Sunday Reflections
by Carolyn Rutherford
Pentecost 16
Exodus 14.19-31; Ps 114; Romans 14.1-14; Matthew 18.21-35
“Each of us will be accountable to God.” Rom 14.12
Religion has often been used to foster a sense of elitism. It can become a special group of people set apart from the rest of the world; a group that knows better than the rest, with people who are better than the rest. And then within the group, there is more elitism, as each member strives to prove to themselves and to others, that they are better, truer, and greater than the rest. When we put rules on the group’s behaviour, diet, clothing, traditions and work, it enables us to judge and score ourselves, and others, against a perceived view of perfection. And then, what should be a life spent loving God and seeking to become more one with God, becomes a life serving ego, pride and appearance.
Some people see the body as a temple of the Holy Spirit, beautifully made, a unique gift from God to be treasured. They choose a diet and lifestyle that acknowledges this and through this reverence draw closer to God. Others feel so passionate about a ministry calling and work so vigorously at it, that they have little time for self care and prop themselves up with alcohol and caffeine. Their drive for the ministry brings them closer to God. But one should not judge the other as a way of feeling more virtuous. Each has their own journey, calling and ministry. God uses many and various tools and life situations to teach us, guide us and grow us. What is needed is not judgement which leads to pride, stagnation and elitism, but grace which leads to love, transformation and unity.
Rather than policing the dogma and traditions of our religion in order to control its purity and character and uphold our sense of rightness, let us instead share the insights and wisdom that God has lead us to, and listen to the truths and insights that God has lead others to. If we do so, our faith will be even more vibrant, grow faster and deeper, and reveal to us and others, even more of the wonders of God.
Pentecost 15
Exodus 12.1-14; Psalms 149; Romans 12.1-10; Matthew 18.10-20
“Pay to all what is due them – taxes to whom taxes are due, respect to whom respect is due, honour to whom honour is due. ( Rom 13.7)
“So it is not the will of your Father in Heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.” ( Matt 18.4)
Being a Christian may mean that we in the world but not off it, but it does not mean that we can shirk our responsibilities to society. Unlike the “sovereign citizen” movement that proclaim that, as they do not support the society in which they live or the way that it is run, or the power currents of the world, they are not part of ‘society’ and therefore will not uphold it by paying taxes. None of us likes to pay money to things we do not believe in. But we live under the current governing system and cannot do otherwise without moving to another country. So, as we must pay our taxes and abide by the laws of the land; let us pray for our governments, challenge injustice, speak up against corruption, expose evil, vote wisely and work to make ours a truly fair and just government.
To whom is respect due? I remember a line in “My Fair Lady” where Eliza declares that she would never have known how to be a Lady if it weren’t for Cornel Pickering. He treated her as if she were a lady even when she was just a flower girl, and thus she became a lady because of his respect. We have the chance to discover and bring forth the best in other people simply by the respect, love and courtesy we show them. Ours is not to withdraw from society, but to bring forth the best in people. To find the little ones that feel lost.
To whom is honour due? – To all who do well. There are good, skilled, creative, productive people everywhere! But do we notice them? Do we notice their work, or do we take them, and what they do, for granted and just expect it? Do we notice the skills and achievements that we ourselves have and give thanks for what we have learnt and how we are able to work? There is so much to honour, so much to be thankful for, so much to see God’s presence in, and so many to bring God’s presence to.
Pentecost 14
Exodus 3.1-15; Psalms 105.1-6, 23-26; Romans 12.9-21; Matthew 16.21-28
Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.” (Ex 3.3)
Imagine what would have happened if Moses has seen the burning bush and simply dismissed it as he raced on to get the sheep to the next watering hole so he could get home in time for dinner. I’m sure that God would have continued to try to get Moses’ attention in other ways. Perhaps God had been trying for a while to break through to Moses. There are so many ways that God chooses to speak to us. But most of them can be ignored if we are too busy or self centred to notice.
God speaks to us through the bible and religious text. Nature speaks God’s wonders, beauty and wisdom every day. God turns up in our dreams, in the longing of our heart, in the kind words of a friend, in the challenges of an enemy, in good things, and in difficulties and trials. But often we don’t see or hear these words of love because we do not “Seek the Lord and his strength;” nor do we, “seek his presence continually.” (Ps 105.4) Our love is not “genuine”. (Rom 12.9)
Just because the bush did not burn up, did not mean that the fire was safe. Fire is hot, it scorches, it can hurt, and it is to be respected. God is love. But love is not safe either. Love burns, it changes us, it leaves its mark, it can hurt. It too must be respected. So Moses was told to come no closer and to take off his sandals. Sandals are our way of protecting our feet from the heat of the sand, from sharp stones and prickles, and from becoming hard and insensitive. But they also stop us from being connected with the earth.
Perhaps there are times when we need to turn aside and look at the wonders of God. To enter God’s presence with respect and put aside the protections we have made for ourselves, so that we can reconnect with God and nature.
Pentecost 13
Exodus 1.8-2.10; Psalms 124; Romans 12.1-8; Matthew 16.13-20
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed, by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12.4
How good are you at discerning between what is good, what is acceptable and what is best? Every day we have to make choices. Some of them are trivial but still must be made. Shall I paint the skirting board the same colour as the wall or shall I paint it a deeper shade? Does it really matter? No. But the decision still needs to be made. Other choices are more important in terms of the impact they have on our lives and the lives of others. Do I take this new job and move my family, or stay where I am? Knowing that God can use all things for good in those that love Him, and that God is more concerned about the transformation of our soul than our career moves, how do we decide which options are good or bad, acceptable or best?
Well, we certainly are not going to be lead to holiness by following the ways of the world. Advertisers create a need and ask you to fill that need with their product. They are not really interested in your health, convenience, social status or success, just in making more money than last year. Because we must have economic growth! A sustainable economy is not enough it seems. We will not choose what is life giving, by doing what everyone else expects. That leads only to conformity and sameness. And we will end up doing evil, if we let powerful leaders tell us who to hate, as we see in the Exodus reading today. Great for pharaoh, he got a free labour force and great personal wealth. Not great for the Israelites. For the Egyptians, well they were united in hate, so easier to rule.
If you want to choose between good, acceptable and best, it will take some careful observance of the deeper currents of life, and of the deeper pulls within yourself. It will require prayer, meditation, contemplation, and being centred in God. We don’t find the best while we are looking from selfishness. We find it when we look deep into Love.
Pentecost 12
Genesis 45.1-15; Psalms 132; Romans 11.13-32, Matthew 15.10-28
“How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!” Ps 132.1a
“For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.” Ps 132. 3b
I may be good and pleasant when brothers live together in unity, but is it financially profitable? How will they be motivated to work together? Who will be the boss? What is the cause that will unite them? How do they “make money, lots of money”? - To quote a certain president.
There are two ways to unite a group of people. One is through love and respect, the other is through hate and fear. To unite people through love is a lot of hard work. It requires putting others above oneself, honouring the work and value of others, encouragement, focus on a positive shared goal, forgiveness, and a lot of soothing of egos. To unit people under fear and hate is easy. Just feed their fears and tell them who to hate!
Jesus tries to unite us with love and respect. Love for something greater than ourselves. Not a temporary cause, but united in the one who is Love. People, especially people who think themselves greater than others, will always resort to unity through fear and hate. - It is far easier to manipulate and far more profitable. But it never, ever, brings true joy. Not for those in power, and definitely not for the subordinate plebs that do the work, or fight the wars. But no doubt, fear, greed, arrogance and the quest for power and dominance will continue to dominate world, local and social politics. But we will find no blessing there. There is a much better way.
To think that we are superior to others because of faith, wealth, education, class, manners, bread or ability is foolishness. Paul tells us not to be arrogant. God can graft us in or cut us out at anytime. (Rom 11.13-36) We should be afraid. - But not of other people or loss of fortune. We should be afraid of being cut off from Love. A society or family that does not love, fails. If our hearts fail to love, they will be “unclean”. ( Matthew 15. 11) Where there is no love - that is hell.
Pentecost 11
Genesis 37.1-4, 12-28; Psalms 105.1-6, 16-22; Romans 10.4-15; Matthew 14.22-36
“When his brothers saw that their father loved (Joseph) more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.” (Gen 37.4)
How much of our lives are spent trying to win the love, attention and praise of our parents?! And if not them, trying to win the praise and respect of other parent figures and authority figures in our lives? We seem to crave the endorsement of others. We need others to tell us how good we are, to assure us that we are worthwhile, or to give us special position within the tribe. We create competitions to prove our superiority and put down, sabotage, or even kill others in an effort to be the greater. (Gen 37.20) We hate those who do gain favour, and justify our anger with lies and half facts. And for what?!! Those we seek to impress are only fallible, immature, insecure humans as well. They may even be using our desperateness to impress as a way to manipulate and control us. Our efforts do not buy us love, and any status gained is fragile and fleeting.
If we want to have a healthy sense of self-worth, we will not find it in the approval or love of others. Nor in the list of achievements and qualifications that follow our name. Self worth runs deeper than that. It comes from the soul. Who are you when no one is watching? What is actually important to you when the grading system is gone? Do you actually like yourself? Do you like what you do and why do you do it? Do you do what you do well and why, or why not? What in your life give you energy, joy or contentment? What in your life is robbing you of time, peace and fulfilment?
These are not easy questions. But if you are willing to contemplate them regularly with God in prayer they will keep you well grounded and directed. They will help you to know yourself better, and they will prevent you from blindly being sucked into other people’s power plays. The Psalmist says, “Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.” (Ps 105. 4) God is the only one we need to impress, and we do not earn his attention by achievement or merit. God calls us to love. “Let the heart of those who seek the LORD rejoice.” (Ps 105.3b)
Exodus 14.19-31; Ps 114; Romans 14.1-14; Matthew 18.21-35
“Each of us will be accountable to God.” Rom 14.12
Religion has often been used to foster a sense of elitism. It can become a special group of people set apart from the rest of the world; a group that knows better than the rest, with people who are better than the rest. And then within the group, there is more elitism, as each member strives to prove to themselves and to others, that they are better, truer, and greater than the rest. When we put rules on the group’s behaviour, diet, clothing, traditions and work, it enables us to judge and score ourselves, and others, against a perceived view of perfection. And then, what should be a life spent loving God and seeking to become more one with God, becomes a life serving ego, pride and appearance.
Some people see the body as a temple of the Holy Spirit, beautifully made, a unique gift from God to be treasured. They choose a diet and lifestyle that acknowledges this and through this reverence draw closer to God. Others feel so passionate about a ministry calling and work so vigorously at it, that they have little time for self care and prop themselves up with alcohol and caffeine. Their drive for the ministry brings them closer to God. But one should not judge the other as a way of feeling more virtuous. Each has their own journey, calling and ministry. God uses many and various tools and life situations to teach us, guide us and grow us. What is needed is not judgement which leads to pride, stagnation and elitism, but grace which leads to love, transformation and unity.
Rather than policing the dogma and traditions of our religion in order to control its purity and character and uphold our sense of rightness, let us instead share the insights and wisdom that God has lead us to, and listen to the truths and insights that God has lead others to. If we do so, our faith will be even more vibrant, grow faster and deeper, and reveal to us and others, even more of the wonders of God.
Pentecost 15
Exodus 12.1-14; Psalms 149; Romans 12.1-10; Matthew 18.10-20
“Pay to all what is due them – taxes to whom taxes are due, respect to whom respect is due, honour to whom honour is due. ( Rom 13.7)
“So it is not the will of your Father in Heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.” ( Matt 18.4)
Being a Christian may mean that we in the world but not off it, but it does not mean that we can shirk our responsibilities to society. Unlike the “sovereign citizen” movement that proclaim that, as they do not support the society in which they live or the way that it is run, or the power currents of the world, they are not part of ‘society’ and therefore will not uphold it by paying taxes. None of us likes to pay money to things we do not believe in. But we live under the current governing system and cannot do otherwise without moving to another country. So, as we must pay our taxes and abide by the laws of the land; let us pray for our governments, challenge injustice, speak up against corruption, expose evil, vote wisely and work to make ours a truly fair and just government.
To whom is respect due? I remember a line in “My Fair Lady” where Eliza declares that she would never have known how to be a Lady if it weren’t for Cornel Pickering. He treated her as if she were a lady even when she was just a flower girl, and thus she became a lady because of his respect. We have the chance to discover and bring forth the best in other people simply by the respect, love and courtesy we show them. Ours is not to withdraw from society, but to bring forth the best in people. To find the little ones that feel lost.
To whom is honour due? – To all who do well. There are good, skilled, creative, productive people everywhere! But do we notice them? Do we notice their work, or do we take them, and what they do, for granted and just expect it? Do we notice the skills and achievements that we ourselves have and give thanks for what we have learnt and how we are able to work? There is so much to honour, so much to be thankful for, so much to see God’s presence in, and so many to bring God’s presence to.
Pentecost 14
Exodus 3.1-15; Psalms 105.1-6, 23-26; Romans 12.9-21; Matthew 16.21-28
Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.” (Ex 3.3)
Imagine what would have happened if Moses has seen the burning bush and simply dismissed it as he raced on to get the sheep to the next watering hole so he could get home in time for dinner. I’m sure that God would have continued to try to get Moses’ attention in other ways. Perhaps God had been trying for a while to break through to Moses. There are so many ways that God chooses to speak to us. But most of them can be ignored if we are too busy or self centred to notice.
God speaks to us through the bible and religious text. Nature speaks God’s wonders, beauty and wisdom every day. God turns up in our dreams, in the longing of our heart, in the kind words of a friend, in the challenges of an enemy, in good things, and in difficulties and trials. But often we don’t see or hear these words of love because we do not “Seek the Lord and his strength;” nor do we, “seek his presence continually.” (Ps 105.4) Our love is not “genuine”. (Rom 12.9)
Just because the bush did not burn up, did not mean that the fire was safe. Fire is hot, it scorches, it can hurt, and it is to be respected. God is love. But love is not safe either. Love burns, it changes us, it leaves its mark, it can hurt. It too must be respected. So Moses was told to come no closer and to take off his sandals. Sandals are our way of protecting our feet from the heat of the sand, from sharp stones and prickles, and from becoming hard and insensitive. But they also stop us from being connected with the earth.
Perhaps there are times when we need to turn aside and look at the wonders of God. To enter God’s presence with respect and put aside the protections we have made for ourselves, so that we can reconnect with God and nature.
Pentecost 13
Exodus 1.8-2.10; Psalms 124; Romans 12.1-8; Matthew 16.13-20
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed, by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12.4
How good are you at discerning between what is good, what is acceptable and what is best? Every day we have to make choices. Some of them are trivial but still must be made. Shall I paint the skirting board the same colour as the wall or shall I paint it a deeper shade? Does it really matter? No. But the decision still needs to be made. Other choices are more important in terms of the impact they have on our lives and the lives of others. Do I take this new job and move my family, or stay where I am? Knowing that God can use all things for good in those that love Him, and that God is more concerned about the transformation of our soul than our career moves, how do we decide which options are good or bad, acceptable or best?
Well, we certainly are not going to be lead to holiness by following the ways of the world. Advertisers create a need and ask you to fill that need with their product. They are not really interested in your health, convenience, social status or success, just in making more money than last year. Because we must have economic growth! A sustainable economy is not enough it seems. We will not choose what is life giving, by doing what everyone else expects. That leads only to conformity and sameness. And we will end up doing evil, if we let powerful leaders tell us who to hate, as we see in the Exodus reading today. Great for pharaoh, he got a free labour force and great personal wealth. Not great for the Israelites. For the Egyptians, well they were united in hate, so easier to rule.
If you want to choose between good, acceptable and best, it will take some careful observance of the deeper currents of life, and of the deeper pulls within yourself. It will require prayer, meditation, contemplation, and being centred in God. We don’t find the best while we are looking from selfishness. We find it when we look deep into Love.
Pentecost 12
Genesis 45.1-15; Psalms 132; Romans 11.13-32, Matthew 15.10-28
“How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!” Ps 132.1a
“For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.” Ps 132. 3b
I may be good and pleasant when brothers live together in unity, but is it financially profitable? How will they be motivated to work together? Who will be the boss? What is the cause that will unite them? How do they “make money, lots of money”? - To quote a certain president.
There are two ways to unite a group of people. One is through love and respect, the other is through hate and fear. To unite people through love is a lot of hard work. It requires putting others above oneself, honouring the work and value of others, encouragement, focus on a positive shared goal, forgiveness, and a lot of soothing of egos. To unit people under fear and hate is easy. Just feed their fears and tell them who to hate!
Jesus tries to unite us with love and respect. Love for something greater than ourselves. Not a temporary cause, but united in the one who is Love. People, especially people who think themselves greater than others, will always resort to unity through fear and hate. - It is far easier to manipulate and far more profitable. But it never, ever, brings true joy. Not for those in power, and definitely not for the subordinate plebs that do the work, or fight the wars. But no doubt, fear, greed, arrogance and the quest for power and dominance will continue to dominate world, local and social politics. But we will find no blessing there. There is a much better way.
To think that we are superior to others because of faith, wealth, education, class, manners, bread or ability is foolishness. Paul tells us not to be arrogant. God can graft us in or cut us out at anytime. (Rom 11.13-36) We should be afraid. - But not of other people or loss of fortune. We should be afraid of being cut off from Love. A society or family that does not love, fails. If our hearts fail to love, they will be “unclean”. ( Matthew 15. 11) Where there is no love - that is hell.
Pentecost 11
Genesis 37.1-4, 12-28; Psalms 105.1-6, 16-22; Romans 10.4-15; Matthew 14.22-36
“When his brothers saw that their father loved (Joseph) more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.” (Gen 37.4)
How much of our lives are spent trying to win the love, attention and praise of our parents?! And if not them, trying to win the praise and respect of other parent figures and authority figures in our lives? We seem to crave the endorsement of others. We need others to tell us how good we are, to assure us that we are worthwhile, or to give us special position within the tribe. We create competitions to prove our superiority and put down, sabotage, or even kill others in an effort to be the greater. (Gen 37.20) We hate those who do gain favour, and justify our anger with lies and half facts. And for what?!! Those we seek to impress are only fallible, immature, insecure humans as well. They may even be using our desperateness to impress as a way to manipulate and control us. Our efforts do not buy us love, and any status gained is fragile and fleeting.
If we want to have a healthy sense of self-worth, we will not find it in the approval or love of others. Nor in the list of achievements and qualifications that follow our name. Self worth runs deeper than that. It comes from the soul. Who are you when no one is watching? What is actually important to you when the grading system is gone? Do you actually like yourself? Do you like what you do and why do you do it? Do you do what you do well and why, or why not? What in your life give you energy, joy or contentment? What in your life is robbing you of time, peace and fulfilment?
These are not easy questions. But if you are willing to contemplate them regularly with God in prayer they will keep you well grounded and directed. They will help you to know yourself better, and they will prevent you from blindly being sucked into other people’s power plays. The Psalmist says, “Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.” (Ps 105. 4) God is the only one we need to impress, and we do not earn his attention by achievement or merit. God calls us to love. “Let the heart of those who seek the LORD rejoice.” (Ps 105.3b)