Congratulations to the Archbishop of Canterbury
for taking on Wonga loans even if I've already been stopped and asked when St
Giles is starting to give villagers credit!
A one line letter to the Guardian letter on Monday read: ‘The Archbishop is in danger of giving the church a good name.’
A one line letter to the Guardian letter on Monday read: ‘The Archbishop is in danger of giving the church a good name.’
Is it possible that the world's
Christian leaders are managing to counter that weapon of mass distraction,
homosexuality and the Church, to address something which finds common cause with
many?
That the largest Eucharist in
history should bring 3 million to Copacabana beach last Sunday is again
connected with the visits of Pope Francis to Rio's favelas to engage with the
poor.
Well done both leaders. As some of you know I have recently been privileged to receive a favourable message from the Pope following an open letter I read to him on Premier Christian Radio.
Keeping the big picture before those being led is the role of any leader in or outside of Christianity. I know the Archbishop and Pope have a joint Anglican Communion - Roman Catholic scheme to be launched this autumn which harnesses Christian energies to alleviate world poverty which is big picture stuff.
Today's Gospel is one of many passages in the Bible concerned with misuse of wealth which remind us that Our Lord had much more to say about the misuse of wealth than the misuse of sex. No doubt sexual sin can separate you from God but, as our reading from Luke indicates, so can the greedy use of wealth. St Luke's Gospel is famous for its highlighting Our Lord's engagement with material poverty and criticism of the rich.
The parable of the Rich Fool in Luke Chapter 12 needs little explanation. It speaks of self centredness expressed in material terms with a warning that 'one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions'. Pulling down barns to build larger barns the rich man congratulates himself. 'Soul, you have ample goods...eat, drink and be merry.' But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you....so it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God'.
What does it mean to be rich towards God?
It means seeing a loss of self interest that equips you to see the big picture - God's picture - whereby your gifts are consecrated for the good of all and most notably those on the sharp end of things.
In the Old Testament Joseph build barns for Pharaoh not to serve himself but to serve lean years ahead in Egypt. In building those barns he also profited, if you read Genesis, through a family reconciliation as the world's hungry came to Joseph.
Material goods are given by the creator primarily to bless those in his image and to fit them for his glory. This is what the priest affirms when he takes bread and wine on our behalf this morning. 'Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, through your goodness we have this bread and wine to offer which earth has given and human hands have prepared. They will become our spiritual food and drink.' In the Eucharist we protest against the selfish use of material things and direct our whole life, including our bank accounts, to God's praise and service. Our standing orders to St Giles, or the money we put in the envelopes, is evidence of true worship and God centredness.
Being rich towards God is about using our time, talents and possessions to build relationship with God and neighbour. Of course our immediate family is a main priority - the rich man in the Gospel may have had them in mind - but that priority isn't to the detriment of the people around us awaiting a material blessing from us at home or abroad. The charitable giving we provide to Guyana, Tanzania, Mozambique and Romania as well as Family Support, Children's Society and so on as a Church also balances what we give directly to God's work through Christian stewardship at St Giles.
Christian work in this place will be eroded unless we pay for a priest.
This morning's Gospel has a challenge far more profound than to our use of money though. It draws attention to our mortality in a vivid wake up call to put people and relationships before the pursuit of material things
I want to end by reading a brief meditation from Fr Anthony De Mello which is a last word in more sense than one.
Well done both leaders. As some of you know I have recently been privileged to receive a favourable message from the Pope following an open letter I read to him on Premier Christian Radio.
Keeping the big picture before those being led is the role of any leader in or outside of Christianity. I know the Archbishop and Pope have a joint Anglican Communion - Roman Catholic scheme to be launched this autumn which harnesses Christian energies to alleviate world poverty which is big picture stuff.
Today's Gospel is one of many passages in the Bible concerned with misuse of wealth which remind us that Our Lord had much more to say about the misuse of wealth than the misuse of sex. No doubt sexual sin can separate you from God but, as our reading from Luke indicates, so can the greedy use of wealth. St Luke's Gospel is famous for its highlighting Our Lord's engagement with material poverty and criticism of the rich.
The parable of the Rich Fool in Luke Chapter 12 needs little explanation. It speaks of self centredness expressed in material terms with a warning that 'one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions'. Pulling down barns to build larger barns the rich man congratulates himself. 'Soul, you have ample goods...eat, drink and be merry.' But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you....so it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God'.
What does it mean to be rich towards God?
It means seeing a loss of self interest that equips you to see the big picture - God's picture - whereby your gifts are consecrated for the good of all and most notably those on the sharp end of things.
In the Old Testament Joseph build barns for Pharaoh not to serve himself but to serve lean years ahead in Egypt. In building those barns he also profited, if you read Genesis, through a family reconciliation as the world's hungry came to Joseph.
Material goods are given by the creator primarily to bless those in his image and to fit them for his glory. This is what the priest affirms when he takes bread and wine on our behalf this morning. 'Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, through your goodness we have this bread and wine to offer which earth has given and human hands have prepared. They will become our spiritual food and drink.' In the Eucharist we protest against the selfish use of material things and direct our whole life, including our bank accounts, to God's praise and service. Our standing orders to St Giles, or the money we put in the envelopes, is evidence of true worship and God centredness.
Being rich towards God is about using our time, talents and possessions to build relationship with God and neighbour. Of course our immediate family is a main priority - the rich man in the Gospel may have had them in mind - but that priority isn't to the detriment of the people around us awaiting a material blessing from us at home or abroad. The charitable giving we provide to Guyana, Tanzania, Mozambique and Romania as well as Family Support, Children's Society and so on as a Church also balances what we give directly to God's work through Christian stewardship at St Giles.
Christian work in this place will be eroded unless we pay for a priest.
This morning's Gospel has a challenge far more profound than to our use of money though. It draws attention to our mortality in a vivid wake up call to put people and relationships before the pursuit of material things
I want to end by reading a brief meditation from Fr Anthony De Mello which is a last word in more sense than one.
Imagine your funeral. See your body in its coffin…in a church
for the funeral rites.
Now look at all the people who have come to your funeral …go
slowly from one pew to another looking at the faces of these people …to see
what they are thinking, what they are feeling.
Now listen to the sermon that is being preached. Who is the
preacher? ....What are they saying about you? Can you accept all the good
things they are saying about you?
Look again at the faces of your friends who have come to
attend your funeral …..Imagine all the good things they will be saying about
you when they return home from your funeral …what do you feel now?
Is there something you would like to say to each of them
before they go home? .....Some final farewell in response to what they are
thinking or feeling about you, a response, which, alas, they will never hear
now? ….Say it all the same, and see what
this does to you…
Imagine that the funeral rites are now over. You stand in
imagination above the grave in which your body lies, watching your friends
leave the cemetery. What are your feelings now? ....As you stand here now, look
back on your life and your experiences ….Was it all worthwhile?
Now become aware of your existence here in church and realise
that you are still alive and still have some time at your disposal …Think of
these same friends now from your present point of view. Do you see them
differently as a result of this exercise?
Think of yourself now …Do you see yourself differently or
feel differently about yourself as a result of this exercise?
Anthony De Mellow Sadhana
p97-98
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