want this to happen. As the fruits of our own lives, families and communities are considered in the face of national and world events, how can a bitter harvest become a better harvest? 

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian.

’Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, but they were defeated.’ Revelation 12: 7, 8.

‘Back into storyland giants have fled, And the knights are no more and the dragons are dead.’ From ‘When a knight won his spurs in the stories of old,’ the children’s hymn. 

Monday marks the feast day of Michael and All Angels. He is one of the three angels named in the Bible, the others being Gabriel and Raphael, and is described as the protector of Israel and leader of the armies of God. Michael is also trusted to protect Christians from the devil, especially at their death – hence the spiritual Michael, row the boat ashore, which was often sung by slaves to keep their hopes up and anticipate their safe transition to heaven. His name means ‘who is like God?’ and perhaps his most famous image is at Coventry Cathedral in Jacob Epstein’s 1958 sculpture St Michael’s Victory over the Devil where he is shown slaying the dragon in the Book of Revelation. There were apparently some initial objections to Epstein undertaking this on the grounds that he was a Jew, until the architect Basil Spence reminded them that so was Jesus Christ. Clearly, the dragons of prejudice and racism also needed slaying then, as well as today!

A red dragon, Y Ddraig Goch, is at the heart of the Welsh flag, a symbol that dates back to Roman times when the standard bearer of a cohort was called the draconarius and carried a golden staff with a dragon at the top. Celtic leaders were originally called dragons and ancient stories in the Mabinogion and elsewhere tell of a red and white dragon fighting each other underneath a fort at Dinas Emrys. The white dragon was defeated and the red dragon was then adopted by Welsh kings following the Roman withdrawal from Britain with leaders such as Owain Glyndŵr using the symbol of a golden dragon on a white background for his banner when he lead the rebellion against Henry IV. When Henry Tudor used a red dragon on the traditional colours of white and green to highlight his Welsh origins, and presented this at St Paul’s Cathedral after his defeat of Richard III at Bosworth in 1485, the dragon became established as the symbol of Wales. From then on, it was always depicted facing left when carried to appear to be advancing, rather than to the right implying retreat, although it wasn’t until 1959 that Elizabeth II decreed that it should be flown on public buildings throughout Wales rather than the Union Flag.

Today, this ancient emblem still represents the need for courage and strength – in life and not just on the battlefield. At a time when national flags are being flown on lampposts in some areas as symbols of exclusivity and division, there is still the need to ‘Let faith be my shield and let joy be my steed ‘Gainst the dragons of anger, the ogres of greed’ as the children’s hymn suggests. Modern dragons still come in many forms, representing evil or instilling fear and the temptation to give up. So, take heart from Archangel Michael who was not alone but had angels to support him – as did the devil in the Book of Revelation. In this complexity, the need to unite to battle wrongdoing, fear and prejudice still continues, and the Michaelmas daisies which bear Michael’s name at this time of year are reminders that love, hope and perseverance will eventually prove victorious now, as then.

With my prayers; pob bendith, Christine, Priest Guardian.

Dear All
You are invited to join a Zoom group linking America and Wales on Monday 13th October at 7.30pm when the distinguished American teacher of medieval literature Dr. Robert McMahon will lead a discussion of George Herbert’s Love III: Love bade me welcome. Yet my soul drew back… This is the final poem in Herbert’s collection The Temple, the third of his poems on Love, and it contains the whole Gospel in three stanzas.

Herbert was born in 1589 at Black Hall, Montgomery Castle and, after being elected Public Orator at Trinity College, Cambridge, later became MP for Montgomery from 1624-5. His poor health lead to him then serving as an Anglican priest at the age of 36 in Bemerton, Wiltshire where he died three years later, probably of consumption. Herbert’s poems were published posthumously in 1633 and he is regarded as one of the greatest lyric poets of the 17th Century. He is commemorated on the Herbert Memorial in St Nicholas’ Church, Montgomery.

Dr. McMahon has taught English and Comparative Literature (Dante) for many years, and has published books on St. Augustine, The Medieval Mystical Ascent (Augustine, Anselm, and Boethius), and Milton’s Paradise Lost. George Herbert is among the poets he most admires and McMahon’s exploration of the medieval astronomy that informs Herbert’s poem Coloss.3.3 was published in the George Herbert Journal in the late 1990s.

Robert and his wife, the herbalist and therapist Kim Orr, have a shrine to the saint as well as a sanctuary for rabbits and hares, Melangell’s Garden, in their grounds in Colorado, USA where they form Melangell West, the unofficial long-distance extension of St Melangell’s! Kim is a regular correspondent on St Melangell’s website and wrote the text for the Diocesan prayer card circulated for St Melangell’s feast day in 2021. Four Americans and three Brits collaborated for that to happen and it is hoped that the same collaboration will underpin this Zoom. So, please plan to spend an hour or so with us reading and discussing the poem as we explore what it says, how it contains the Gospel, and what it implies through its echoes of the New Testament.

If you’d like to participate in this, please register with Karen, St Melangell’s Administrator, by contacting her at admin@stmelangell.org or on 01691 860408.

Today celebrates St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist and is also UN World Peace Day with a call to prayer being issued by the World Council of Churches. It’s also World Gratitude Day and, alongside the prayer requested particularly for the Middle East, the evangelist and broadcaster J.John has written a reflection on gratitude which was sent to me with the suggestion that it could be circulated. So, here it is – sent with gratitude for it and my prayers!

Christine, Priest Guardian.

Gratitude: The Attitude That Changes Everything

Sunday 21st September is World Gratitude Day.

Gratitude is not just polite manners; it’s powerful medicine. It is like oxygen for the soul: we don’t thrive without it. We are, as it were, hard-wired to say ‘thank you’ not just to people, but to someone beyond ourselves.

And here’s the awkward question for the atheist: if you don’t believe in God, who do you thank when you see a glorious sunset, hear a newborn baby’s cry, or survive a near miss on the motorway? Nature isn’t listening. Evolution isn’t either. But heaven is.

Gratitude is riches; ingratitude is poverty. Gratitude is contagious so let’s spread it!

Gratitude is good for us

Gratitude is a gift that blesses both the giver and the receiver. It’s a mood booster, a perspective shifter and a spiritual disinfectant.

Anger struggles to take root in a thankful heart. Try being furious while singing, ‘Thank you, Lord!’ – it doesn’t work. Gratitude doesn’t change the situation, but it changes us in the situation. Very few disputes begin with, ‘I just want to say how grateful I am . . .’

Pride resists gratitude because it refuses to admit dependence. But gratitude is humility in action, saying, ‘I need others and I need God.’

The Bible says, ‘Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall’ (Proverbs 16:18 NIV). Gratitude is the parent of all virtues because it recognises that we are not self-made.

Envy wilts when gratitude flourishes. Gratitude says, ‘I am content with what I have.’ Adam and Eve had paradise but discontentment made them reach for the one fruit they didn’t have. Gratitude would have saved them and us a lot of trouble.

Psychologists now confirm what Scripture has always taught: grateful people are happier, healthier and more hopeful. People today talk about mindfulness. I say, try thankfulness – it works!

Gratitude is good for others

Gratitude is love in its simplest form. It costs nothing, yet it can make someone’s day.

A word of thanks turns a tedious job into a worthwhile one. Gratitude oils the gears of marriage, family and friendship. Withholding gratitude dries up relationships. No wonder so many managers and leaders lose people not because of pay, but because of their inability to say, ‘Thank you.’

A thankless heart divides. A grateful heart unites. Gratitude doesn’t just make  you  better, it makes us better.

Gratitude is good before God

For Christians, gratitude is not optional but essential. We serve a God who made us, loves us, redeemed us in Christ and fills us with his Holy Spirit. We are people of thanksgiving!

‘Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise’ (Psalm 100:4 NIV).

‘Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!’ (2 Corinthians 9:15 NIV).

‘Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances’ (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV)

‘By prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God’ (Philippians 4:6 NIV).

And just peek at Revelation – heaven resounds with thankfulness! We’d better start rehearsing now. Gratitude isn’t just for today; it’s training for eternity.

Of course, gratitude does not mean pretending everything is fine. The world is broken, but when we give thanks to God, we celebrate the light in the midst of the darkness. Gratitude doesn’t deny pain, it defies it.

Practising gratitude

Gratitude needs nurturing. Our culture is self-obsessed and over-busy. People are quick to demand their rights but slow to express thanks. Yet gratitude has a lot going for it. It frees us from toxic emotions, strengthens relationships and aligns us with God’s will.

Gratitude is not a day in the diary but a lifestyle for eternity.

A heart response

Lord, thank you for the gift of life, for the people who bless us and above all for Jesus, the greatest gift of all. Forgive us for the times we complain more than we praise, grumble more than we thank. Teach us the rhythm of rejoicing, the discipline of thanksgiving and the joy of contentment. May gratitude flow from our lips, our hearts and our lives, so that those around us may glimpse your goodness through us. Amen.

When we thank God, we stop staring at what we lack and start celebrating what we already have. Gratitude is not simply an attitude – it is the attitude that changes everything.

J.John

jjohn.com

”Which of you….does not….go after the one that is lost until he finds it?” Jesus, in today’s Gospel Luke 15:1-10.

“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” John Dewey, American scholar.

Today is Education Sunday, coinciding with the start of the new academic term for those in education of any sort. It’s a challenging time for students and teachers alike with issues such as increases in university fees, shortages of nursery places, difficulties with crumbling buildings and controversies over the legacy of Covid causing social and mental health issues for some with the use of mobile phones and the accessibility of the dark web all contributing to the complexity of education today. Equally, Oxford and Cambridge are amongst the world’s leading universities and today’s school students have a range of opportunities not available to those of previous generations who were taught with chalk and talk. Just as discipline is sometimes criticised as being too lax today, so it has been not only severe but occasionally dangerous in bygone times – I was in various classes where chalk or the wooden blackboard rubber was thrown across the room at a rowdy pupil and narrowly missed being hit in the head by one when I turned at the wrong time!

One of the earliest instances in Jesus’ life shows him, unbeknownst to his parents, staying behind after a visit with his family to Jerusalem so that he could listen to the Rabbis in the Temple, learn from them and ask them questions (Luke 2:41-51). Jesus was often called ‘Rabbi’ or ‘Teacher’ as he taught his disciples and the crowds who flocked to hear him – he also told his followers to let the children come to him (Matthew 19:14). The church followed his example down the centuries through monasteries, universities and schools and, here in Wales, the circulating schools were developed in the eighteenth century by Revd Griffith Jones so that a group of children could be taught to read the Bible and could then pass this learning on to others. This was remarkably successful in establishing early literacy, often in the Welsh language, and Sunday Schools also became a means of teaching the young. The church is still involved in education today, as are other faiths, and these schools are not without critics as well as supporters. 

It’s in this context that this week’s murder of the right wing activist Charlie Kirk at a debate on the campus of Utah Valley University assumes a chilling context, occurring in a setting where free speech is usually lauded. The comments about this made by the President-elect of the Oxford Union also seemed to contradict free speech in an academic setting where considered debate is normally paramount, although these remarks were later withdrawn. Kirk’s right wing and conservative views led him to debate freely with those who opposed him and, as such, he  was an open target for Tyler Robinson to assassinate. Ironically, in trying to silence the voice with which he disagreed, Robinson has created a wider platform for Kirk’s message to be heard, with some terming him a martyr as outrage at his murder spread across social media and as his defiant widow and others vowed to continue and develop his work. 

Robinson himself had been a successful pupil and was in the third year of an electrical apprenticeship, seeming to be a promising student. However, there is a world of difference between schooling, learning and education and although he had good prospects Robinson chose to become a murderer. He may well pay a heavy price for it as calls begin for him to face the death penalty for one of the most significant political killings in recent US history.

Today is also Holy Cross Day, when the means of a terrible death eventually became a symbol of hope and peace and when the life intended to be snuffed out was transformed into a new way of being and living. Jesus speaks in today’s Gospel of seeking the lost and so may Charlie Kirk’s family, friends and organisation Turning Point, having reached out to so many young people as they seek their way in life, discover that they also find the care and support they now need from the Good Shepherd and those around them in their own devastating loss. Will this become a turning point for all involved or will it accelerate the tensions that are obvious in the UK as well as America, clearly shown in the violent and divisive demonstrations in Whitehall yesterday? 

Nelson Mandela suggested that, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” At this time of such profound change, life itself has much to teach us – what are we learning and passing on to the generations to come?

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian.

“Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.” Jesus, in today’s Gospel Luke 14:25-33.

“A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd.” Max Lucado.

In last week’s reflection, I mentioned an incident in my childhood and then suggested that Sir Ed Davey is the leader of the Liberal Party – its name when I was growing up! Today, the party is called the Liberal Democrats and has been since its foundation in 1988 when the Liberal Party merged with the Social Democratic Party – going back in time can affect not only perceptions of yesteryear but current memory too. 

The same is true with regard to the Gospel today, which seems to be contrary both to today’s standards and also Jesus’ command then to love God, neighbour and self. He refers to hating family and even life itself in order to follow him, which may sound extreme now but is actually a Rabbinic way of making a point, meaning to love less. Jesus suggests that following him and carrying the cross if necessary is to be preferred above all other considerations, including family. He makes the point with an illustration about checking the cost before starting to build a tower to ensure that it can be afforded and then a second example of a king who must first consider whether he has sufficient soldiers to be able to go to war with his opponent or must seek peace instead. Jesus then says, ”So, therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not renounce all your possessions.”

In the King James Version, renounce is translated as forsaketh, meaning to bid farewell. Jesus is telling those listening to him that they must be ready to bid farewell to all that is dear to them in order to follow him, words that many may struggle to hear and yet, Luke says that large crowds were following him. Why would they do this when what he says is so challenging?

Jesus had been performing many miracles and often speaking to the crowds around him who had heard of this preacher, his healing and stories and were interested enough to follow him. But perhaps it was the spectacle and excitement they sought, rather than costly commitment to his teaching. Putting family first was a priority in the time of Jesus and so it would have been difficult to hear his words about loving them less but the suggestion of carrying the cross would have been shocking for, in those days, that would have been done by criminals carrying the means of their death to the place of execution. Jesus warns the crowds that they might be humiliated, shamed or put to death through a commitment to him, as would be shown later by his own suffering and death in response to what was asked of him. Even possessions must be given up, if necessary – hardly an attractive proposition then, or now.

This may not be asked of all his followers, but there are many places the world over where home and family have been left behind and where suffering, violence and death may seem to dominate in the struggle for freedom, justice and peace. The teaching of Jesus is challenging but is also a reminder to sit lightly to worldly priorities and to consider his call on our lives spiritually. It was so for Melangell, who renounced her heritage to follow another path and was at prayer, so the story goes, when the hare ran to her for sanctuary and the encounter with Prince Brochwel began. It has been so in the lives of many down the ages and 405 years ago, on 6th September, the Pilgrims did just that, leaving Plymouth for a hazardous voyage on the Mayflower to America in search of a new life of religious freedom, renouncing all that was familiar and forsaking their old way of life. Careful planning was needed, much was demanded of them, some died and harsh conditions were faced on arrival – but they found what they sought and also established what became the United States. 

In a week when crowds have been much in evidence, gathering at the start of the political conference season, protesting about migrants in Epping or about the situation in the Middle East in Westminster, there may be times when it’s important to be part of those crowds seeking change or perhaps opposing what is sometimes being demanded. But, despite the songs and chants of protest, it’s important also at times to stand alone and apart – Jesus suggests that his is the voice to which attention must be paid, a call that can easily be drowned out by noise and commotion, and that careful planning and consideration is also needed for what will be. Perhaps, as for those Pilgrims, there are things to be renounced, forsaken or embraced if we truly are to follow and be involved with the teaching of Jesus today and not just be part of the crowd observing the spectacle of his ministry?

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian.