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Reflection for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity – Sea Sunday.

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Jesus, in today’s Gospel Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30. 

‘Sunset and evening star and one clear call for me! And may there be no moaning of the bar when I put out to sea.’ From Tennyson’s poem ‘Crossing the Bar’.

Today is Sea Sunday and it might seem strange to be celebrating it in this landlocked place but all of us are more dependent on seafarers than perhaps we realise. Over 1.5 million seafarers transport over 90% of the world’s goods and, when the various navies, and rescue services are taken into account, our daily lives and the economy are affected by people we don’t know and of whom we are largely unaware. Their lives, and those of their families, can be adversely affected by the conditions in which they work as they are often away from home for long periods of time – sometimes up to a year – which can create feelings of loneliness and depression. Shore leave was often not possible during the pandemic and increasing costs can mean that fewer crew members are employed and have to work longer hours, which can lead to fatigue. It’s important to remember them, especially when supply issues have been a factor recently, with consequences for producers and seafarers as well as consumers. 

Nowadays, huge container ships and enormous naval vessels are capable of great enterprises but, in the time of Jesus, the small wooden boats he would have known nevertheless helped to convey the Gospel to all parts of the world. There are many stories of Jesus using boats and dealing with the weather as well as the missionary voyages of Paul being mapped in the Acts of the Apostles. They were not always straightforward and there are Biblical accounts of disagreements such as that between Paul and Barnabas, who eventually separated and took the Gospel in different directions. They wouldn’t have been sailing for long compared to modern seafarers and so the work of chaplains in the ports today can be very important for welfare concerns. 

One example of this is of a ship recently arriving in North East England with 22 seafarers aboard. When a team visited from the Roman Catholic welfare charity Stella Maris, it was clear that all was not well and their report reads: “It transpired that the crew was under huge mental and physical strain. One confided that, during the voyage to Teesport from the USA, he had only been getting two hours sleep a night because he was so stressed and overworked. He was also concerned that the crew were no longer able to operate the vessels safely as they were all exhausted.” Stella Maris Sea Sunday.

The relevant authorities were notified by Stella Maris and a vessel detention notice was served, so that seafarers could go ashore to recover and 11 were later repatriated. The rest of which Jesus spoke for those who are burdened was provided in his name by the team checking the welfare of those seafarers and it’s a reminder that the cost of our goods and supplies is even greater than we sometimes realise.

The church where I served after ordination had a Rector who owned a narrow boat and he arranged to butty it up with a barge to take the youth group away for a week on the canals. The only person who fell in during the whole time was me and, as my feet touched the slimy mud at the bottom and the filthy waters came up to my neck, I knew that I was dependent on someone else rescuing me as I couldn’t do it myself. What was so disconcerting was the prolonged laughter of all aboard but I was eventually pulled into the barge by those aboard and all was well. When it was time for me to move later on, the Rector reported to the Bishop that my curacy had been successful in all aspects – except seamanship!

He was joking, but every church is also a boat, an ark of salvation where safe passage is offered through the storms of life with Jesus at the helm and the worshippers as the crew – or, sometimes, mutineers! The congregation sits in the nave from the Latin word navis for boat and there are times for all of us when we’ll be dependent on others for our rescue or welfare – and they on us. Perhaps the words of Tennyson’s poem about the voyage we’ll all have to make when crossing from this world to the next are relevant for those who come to mind this Sea Sunday:

“For tho’ from out our bourne of Time and Place the flood may bear me far,

I hope to see my Pilot face to face when I have crost the bar.” Crossing the Bar.

With my prayers; pob bendith

Christine, Priest Guardian.

”Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.” Jesus, in St Matthew 10:40-42. 

’The whirligig of time brings in his revenges.’ Shakespeare, in Twelfth Night, Act 5.



Soon after I came to St Melangell’s, having woken up early in the morning I decided to do some messy chores in old clothes before beginning my duties as Guardian. I was clearing out the ashes in the wood burner when the pan slipped and my scruffy jeans became covered in what fell out. I was also aware of several sooty smuts on my face but was about to have a shower and thought nothing of it. Before I’d had chance even to wash my hands, there was a knock at the door. I thought it might be my neighbour but, to my consternation, there stood a Russian Orthodox priest in formal dress, even with buckles on his shoes. “Good morning.” he said. “You must be the housekeeper. Is the Guardian at home?”

My welcome of him was clearly not as anticipated! In the Gospel today, Jesus is giving his twelve disciples instructions for what lies ahead and he speaks of being welcomed by those to whom they are sent. Jesus tells them that their welcome includes him and the one who sent him. The difficulty about being welcomed, however, is whether or not the caller comes at a time when the host is ready for them and one of the lessons I learned from my early visitor is always to expect the unexpected here. That includes the late arrival at 9.30pm one night of a party of Greeks – their minibus had broken down and they had to be in London the next morning but were determined to see St Melangell’s before they drove through the night to catch up with their schedule. They were cold, hungry and fed up – but insistent that they must pray at the shrine. As they held their service, I made them something to eat and it was well after midnight when they left, by now tired but happy that they had been able to pray here. Their dedication in doing this was impressive and a welcome change at a time when churches are having to be closed or made redundant through lack of support. 

The pandemic meant that, instead of being welcoming of one another, caution was the order of the day and this is still having its consequences for some. However, other ways were found of being welcoming online or at a distance and these are also having their influence. Each balances the other and, as Shakespeare writes in Twelfth Night, “The whirligig of time brings in his revenges.” A whirligig is a spinning toy going round and round, a reminder that what goes around comes around in life too. The opportunities to welcome others – or not – and be welcomed by them creates the chance also to welcome Jesus and the one who sent him – whether ready or not! 

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine

“Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light.” Jesus in today’s Gospel, Matthew 10:24-39.

“I read an article that said there are three words in the English language that are known throughout the planet. And that’s ‘Coca-Cola’’, ‘God’ and ‘Titanic’. Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate, who perished aboard Titan.

The words of Jesus have an added significance in light of the disappearance of Titan, the submersible owned by OceanGate, which was recently lost in darkness as those aboard tried to descend to the wreck of the Titanic on the sea bed 3,800 metres below. It’s now thought that a catastrophic implosion instantly killed the five men inside not long after their descent but, for a while, banging noises picked up by those attempting a rescue seemed to imply that there might be hope. That was not the case, but what was impressive was the way that Canadian, American, French and British ships and technology were provided in an international search which eventually found the debris that was proof that all hope of a rescue had gone. That co-operation will continue as the wreckage is brought up from the darkness of the seabed and pieced together in the light as experts try to decide what caused this and investigations begin. As the family of Hamish Harding commented, “If we can take any small consolation from this tragedy, it’s that we lost him doing what he loved. We know that Hamish would have been immensely proud to see how nations, experts, industry colleagues and friends came together for the search and we extend our heartfelt thanks for all their efforts.” 

By contrast, those whose loved ones perished when a boat overloaded with migrants sank in the waters off the coast of Greece find themselves in a very different situation. Some were rescued but hundreds are still missing and their bodies may never be found, like those aboard the Titan. However, the wealthy tourists on the submersible had been able to afford to pay $250,000 each for their trip whereas many migrants had borrowed heavily to fund their passage and, in one family, seven members of it were missing. Those left now have huge debts to repay but without the income from the new lives being anticipated by those who perished. With the alleged reluctance of the Greek authorities to respond to what was unfolding when it became clear the vessel was in difficulty and the complexity of international responses to illegal immigration, what will now happen to those so adversely affected?

Jesus suggests that what is covered up will be uncovered and that what happens in the dark will be told when the light reveals it. As investigations continue, so the debris on the seabed will tell the story of what happened when it’s pieced together in daylight and examined – a great deal might then be uncovered. Both those aboard Titan and on the migrant boat were aware of the risks they were taking and presumably judged them to be worth it. In these instances, the outcomes were not as hoped but they still show a great deal about what is valued in life – even though the Titanic has now claimed five more souls and Coca-Cola is ahead of God in word recognition! 

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Guardian.





‘“Your wife Sarah shall have a son.” Now Abraham and Sarah were old….. So Sarah laughed.’ An accurate prophecy in Genesis 18:1-15, despite Sarah’s disbelief.

“Grace and her friend, they fell together, and you just need to be friends with everyone. You need to love everyone and I wish we had more of it…. She loved being here and she loved all of you….you should all feel very blessed.” Sanjoy Kumar, father of one of the murdered students in Nottingham. 

Today is Father’s Day, an American tradition that has its origins in a mining tragedy in 1908 when a service was held to commemorate the 362 men who were killed in West Virginia, leaving widows and over 1,000 children. So it seems appropriate that it’s marked today in the light of so many family tragedies occurring the world over this week. Over 500 people, 100 children amongst them, are missing from a boat full of migrants that sank off the Greek coast; the death toll in the warfare between Russia and Ukraine has been proved by the BBC to be much higher than originally thought; a family has been found dead in a Hounslow flat; three people have been killed and others injured in Nottingham – so many parents and children killed, so much pain and grief to endure. Moreover, the families of those killed in war or lost at sea off Greece may never know where their loved ones are or be able to afford to have their bodies back to bury – a terrible fate for them all to have to live with as desperate risks are taken in the hope of a better life. 

Yet alongside this are the words of hope spoken by the parents and children of those who died in Nottingham. The son of school site manager Ian Coates, who was a valued member of staff, spoke of the simple things he enjoyed, his grandchildren, fishing and supporting Nottingham Forest football club. Ian was coming up to retirement and the two students aged 19 were just completing their first year of study. So much loss, so much possibility for rage or bitterness – and yet, Grace’s mother urged those listening, “Please hold no hate that relates to any colour, sex or religion” while her father spoke of Grace being a blessing. What courage in the face of devastation, a deliberate choice to love and break the cycle of violence that could otherwise have increased. We who have choices where so many do not are blessed in having those options, hard as they may be make. 

That was also reflected in the life of Jesus, who taught his followers to pray Our Father and not My Father and urged them to love one another until he, too, was murdered. His death, stabbed by the nails and spear of the soldiers, was accompanied by the words, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) That sacrificial love eventually led to resurrection and the hope that death will not have the last word. May it be so in all places where fathers and mothers, sons and daughters grieve and have the choice to be able to show such grace and courage as in Nottingham this week. And may doubters such as Abraham and Sarah, who understandably laughed at the idea that she could have a child in her old age, dare to believe that blessings and heartfelt longings can still be fulfilled whether in anguish or joy and at the start or nearing the end of life’s adventure. 

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Guardian.

Sent from my iPad

 

‘A good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.’ Description of Barnabas in Acts 11:24.

‘Rescuing someone who continues to make poor choices is not called love. It’s called enabling. Stop enabling and refuse to be a safety net, so they can grow up.’ 

Reach Out Recovery.

For some time after the Covid pandemic, people were understandably afraid of close contact and gatherings where they thought they might still be at risk. In today’s Epistle it’s clear that, although he’d had a conversion experience on the road to Damascus, the early Christians were still afraid of Saul of Tarsus, who had persecuted them. In Acts 9:26, they doubt that he really has changed his mind and become a follower. Their fear is understandable and it’s Barnabas who convinces them that Saul really has converted to the emerging faith. Barnabas prepares the way for Saul’s acceptance and his later ministry, when he goes to look for Saul (Acts 11:25) and bring him to Antioch where the disciples were first called Christians. He becomes known as the enabler or encourager, which is what the name Barnabas means. 

However, although the two men embark on their first missionary journey with Barnabas’ cousin John Mark to help them, they later have a disagreement about him. The argument is sharp – Paul seems to have had concerns about Mark deserting them in Pamphylia and perhaps Barnabas felt the need to support his family member. It means that they split up with Saul, now Paul, taking Silas to Syria and Barnabas going with Mark to Cyprus. Perhaps it’s a help to know that there were arguments between Christians then just as there are today, but what’s clear is that neither man allows their difference to prevent their outreach continuing. Both Paul and Barnabas enable the evangelism to continue and their separation actually means that the Gospel was then spread in two different directions because of the way they handled the situation. Would t’were so more often!

Today, ‘enabling’ can have a different meaning when used in addictive contexts. As Reach Out Recovery indicates, it’s possible to cover for someone in addiction in the mistaken belief that this is supportive whereas it may actually delay the facing of reality and possible recovery. Perhaps there are situations in our own circumstances where this has happened or a row has created division and, if so, take heart. Paul and Silas were commended by the church at Antioch with no commendation for Barnabas and Mark but perhaps Barnabas’ decision enabled a second chance for his cousin as Paul later wrote, “Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful in my ministry.” (2 Tim. 4:11) 

As Mark was given a second chance perhaps we, or someone we know, deserve one too. If that was considered, would it be enabling as in the example of Barnabas the encourager or perhaps in the context of Reach Out Recovery? And in view of political events now unfolding: would the outcome apply to Boris Johnson, Donald Trump and all the other politicians involved or not?!

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Guardian. 



“Go…and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”  Jesus, in today’s Gospel Matthew 28:16-20.

‘Too often the Church has presented the process of a person becoming a Christian as joining the Church and adding Jesus to their team.…. They have gained a heavenly supporters’ club of the Holy Trinity and the angels. This is consumer Christianity but it‘s not discipleship.’ John McGinley in ‘The Church of Tomorrow.’ 

Today, Trinity Sunday, is the beginning of what is often called Ordinary Time after the great festivals that precede it. It’s a time when Christians celebrate the complex mystery of love at the heart of God, three persons and one God of community and in relationship. This is a God of unity who calls his followers to be in relationship and unified where, often, division or separation prevails when allowed to.

Matthew’s Gospel states that, as the eleven disciples go to the mountain in Galilee as Jesus directed, they worshipped Jesus but some doubted. Perhaps it heartens us to realise that even those who were close to him had difficulty in understanding what was happening, just as we may wrestle with faith today. It may also be a comfort to know that nevertheless, in the words of the Great Commission, Jesus tells those same disciples to go and make disciples using a Trinitarian baptism. Jesus does not choose perfect people but people with imperfect pasts and habits – like you and me. 

When this commission happens, Jesus does not tell his followers to make people come to synagogue or go to church – they are to go to make disciples wherever they happen to be. In ordering them to do this, the command is given in the name of God the unseen source of all and reveals Jesus as the missionary God who in turn sends out his followers as witnesses filled with the breath of life that is God the Holy Spirit. Those of us who worship in buildings that may contain the focus of our faith need to remember that love can’t be constrained by them – as well as noting the event in Matthew 28:15. There, the story is told that, after the resurrection, the guards at the tomb were paid off and ordered to say that his disciples had come to steal Jesus’ body during the night. They took the money and kept silent as they were told – with the exception of at least one of them who spoke about this. As a result, ‘This story is still told amongst Jews to this day.’ 

What if that soldier or the disciples had kept quiet then – and what if we do now, when called to share the good news and be the good news today?

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Guardian. 

Pentecost is the 50th day after Easter, a time when the Holy Spirit came to the first disciples and when Peter addressed the crowd drawn by what was happening. The event in Acts is a great contrast to what happens in the Gospel of John when Jesus appears to his frightened followers on the day of resurrection, simply breathes on them and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Jesus also gives them power to forgive sin, an amazing advance for his fallible followers who so often misunderstood, denied and forsaken him.

By contrast, rather than the breath of the Holy Spirit, the noise of a rushing, mighty wind is heard in Acts, a noise so loud it fills the entire house where the disciples are. Tongues, as of fire, confer the Holy Spirit on the disciples who begin to speak in a different language which can be understood by the crowds from many nations who have gathered outside, amazed that they can each understand what is being said.

The effect on the disciples is immediate – they leave their safe place and Peter’s sermon to the crowd testifies that, “Everyone who believes in the name of the Lord shall be saved.” The work of the church has begun!

The account in John’s Gospel spends only four verses in describing the coming of the Holy Spirit with the rest of chapter two being given to Peter’s address. There is no time to ponder what has happened – but now, rather than the disciples who are bewildered, disbelieving and astounded, it’s the crowd that struggles to understand and even thinks the disciples may be drunk. The gift of the Holy Spirit means that the disciples have become witnesses as Jesus had said. They know how much they have been forgiven and now they have the power to forgive others – Peter’s sermon urges those who listen to him to repent and John tells us that many wonders and signs happened, with people sharing their possessions and their food as a new way of life began.

And so it is for us because, whether we have a Christian faith or not, we also have power. Power to make a difference to our own lives and the lives of others. Power to forgive when we could condemn. Power to find common ground rather than look for separation. Or not, as illustrated by the power issues being played out in the ongoing dispute about presenters on ITV’s This Morning.

Melangell, as a woman of her day, didn’t have power – or did she? Being born into a wealthy family conferred status and leaving her family, choosing so different a way of life and living on her own shows a determined mind set, one that took action for change rather than just longed for things to be different. Melangell certainly showed the soft power so often talked about in political circles in the face of possibly escalating conflict with Prince Brochwel and both draw the best from each other as the valley becomes a place of sanctuary, healing and hospitality through Brochwel’s generosity in giving Melangell this part of the valley to build a church and, as sisters join her, a community is established of which she becomes abbess. Power in so many forms making a difference to lives then and today –  the power of love, the power of Pentecost and the breath of life itself.

Thanks be to God for the Holy Spirit, the gift of love, and the power to make a difference for good in our generation as did Melangell and Brochwel in theirs.

With my prayers; pob bendith,
Christine, Guardian.

“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you.” Jesus in today’s Gospel, John 17:1-11

‘Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.’ Confucius. 

One of the most touching images in the media recently was that of two former Rugby League players taking part in a marathon which raised over four million pounds for Motor Neurone Disease. Both had played for Leeds Rhinos and England but now Rob Burrow was being pushed around the course by his former team mate Kevin Sinfield. After 26 miles through Leeds, Kevin stopped the wheelchair and picked up the helpless Rob, raising him up so that they could cross the finishing line together. Rob later used his electronic voice to say that it was the happiest day of his life – what courage, what friendship and what a glorious end to the first Rob Burrows Marathon for MND!

Two thousand years earlier, another glorious ending took place as a broken body was raised up when Jesus was crucified. As he entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, Jesus declared, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified,” (John 12:23-24) and, as Judas left the Last Supper to betray him, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him.” (13:31) These words referring to glory are not before the Ascension but the crucifixion itself, that terrible end which nevertheless reveals divine power through the depths of love. 

The crucifixion led on to resurrection and ascension, when Jesus returned to the heavenly glory whence he came. Both he and his followers had to accept the parting this involved and, to the very end, Jesus was blessing and encouraging the disciples.(Luke 24:51) But Jesus did not just abandon those who had struggled to understand what was happening – he told them to wait for the power from on high which enabled them to return to Jerusalem with great joy (Luke 24:52) as they waited for this. The story is familiar to us, and we know that the Holy Spirit did indeed come to them at Pentecost and transformed those diffident disciples into powerful witnesses to the love and glory of God in the world. But, at the time, those followers had to believe Jesus and wait trustingly for this to happen – as we face loss, uncertainty or the temptation to be downhearted in our lives today, perhaps we have to do the same, trusting that the power from on high will enable us to rise above the challenges that beset us in our generation so that God’s glory and love can be visible in our lives and world today, too. 

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Guardian.