Mission for an established parish church

It can be useful to think of the influence of a well established parish church as a series of concentric circles. People in the innermost circles have the closest relationship with the church. People in the outermost circles have the least relationship with the church. Notice that people are often held in their relationship with the church through family relationships or through membership of an organisation.

If we are serious about making our church grow then we need to strengthen and grow the Church’s relationship with people in all the circles. Most people who get involved with the church will slowly move from the outer circles inwards. (Of course there are some people who jump straight into the inner circles, but these are the exception rather than the rule.) We should be working to create a general momentum inwards, which really means upwards – towards God.

In my mind I picture this as a tablecloth pinched in the centre and slowly drawn up towards heaven; slowly the whole tablecloth is drawn inwards and upwards. Note that the healthy inward movement of each circle is closely related to healthy movement in the circles either side of it. This means that we need to work with all the circles of influence, not neglecting any of them.

One factor that is critical for success is a high quality upwards pull in the centre of the tablecloth. This is the commitment to holiness shown by the people in the centre. If the people at the centre put God in the first place in their lives and seek always to draw closer to God then they draw all the people round them closer to God as well. The strength of the tablecloth fabric is also of critical importance, if the tablecloth rips as soon as it is pulled then relatively little is drawn up to heaven. If there are strong personal and organisational relationships holding the body of people together then movement upwards in the centre draws everyone inwards and upwards.

Gospel love is essential. Our love for God is what draws us upwards. Our love for our neighbour is what holds the tablecloth together. Jesus reminds us that love for God and love for our neighbour are the most important commandments (e.g. Mark 12:28-34). Of course the love of God and love of neighbour are very closely related. Our love for God compels us to seek out and love the face of God in neighbour, who is created in the image and likeness of God. Jesus reminds us that whatever is done to the least is done to him (e.g. Matt 25:31-46). Our love for our neighbours is also crucial evidence of our love for God (e.g. 1 John 4).

We always have to accept people where they are, and find appropriate ways of building relationships with them. It might be more appropriate to invite people in the outer circles to church social events rather than inviting them to church services. It is people in the middle circles (rather than people in the most central circles) who are most likely to build effective new relationships with people in the outer circles. People in the inner circles should therefore focus their mission efforts on supporting and developing the people in the middle circles, helping the middle circles to help the outer circles. Of course all these circles are only a notional guide; there aren't any real boundaries. We all have important relationships with people in all the circles.

One of the most common mistakes in mission is to neglect the middle circles (who, after all often do not come to church) in order to reach out to the people far away. Too often this results in attempts to jump people into the central circles before they are ready for it. It usually does not work for the people jumped in and it also creates pressure to "dumb down" or "sanitise" the most central circles, weakening the commitment to holiness. It is much more important to maintain a tension towards holiness in the centre and then focus on how people can build better relationships with the people around them.

Welcoming Jesus

Preached at St Alphege, Solihull, 9.15 Sunday 03/12/06
Year C – Advent Sunday
Readings: Jer 33:14-16, 1 Thes 3:9-13, Luke 21:25-26

It is Advent Sunday. The first day in the Church’s New Year and the build up to Christmas begins. I say it begins, but if I am honest I have to admit that a fair bit of Christmas preparation has already happened in our house. We have done our Christmas cards early this year, because we wanted to tell people about our change of address. Several Christmas presents have already been bought, a Christmas tree has been ordered and dates have been set aside for extended family get togethers. Last Sunday we had the post communion prayer “Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people,” which many people take as a reminder to stir up their Christmas puddings. In our house we don’t need to worry too much about Christmas puddings, because one of or best friends works in a Christmas pudding factory. What we worry about much more is logging onto tesco.com and booking a grocery delivery in one of those precious slots just before Christmas. My wife and I begin to think that a contemporary Advent liturgy needs a collect that implores us to “log on and double click” so that we are reminded to book our pre-Christmas deliveries.
So in our house preparations for the Christmas festivities are well underway. What about or preparations to welcome Jesus? Well, he said, shuffling awkwardly round the pulpit, that is a bit more difficult, isn’t it.
In Advent we prepare ourselves for the arrival of Jesus in two different ways. In one way we are thinking of the baby Jesus who arrives on Christmas day. The baby Jesus is perhaps one of the most attractive ways in which we think about Jesus. The baby is charming and helpless. We love to share the story of the birth of Jesus with our children, and to celebrate it in our families on Christmas Day.
But in Advent we are also thinking about Jesus’ second coming. Every Sunday we say the Nicene creed which includes the phase, “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.” We are also preparing ourselves for this second coming of Jesus, and in many ways it is a much less comfortable image of Jesus. This time Jesus is no helpless baby, but rather, we will see “The son of Man, coming in a cloud with great power and glory” and that “people will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming over the earth.” This is what our gospel reading today told us. In that reading, Jesus emphasizes the importance of being ready for him when he comes. He tells us to be on our guard because the day will come unexpectedly. He tells us not to be distracted by drunkenness or the worries of this life, but rather to stay alert and be prepared.
And although the second coming sounds in many ways very frightening, Jesus does not tell us to be afraid. Rather he says to us, “stand up and to raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” He also tells us to pray that we might “have the strength to escape all these things that will take place and to stand before the Son of Man.”
So, how do we prepare for the coming of Jesus? How do we get ready to stand before the Son of Man? How do we prepare ourselves to greet that baby Jesus? Remember that the helpless baby and the cosmic king are one and the same person; both are Jesus.
I would like to suggest that the best way to prepare to meet Jesus is to meet him and recognise him and value him in our everyday lives. If we become accustomed to meeting Jesus in our everyday lives, then we make ourselves ready to meet Jesus, whether it be Jesus the baby, Jesus the great king, Jesus the teacher or the Jesus who suffers and dies for our sins.
So let us learn to meet Jesus in our everyday lives, to recognise him, welcome him and love him. One outstanding way of meeting Jesus in our everyday lives is by coming to church. Jesus himself promises that where two or more meet together in his name he will be there in the midst of them (Matt 18:20). Let’s also recognise that there is some effort and challenge involved in this. First of all there is the effort of getting to church in the first place. Then there is the effort of meeting lots of different people, most of whom we don’t know very well. Then there is the effort of learning to love the other people, some of whom are very different from us.
Also in church we can meet Jesus in the sacrament of Holy Communion. Jesus is present in the sacrament, and he transforms s when we receive him in this way. So let’s take the trouble to come to the sacrament. Let’s learn to recognise Jesus in the sacrament. If we don’t yet receive the sacrament, let’s have a look at the Just Explore course or at the other ways that the church prepares people to receive the sacrament.
Also in church we meet Jesus in the scripture. The Church sometimes describes Jesus as “the Word made flesh” (John 1:14). Jesus is the things that God has to say, presented as a human being. And so we can practice welcoming Jesus by practicing welcoming God’s word to us in scripture. We have just listened to three scripture readings in this service. If you are anything like me you will have already forgotten just about everything in them, but that’s OK because they are printed on the pew slip so we can read them again during communion or when we get home.
It is best to read the scriptures little and often. When we read the scripture let’s try to open our hearts and our minds to receive Jesus in what we read. To help us do this we can say a little prayer, “Heavenly Father, as I read your scripture today, help me to receive your Word. May your Word enter into me and transform me, so that I become more like Jesus each day. Amen.” Don’t let’s worry too much if we find we don’t understand the scriptures, but rather let us try to receive what the scriptures say to, even if it is rather challenging. Pondering the scriptures readily leads us to prayer, and this is another important way in which we meet Jesus and build our relationship with Jesus.
Finally, and especially in our lives outside of church, let’s try to recognise Jesus in other people. Let’s remember that all people are created in the image and likeness of God. Let’s remember that Jesus told us that whatever we do for one of the least of his brothers is done to him. Let’s practice trying to see Jesus in the other person. Jesus might be very small in that person. He might be terribly disfigured by sin or by misfortune, but surely he is there. If Jesus in me loves Jesus in the other, then Jesus in both of us grows.
So these are some ways of finding Jesus in our everyday lives. If we practice welcoming Jesus in these ways then we will gradually get better at finding and welcoming Jesus. It will become very natural to welcome him. This will stand us in good stead at the second coming. It will also make it very natural for us to welcome the baby Jesus at Christmas with the fullness of joy. Amen.

The kingship of Christ

Pew Slip Thought – Christ the King – 26th November 2006
Readings: Dan 7:9-10,13-14 Rev 1:4b-8 John 18:33-37

This week we conclude the Church’s year by celebrating “Christ the King”. We are reminded that Christ is enthroned at the right hand of God in heaven, far, far above any earthly power or authority and with all things under his feet (c.f. Eph 1:20-22).
As a teenager I used to worry greatly about the insurmountable problems of the time; the threat of nuclear war, communism, apartheid. In 1985 I heard a speech that expressed confidence that, despite all these terrible problems, the whole of humanity was inevitably moving towards unity, the unity of brother and sisters under one Father in heaven. I could hardly believe it! However, as the years went by, all these insurmountable problems miraculously receded. And so now I do have the courage to believe in the kingship of Christ, the Lord of all history.
Of course, humanity now has a new batch of insurmountable problems to struggle with! There is consumerism, the Middle East and global warming for a start. But let’s place our hope in the kingship of Christ. Let’s work for the day when humanity lives as one family under God. Let’s love our brothers and sisters as God loves them. Let’s be faithful to what God wants from us in each present moment. In this way we can make our contribution to realising on earth the kingship that Christ already lives out in heaven.

Funeral Homily on Lazarus

Reading John 11:17-27

In our scripture reading today we heard about Jesus going to visit a family who were bereaved. Lazarus, Martha and Mary were brothers and sisters, but Lazarus had just died and Martha and Mary were grieving. Jesus grieved too. The extract that we read today did not include it, but it is this story that includes the shortest verse in the whole bible; the famous words “Jesus wept”.

Jesus knows what it is to suffer the loss of a loved one. Jesus knows what it is to weep. And this is very strange because the story shows us Jesus as the Resurrection and the Life, as the one who conquers death. At the end of this story Jesus calls Lazarus back from the dead and restores him to life once again. But he does not do this until after he has wept, after he has suffered the pain of separation that death brings about.

So as we morn today, let us remember Jesus. Let us welcome him as Martha and Mary did. Let us know that he weeps with us, as he wept for Lazarus. Let us be confident that Jesus is the one who has conquered death. Let us place our hope in Jesus who is the Resurrection and the Life.

Leadership and Service

Preached at St Alphege, Solihull, 9.15 and 11am, Sunday 22/10/06
Year B – Trinity 19 (Proper 24)
Readings: Isaiah 53:4-12, Hebrews 5:1-10, Mark 10:35-45


In our gospel reading today Jesus draws a sharp contrast between normal worldly standards of leadership and the kind of leadership that he wants to see in the life of the church. He points out that worldly leaders often lord it over their subjects and act as tyrants. But this is not the kind of leadership that Jesus wants in his church. In the church, he explains, “Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first must be slave of all.”
We all have leadership roles in the church. For every person in church today there must be at least 10 members of our nominally Christian community who are not in church. We all have a leadership role to these people in particular. So let’s think a little bit about this leadership role, about being a “servant”, being a “slave of all”. What do we understand when Jesus says we must learn to serve? More important; what does Jesus what us to understand? Well let’s think about this by looking at the example that Jesus himself gives us.
First of all Jesus is very clear that being a servant often means doing very practical things that a household servant might do to help the other people. The last supper was perhaps Jesus’ most important gathering with his disciples, and he started the whole evening off by washing their feet, a job which would normally be done by the lowest servant of all (John 13:1-15). After washing the disciples feet, Jesus says, “Do you understand what I have done for you? You call me Master and Lord and rightly; so I am. If I then, the Lord and Master have washed your feet, you must wash each others feet. I have given you an example that you may copy what I have done for you.”
John starts his account of the washing of the disciples’ feet by saying, “Having loved those who were his in the world, he loved them to the end.” The service of Jesus is therefore an expression of his love for the people around him. It is the desire to do good for them. To want their good, and to do his part in bring about their good.
We see this same attitude of wanting the good of the other in all of Jesus’ works of service. We see it when he healed the sick. We see this attitude in his teaching ministry. His teaching helps people to grow towards God and to build better relationships with one another. So the service of Jesus is always an expression of love. It always seeks the good of the other.
Our reading today from Hebrews drew attention to another aspect of Jesus’ service. The writer of Hebrews reminds us that Jesus did not seek to glorify himself by becoming a high priest, but rather he was appointed to that role by God the Father. It is clear from this that the service that Jesus offered to humanity, was offered in obedience to God. It was first and foremost service to God the Father. And if service to our neighbour is a big theme of the New Testament, then service to God is an even bigger theme.
Sometimes there might seem to be a contradiction between the service of God and the service of our neighbour. We might think “Well this Sunday I can either serve God by going to church, or serve my neighbour by going to visit my elderly relative.” In reality however there is no contradiction. If God wants us in church then the best thing we can do is go to church. We must entrust the elderly relative to God, knowing that he loves her and serves her more than we ever can. On the other hand, if God wants us to visit our relative then to avoid that visit by going to church would be going against the service of God. I would like to give another example. I find that if I am saying my prayers and the doorbell rings then it is almost always a sign from God that he wants me to stop my service of God in prayer and go and serve God by serving my visitor.
So there is a complete harmony between the service of God and service of our neighbour. God is present in our neighbour, created our neighbour, has a plan of love for our neighbour and wants their good. If we seek to do what God wants of us in each present moment, then we can do no more than this to properly serve our neighbour.
And this can be very reassuring because it gives meaning and value to many of the very simple and mundane tasks with which we fill our day. I find I spend a lot of time laying tables, washing up and giving lifts to children. Last week we moved house. Consequently I have found myself doing lots of cleaning floors, crawling around attics and crouching behind washing machines. It is wonderful to think that if I am seeking to do what God wants from me, motivated by love, then all these mundane tasks of service become a key part of my Christian life. They become a way of making real progress on my spiritual journey, a way of developing my relationship with God and my neighbour.
I want to mention one final characteristic of Christian service, particularly leadership service, and that is the readiness to accept sufferings out of love for other people. This is completely counter cultural in our present society, but it comes over very strongly in all three of our scripture readings today. It is especially strong in our OT reading from Isaiah. In this very famous and important passage, Yahweh’s suffering servant is “wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities”. This is one of the hallmarks of a true servant of God, and, of course 570 years after it was written it received its supreme fulfilment in the passion and death of Jesus.
So let us not be afraid if we suffer a little as we serve of God and serve our neighbour. If a suffering comes, let’s not assume that we have done something wrong. Rather let us accept these sufferings because they put us in the company of the truly great. God generously rewards his suffering servant in the end and we can discover with St Francis that it is through the cross of Christ that Joy comes into the world.
So if we can learn to serve like Jesus in all these different ways then we can become great leaders in the church. “However wishes to be great among you must be your servant and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Can the rich enter the kingdom of God?

Thought for Pew Slip – 15th October 2006
Readings: Amos 5:6-7,10-15 Hebrews 4:12-16 Mark 10:17-31

In our gospel reading today Jesus reflects, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God”. This is very disturbing for us in Western Europe because we live in a very wealthy society. What can we do about this?
I suggest that we make sure that we practice the core skills of “giving”, “receiving” and “sharing” because we will need these skills to enter the kingdom of heaven. Let’s practice giving generously as a service to others. Let’s give with love, overcoming our tendencies to hoard and our desire to remain in control. Let’s not be too proud to receive gracefully and to give thanks. Let’s practice receiving other people; putting aside our own ideas and concerns in order to properly take on board what the other person wants to say to us. Let’s try to share as much as possible with other people; not only goods, skills and talents but also hopes, fears, sorrows and joys.
If we can get good at these core skills then all God’s good gifts start to circulate freely among us, benefiting everyone. This transforms us into equal members of one family under God. It gets us ready to enter the kingdom of God.

Prayer for Healing in Relationships

Heavenly Father,
We hold up before you all our difficult relationships.
We offer to you all the problems and complications that they cause us.

Heavenly Father, your son Jesus suffered terribly through his cross and passion so than our relationship with you might be healed. Help us to be ready to suffer a little so that our own relationships with one another might be also healed.
We make our prayer in Jesus' name and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Mission

Preached at St Alphege, Solihull, 6.30pm Evensong, Sunday 08/10/06
Trinity 17 (Proper 22) - Evensong
Readings: Joshua 3:7-17 Matt 10:1-22


Our gospel reading today came from Matthew Chapter 10, which is Matthew’s Handbook for Mission. In this parish, as we think more about “Going for Growth” we find that we are thinking more and more about mission, so the gospel reading is particularly appropriate for us. With this in mind I would like to offer you a few reflections about our own mission, and on how today’s gospel reading might help us.
In this gospel reading Jesus gives the disciples special authority and sends them out to proclaim the message, “The kingdom of God is near”. The word “Mission” means “Sending” so when we think about mission we are thinking about the things God wants us to do as he sends us out into the world. We often think of mission as proclaiming the gospel and to converting souls to Christ. Certainly this is part of it. However, first and foremost mission has to be about love and practical service to our fellow human beings. Jesus does not simply tell the disciples to proclaim the kingdom. He also tells them do some important acts of practical service. He says, “Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.” Probably it was because the disciples were unusually good at doing these very difficult things that the people wanted to listen to their message.
I don’t know about you, but my personal track record on healing the sick and raising the dead is not all that impressive! Certainly it is not as good as the NHS’s. However I can find lots of other ways (all be they much less dramatic) of loving and serving the people around me. It is very important that I always practice loving and serving the people around me, before I start to talk about the gospel. If I am not loving and serving then my message about Christ has no credibility.
One important thing to note about the mission of the twelve disciples is that it was requested by Jesus and done out of love for Jesus. It was Jesus himself who sent them, and Jesus who gave them their instructions. This is very important. We have to do the mission that Jesus asks from us. Not the one that sounds glamorous or the one that looks important. Not the one that we feel “ought” to be done, because of some worry or because of guilt. No, we need to be attentive to what God asks personally of us, through our prayer life and by listening to the people around us. God calls each one of us, and has a mission for each one of us. In each present moment we need to discover what it is.
Another point is that God provides us with the grace necessary to do what he wants from us, just as he provided the disciples with the authority to drive out evil spirits to heal the sick and to raise the dead. We must not worry about our mission, but rather we must trust in God’s grace and use the gifts that he gives us. Jesus tells the disciples, “Take no gold or silver or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals or a staff; for labourers deserve their food.” (Matt 10:9-10). This phrase totally inspired St Francis 800 years ago. He realised that God was calling him to take the phase completely literally and start a new life as a wondering preacher. Must of us are not called to that, be we are called to move forward trusting that God will take care of his servants and not worrying too much about the different things that we need. (E.g. Matt 6:25-33)
Who were the disciples sent to? They were sent out to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel”. Only much later was the church sent out to the Samaritans and the Gentiles. This is very characteristic of the mission of God. We are usually sent out to love and serve the people closest to us first; our family, our local community, the friends that we see regularly, the people we meet at work or at the school gate. God might call us on to other things later, but how can be the love of God for someone far away, if we have not first been the love of God for the people who are near?
Jesus says to the disciples, “You received without payment; give without payment.” This is very important. Our mission is at its best when we simply want to share the good news and the love that has been freely given to us. It is because we are loved by God that we seek to love others. It is because Jesus came to serve us that we want to serve other people. It is because we are grateful for our knowledge of the gospel that we want to share the gospel with others.
And sometimes this can be difficult. Perhaps we don’t feel loved by God. Perhaps we experience our Christianity as a burden rather than as a joy. If this is the case then we need to keep reminding ourselves of God’s great love for us, that he created us out of love, that he calls us to a great destiny in heaven, that he forgives us always, and that Jesus died on the cross so that our sin could be overcome. As Fr Patrick has suggested in today’s pew sheet, we need to practice saying “Thank you” to God for all the good things we receive. Reminding ourselves of God’s love and saying, “Thank you” helps us to see things from God’s perspective and helps us to realise how blessed we are. Of course the more blessed we feel, the easier it is to share our blessings with others.
So lets quickly summarise.
Mission means sending. Just as God calls us to himself, so he sends us out to love and serve others and to spread the good news of his kingdom. We do the mission that God wants from us, as part of our love for God. God provides the grace that we need for mission. We do it trusting in God rather than in our own strength. Usually our mission is first to the people immediately around us, and then later to those further away. Finally, our mission is at its best when we simply want to share the good news and the love that has been freely given to us. If we can remember these things then it will stand us in good stead for “Going for Growth”.

The journey to heaven

Sermon 01/10/06 – Year B – Trinity 16 (Proper 21)
Preached at Solihull School 6.30pm Eucharist, Sunday 01/10/06
Readings: Numbers 11:4-6,10-16,24-29 James 5:13-20 Mark 9:38-50


In our gospel reading today Jesus is at his most radical. He says, “If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; for it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and go to hell…if your foot causes you to stumble cut it off…if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell. This is violent language… extremely challenging.
Well fortunately for us, it is clear that Jesus does not literally want us to go around chopping off bits of our anatomy every time we sin. If I personally were to have taken literally these words of Jesus I would be standing before today with no hands. In fact, I don’t really think I would be standing at all because at some point I would have had to have chopped my feet off. In fact, I think it would be even worse than that; surely by now I would have chopped my own head off!
But God does not want us to respond to our own sin with self-hatred and self-mutilation. Instead we are called to admit our sins, and to trust in the saving power of Christ’s cross and passion. Admitting our sins can be a painful business. It means owning up to the pain and suffering that we have caused to God and other people through our selfishness. Fortunately God is always more ready to forgive us than we are ready to forgive ourselves. God always loves us and is full of mercy. He understands our failings better than we do ourselves. However bad we are, God always calls us to draw closer to him, leaving our selfish ways behind. Whether we are aware of it or not, each of us is on a journey towards God. We too have to love ourselves and forgive ourselves and entrust to God’s great mercy those bits of ourselves which keep going wrong.
But let’s go back to the words of Jesus. “If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; for it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and go to hell.” These words should not be taken literally, but they remain very important. In fact they are repeated three times in the different parts of the gospels and we need to take them very seriously.
Jesus wants to make the point that some things are just far, far more important than others. The question of whether we are going to heaven or to hell is just far, far more important than how many hands we have, or how many feet we have. We need to keep things in their proper perspective. We need to remember that we are on a journey towards God, towards heaven. We need to adopt attitudes and behaviours that will help us on that journey. We need to leave behind the attitudes and behaviours that hinder our progress.
In the society that we live in today it is all too easy to lose that perspective; to forget that we are on a journey towards heaven. We are continually bombarded with TV adverts telling us we need to spend money on our own comfort and pleasure in this life. Modern medicine has become so effective that, compared to previous generations, we seldom have to think about the death of people who are not already old. Our lives are very busy and very pressurised. It is hard to find the time to stand back from it all and get a proper perspective. It is hard to find time to come to church, or to spend time with the family or to pray, or indeed to do any of the things that remind us of our journey towards heaven.
So let’s spend a moment thinking about heaven. What will it be like? What do we know about heaven? Of course, in many ways we don’t know very much about it. I always imagine that there will be lots of singing. Sitting in the pews in this chapel and listening to the anthems that the choirs sing is, I always think, one way of preparing myself for heaven. Jesus tells us something about heaven in the Lord’s Prayer. “Our Father, who art in heaven.” One thing we know about heaven is that God will be there. We will dwell in the presence of God; God who made us and loved us and brought us to fulfilment. The Lord’s Prayer continues, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” So heaven is the place where God’s will is done, where we move in perfect harmony with God’s plan for us. In heaven we will move in perfect harmony with God and with one another. Our love for one another and for God will be so perfect that we will not hurt each other any more in any way. Nothing will be hidden. There will be no secret agendas. All sins will have been forgiven, so that they no longer damage our relationship with God, or our relationships with the other citizens of heaven. There will be perfect peace.
And at this point we might become disheartened. Are we ready to dwell in the presence of God? Are we ready to live according to “Thy will be done”? Do we really want to be obedient to God’s plan for us? Is it possible for us to have perfect relationships with the people around us? Probably we are not yet ready for this. Probably there is a lot more journeying to be done before we are ready for life in heaven. But God most emphatically wants every one of us to reach heaven. Let us trust in Him, and walk the journey he has planned for us. His grace is sufficient to cover all our shortcomings.
So how do we walk the journey towards heaven? We do this by practising to live the life of heaven while we continue living here on earth. So how do we do that? Well firstly we can practise standing in the presence of God. We can do this in prayer, and by coming to church where we receive God’s presence in Word and Sacrament. Second we can practice being obedient to God’s plan for us. Our own plans can never fulfil us like God’s plan. Let’s serve God in the way that he wants to be served, not in the way that we want to serve. Thirdly let’s try to live in harmony with the people around us. Let us try to love them as God loves them. Let is try to love all the people around us, even the once we instinctively don’t like, even the ones we think of an enemies. Let’s be prepared to suffer for one another, as Christ suffered for us. Let’s pray that God will help us to live this life of love, that he will help us to forgive the things which need to be forgiven and that he will help us to start again when we get it all wrong.
When we love, we are sharing in the life of God and we get to know God. We start, while here on earth, to live the life of heaven. We start to understand heaven better and to believe in it more fully. What is more, this is the life that does not die, the life that survives our earthly death. Truly, loving as God loves is the best way to journey towards heaven.

Prayers written for Scout Camp

Heavenly Father
We thank you for bringing us here to this Group Camp.
We thank you for the opportunity to worship you now.
We thank you for all the things that we like about camp;
the activities we have enjoyed, the people we like being with.
Also, we hold up before you the things which we have found difficult, the things we have found challenging and scary.
We pray that you will take all these things and use them to draw us closer to you.
Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer

Heavenly Father,
We thank for this new day.
We thank you for all the things we can do today, and all the people we can meet.
We pray that this day we might see your love for us in all the things that we do and in all the people that we meet.
Help us to agents of your love for other people in everything we do and say today.
Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer

Heavenly Father
We know that in your great love you created us in your image and likeness and made us good.
Despite this we know that we sometimes do things which are bad; things which spoil the wonder of your creation in us and in other people.
We are sorry Lord that we do these things.
We thank you that Jesus died to set us free from all evil.
We pray that You will help us to live in harmony with other people and with all your creation, so that we grow to become what you truly made us to be, and so that we can attain the fullness of happiness that you so want us to have.
Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer

Prayers for Evensong - 3rd September 2006

Almighty and everlasting God, the only worker of great marvels, send down upon our bishops and other pastors and all congregations committed to their care the spirit of your saving grace.
On this day especially O Lord, we pray for Fr Stuart, giving thanks for his ministry with us here in Solihull, and praying for his future ministry in Handsworth and elsewhere.
We pray that the same ministers and congregations may truly please you, pour upon them the continual dew of your blessing.Grant this, O Lord, for the honour of our advocate and mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen.
[Based on Book of Common Prayer “A Prayer for Clergy and People” at the end of Evening Prayer.]


Almighty God,
We know that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Prov 9:10)
Bless, we pray, all students and teachers at this time.
Be close to them as the schools reopen this week.
Grant that their experience of learning may draw them ever closer to Christ
in whom is hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Col 2:3)
We make our prayer through that same Jesus Christ our saviour
and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.


Lord Jesus, you assured us that the peacemakers are blessed,
that they will be called children of God.
We pray for all those working for peace today,
especially those in the Middle East.
We remember before you O, Lord
the British servicemen who have died in Afghanistan today.
May they be worthy of the great blessings that you have won for them,
and may the Almighty Father receive them as his children.
We pray also for their families and friends; that all who mourn may be comforted.
We pray to the same Almighty Father, in your name and in the power of the Spirit. Amen.
[Based on Matt 5:1-12]


Lord Jesus, you have told us that we are blessed
when we are meek and merciful and pure of heart.
Grant us a true believe in the values of heaven
and help us to grow always into these values
as we work for your kingdom on earth,
In this way, may we be made ready to receive your mercy,
your inheritance, the sight of God
And all those great gifts which you so desire to give us.
In the power of the Spirit we pray in your name to the Father. Amen.
[Based on Matt 5:1-12]

Doing the Word

Thought for Pew Slip – 3rd September 2006
Readings: Deut4:1-2&6-9, Ps15, James1:17-27, Mk7:1-8&14-15&21-23

In our first reading today, from the book of Deuteronomy, God emphasises to the Israelites the importance of keeping all the statues and ordinances of the law of the old covenant. Obeying the law often meant obeying a lot of detailed rules and regulations about daily life; rules about washing yourself and what you could eat.
When Jesus came he established a new covenant and a new commandment to love one another (Jn 13:34, 15:12). In our gospel reading today we hear Jesus scolding the Pharisees for legalistically obeying the human traditions of the law and having forgotten about the true commandments of God, which concern love for God, and love for our neighbour (MT 22:37-40, Mk 12:28-31).
So Jesus has set us free from the legalistic detail of the old law and instead asks us to love God, to love our neighbour and to love one another. But this law of love still requires practical action in our daily lives. In our second reading James reminds us to be “doers of the word, and not merely hearers”. So, let us always live out the law of love in a practical way. Let’s find simple ways to love and serve the people around us.

Fr Gerard

The Call of God

Preached at St Alphege, Solihull, UK by Patrick Gerard on 20th August 2006 at 6.30pm

Year B – Trinity 10 (Proper 15) - Evensong
Readings: Exod 2:23-3:10, Heb 13:1-15


Today’s first reading came from the book of Exodus. We listened to the story of Moses and the burning bush. In our family, when we are gardening, the more horticultural minded people in the family are always telling me, “It is not a bush. It’s a shrub!” Obviously this message has not got through to the translators of Exodus.
Anyway, this story marks God’s calling of Moses. It is the beginning of Moses’ ministry as a prophet. In his early life Moses had killed an Egyptian slave master, and because of this Moses was living in exile in Midian. In the story Moses is looking after a flock of sheep in the desert when he sees a bush burning in the distance. Eventually he realises that this is no ordinary fire, because the bush is not being burnt up. He goes over to have a better look and then God starts speaking to him from the heart of the burning bush. God tells him not to approach, and to take off his sandals because he is standing in a holy place. God then introduces himself as the God of his ancestors, of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses is afraid and hides his face. God explains that he wants to bring the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and bring them to the promised land, and “So,” God says, “Now I am sending you, Moses, to Pharaoh, to bring my people out of Egypt.”
This is an important moment. God shows himself to Moses, as a burning bush. These moments when God shows himself in visible form to a human being and rare and important. There is a special word for it; theophany, which means God shows himself. I say that the moments are rare, but they are perhaps not quite as rare as we might sometimes think. The former bishop of Birmingham, Hugh Montefiore began his Christian life after seeing a vision of Jesus and being told, “Follow me”. In the course of my theological training I met two other people who had had experiences of this kind. Both were characterised by a very deep and unshakable faith. Moses is something of a grandmaster of the theophany experience. He has this experience with the burning bush. He has several encounters with God on Mount Sania and in the tent of meeting. Elsewhere in the book of Exodus, we are told that the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend (Exod 33: 11). At one point (Exod 24: 9-11) Moses leads 70 elders of Israel up the mountain to gaze on God, and yet to live. At another point Moses’ face shines because he has been talking with God (Exod 34:29) He has to wear a veil because the Israelites are too scared to speak to his shining face. This characteristic of Moses talking to God even extends into the New Testament. During the transfiguration of our Lord on Mount Tabor the divine nature of Christ becomes suddenly becomes viable, and Christ, revealed as God talks to Moses and Elijah (e.g. Mk 9:4).
But for all these extraordinary experiences we must not loose sight of the fundamental thing which is going on here. This is God’s call to Moses. What matters is what God wants Moses to do. God want Moses to go to Pharaoh and to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. Well, from a human perspective, that is rather easier said than done. Moses, very understandably, needed a great deal of reassurance. He was worried, quiet rightly, that the Israelites might not follow him. He was worried, quite rightly, that that Pharaoh might not let the Israelites go. God gives Moses lots reassurance. He gives him signs like a stick that turns into a snake. At one point Moses still says, “O my Lord, please send someone else.” (Exod 4:13). But in the end Moses is obedient. In great faith and humility he sets out to attempt the impossible; to persuade the Israelites to leave Egypt for the desert, and to persuade Pharaoh to let them go. And through this obedience of Moses, God does great things. There are of course huge problems and terrible sufferings have to be endured, but in the end great things happen; things of such great importance that we still talk about them today. Moses does lead the Israelites out of Egypt. The covenant of the Old Testament is established. God gives the Israelites the Law. He promises to give them the promised land (Exod 34:10-16) and to make them a kingdom of priests, a holy nation (Exod 19:5). The religion of the Jews therefore comes into being and the context for the birth of Christ is established.
So great things were done though God’s call to Moses, and through Moses’ obedience. On a much more humble scale let us now pause to consider God’s call to us, and our own obedience to God’s call. Probably none of us have experienced theophany. Probably none of us are called to the dramatic and decisive actions to which Moses was called. And yet, in each present moment God does call each one of us. In each present moment we need to be attentive to his call, and obedient to what he asks of us. Let’s ask ourselves, “What is God asking of me in this present moment?” Perhaps he is asking me listen with love to the person who I have just met. Perhaps he is asking me to help my wife with the shopping. Perhaps he is asking me to drive the car with care and with respect for other road users. Perhaps he is asking me to speak charitably about that person who I am tempted to ridicule. Perhaps now I must wash up? Perhaps now I must do that job I have promised to do? This might seem all very simple, but if we practise discernment of God’s will in the small and simple things of our everyday lives we will find that we have prepared ourselves well for the more difficult situations that can sometimes arise. Also, by living in this way, we can make the whole of our life a prayer, because everything we do is a response to God. Everything is done out of love for God. Everything is an expression of the love of God.
But how do we know what God is asking of us? Well, discerning God’s will for us is a skill that we learn over time. Sometimes it is clear because of the laws of the land. Sometimes a boss or superior makes it clear to us. It might become clear to us through a conversation with our husband or wife. All the time we need to listen to the call of God which resonates deep in our hearts.
The scriptures also provide us with plenty of guidance. Our reading today from Hebrews reminded us of the importance of love in God’s will for us. “Let mutual love continue” it reminded us. “Show hospitality to strangers.” This is one of the great characteristics of Christian love. It is a love that reaches out to strangers, people we do not know, people who are different from us. “Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them”, “Remember those who are tortured, as if you yourselves were being tortured.” This again is one of the characteristics of Christian love. It empathises with other people, walking in their shoes. Surely God’s call to us is always a call to love?
So let us give thanks for Moses, for God’s call to Moses, and Moses’ obedience. Let us trust the God who calls. He loves us and has a great destiny planned for us. Let us seek to hear his call in each present moment, so as to carry it out and to work towards that destiny. If we do this we can be confident that we are making precisely the contribution that God wants us towards the building of the Kingdom of God.

Sharing in the body of Christ

Preached at St Alphege, Solihull, UK by Patrick Gerard on 30th July 2006 at 9.15am

Year B – Trinity 7 (Proper 12)
Readings: 2Kings4:42-44, Ps 145:10-19, Eph3:14-21, Jn6:1-21


As you probably know, I was ordained deacon four weeks ago in Birmingham cathedral. To mark my ordination many people gave me gifts and this is one of the gifts I was given. It is a purse and a pyx. Now I have to say that four weeks ago I was not very clear about what a pyx was, but having received one four weeks ago I do now know. A pyx is a small container designed for carrying consecrated eucharistic wafers. In this parish the lay ministers and the clergy use pyxes to take consecrated wafers from our celebration of communion here in church to people who are sick or housebound in order that they too might receive the sacrament and share in the communion that we have shared together in church. So a pyx is a very wonderful gift to give to a new deacon, because taking communion to the sick is just the sort of thing that a deacon might be expected to do.
When I received this particular pyx I was very struck by the enamel picture on the front. Given that a pyx is for carrying communion I expected the picture on the front to be some symbol of communion, perhaps bread and wine, or a chalice and pattern. You probably can’t see it, but in fact the picture is of five barley loves and two fish.
The picture therefore reminds us of today’s gospel reading. Jesus tests the disciples by asking them how they can provide bread for five thousand people. Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, says to Jesus, “There is a boy here with five barley loaves and two fish; but what is that among so many?” But Jesus takes the loaves and the fish, gives thanks, and then distributes them, feeding a great multitude, such that there are 12 baskets full of leftovers. It is a very powerful story which tells about Jesus’ ability to do great and wonderful things with very humble human offerings. However it still was not clear to me why five barley loaves and two fish was a good symbol to put on the front of a pyx. Why is it a good symbol for holy communion?
Today’s gospel reading came from John chapter 6. The feeding of the five thousand is the first part of the chapter, but Jesus uses this story to introduce a long discussion about the bread of life. He says,
“Do not work for food that goes bad, but work for food that endures for eternal life, which the son of man will give you.”
He says, “I am the bread of life, No one who comes to me will ever hunger and no one who believes in me will ever thirst.”
He says, “I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world”
He says, “Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I shall raise that person up on the last day”
And Jesus really emphasises this. He repeats these same thoughts over and over again in different ways for 32 verses!
So, by the time I had read the whole of John chapter 6 the links between the feeding of the five thousand and the eucharist were becoming much clearer to me. Jesus wants to feed us and nurture us with himself, with his own body and blood. He want to share with us the life that he shares with the father. He wants us to have eternal life and to raise us up on the last day.
This theme of Jesus feeding us and building us up is also repeated in the reading from Ephesians that we had this morning. This time the focus is on Love, rather than the bread of life, but it is still about being nurtured into the life of Jesus; the life that he shares with the Father and with the Holy Spirit. Paul prays that, “Christ my dwell in your hearts as you are being rooted and grounded in love.” He prays that we might grow to know the “love of Christ which surpasses all knowledge, so that we can be filled with all the fullness of God.” What a wonderful prayer. What a wonderful hope we are given.

So, how do we respond to our scripture readings today? What do we do about it? Who do we make sure that this wonderful hope is realised? Well clearly one thing we can do is to come regularly to the eucharist. In the eucharist we share together in Jesus’ body and blood and we receive the very life of Christ inside of ourselves. Little by little we are transformed so that Jesus lives in us, and we in him.
But I would also like to suggest another very practical way of sharing in the body of Christ, and that is to share in the life of the Church, of this church, of St Alphege in Solihull. The Church is the body of Christ (e.g. 1 Cor 12:27, Col 1:18,24). When we meet in the name of Jesus, then Jesus is present in the midst of us. And a big parish like this offers many different ways to share in the life of the church. We can talk to the people around us in the pews after the service. We can go for coffee in the OBH. We can get involved with the uniformed organisations, or the choir, or the guild of servers. There are many different activities that we do together in the name of Jesus. And these all provide us with ways of sharing in the body of Christ. As we do them we need to love the other people and to receive love from the other people so that the activities are truly part of the life of the church.
So, let’s respond to the great generosity of Jesus; Jesus who fees the five thousand and leaves 12 baskets of leftovers. Jesus who gives of his very self in order to nurture us and sustain us. Let’s receive the gifts that Jesus gives us in the Eucharist. As much as we can, let’s share in the life of the church here in Solihull trying always to be rooted and grounded in love in all that we do. And if we do these things then we will be slowly filled with all the fullness of God. Little by little, as individuals and as a community, we are transformed so that Jesus lives in us, and we in him. Amen.

About Me

At the age of 42, after a career in industry, I was ordained deacon in St Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham on 2nd July 2006. At ordination I started a curacy at St Alphege Church in the Parish of Solihull, Diocese of Birmingham, Church of England. I was ordained priest on 3rd June 2007.
In April 2010 our family moved to Lapworth, on the South Eastern edge of the Diocese of Birmingham. I have been Rector of Baddesley Clinton and Lapworth since my institution by the Bishop of Birmingham on 5th May 2010.


My e-mail address is patrick@gerard.net .