Sermons

Happy Easter! Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed! “Why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here, but has risen.”(Luke 24:5) ‘Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”(John 20: 28-29) Lost and Found As we approached Jerusalem the crowd stood at the gate and cried in tear-choked voice”: “We are lost in his death.” Upon the hill the angels sang: “We are found in his rising.” (Ann Weems) Easter Just when I though there would be no more light in the Jerusalem sky, the Bright and Morning Star appeared and the darkness has not overcome it. (Ann Weems) My haiku for this morning: ‘Angels fill the hole with resurrection splendour. Paradoxical!’ We are Easter people!  Sing your alleluias!  Make a joyful noise!  Dance, pray, smile, laugh. Easter blessings and love, Barbara   Easter Sunday, 2020.  Rev Barbara Allen [hymn suggestions: people can access some of these on-line, or read them in their hymn books.  These suggestions are from Together in Song (TIS): 365: Christ the Lord is risen today 720: Halle, halle, halle, hallelujah! 392: At the dawning of salvation 362: Jesus Christ is risen today 382: Now the green blade rises from the buried grain 242: I danced in the morning 228: Crown him with many crowns 380: Yours be the glory, risen, conquering Son 390: Alleluia, alleluia, give thanks to the risen Lord. Call to Worship With Mary, let us approach the tomb. With Mary, let our surprise and grief-be turned to joy. With Mary, we hear Christ call our names. Let us give thanks to our risen Lord who has triumphed over death. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen Prayer O God, to you belong all praise and glory. Easter is a glorious season, a time to remember your power-and your love. The stone was rolled away, and our fears of death were rolled away as well. You brought life out of death, and have promised that to us also. God of wonder, that the tomb should be empty on that Easter morning is as unbelievable to us as it was to Mary; that one should die and be raised again for all, is beyond our comprehension. Yet though our minds be stretched beyond their limit, by the gift of faith we do believe. We praise the risen Jesus, alive and present in our midst. Because Jesus stooped to comfort the least of your people, those on the margin, the overlooked, we too have hope that you can lift our spirits, when we despair. When we face troubled times, you comfort us, strengthen us, and love us.  Fill us with hope as we behold Christ’s resurrection. The miracle of Easter shows us that nothing is impossible for you-and that nothing in life or in death can separate us from your love. Alleluia! Amen. Bible Reading: John 20: 1-18 Sermon There is a picture of the empty tomb, with the stone rolled to the side.  The caption reads: Missing, presumed dead. -missing, presumed dead. ‘Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.’ Easter: the mood of the Easter Season is a rollercoaster of emotions: from grief and loss, to waiting-and patience-and finally it is Easter Sunday, the most important day in the church calendar.  Christmas is essential-we need the Son of God to be born among us-we need the death on Good Friday-but Easter Sunday is the most important-because if there was no resurrection-no empty tomb-then the baby Jesus remains just a baby, and Good Friday just a day of death. We as Christians know that if there was no resurrection, we have nothing to stand on. We worship a risen Lord. This year, we cannot attend a church gathering, but the ‘alleluias’ still abound in our hearts. We are still the church. He has risen!  Alleluia! And yet, like the Christmas story, it is all too easy to rush through the Easter story. After sombre Good Friday-we hurry through Easter Saturday-eager to get to the good part. BUT stop! Listen! We know the quote ‘take time to smell the flower’ Slow down-or you’ll miss some jewels of the Easter story. In John’s account, we hear that Mary came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. The gospel accounts of the First Easter are, to a degree, so familiar that we tend to merge them together. John does not say why Mary went to the tomb-but it was not in order to anoint the body (as in Mark and Luke).  In John’s account, the preparation of the body -to mask the odours, and to show respect and devotion of family and friends-had already taken place-carried out by Nicodemus.  Mary goes to the tomb- in order to grieve -away from others -to weep in private. She comes to the tomb while it is still dark. John is the only gospel to state that it was dark. Matt and Luke say that it was dawn. Mark-that the ‘sun had risen.’ John may be using the word ‘dark’ to convey to us that Mary has not grasped what has happened. -she ‘saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb’ -all that the empty tomb means to Mary at this stage is that the body of Jesus has been stolen. -she hasn’t grasped the deeper significance. ‘She saw.’ Seeing is believing But not yet. How well do we see? Ever driven home-and you can’t remember how you got home?  You were so intent on what was going on in your mind, that you weren’t aware of what you were doing, or seeing? How many of you have ever been on a familiar, maybe your daily, walk-and not noticed something that

Hello Jesus’ followers, As we enter into the solemn mood on this the holiest of our holy days, we kneel at the feet of the cross, crying for our loved one who has died.  We were not his followers then, but we are his followers now. A few weeks ago, I wrote about haiku, Japanese poetry enshrined within 17 syllables. My morning dog walks are slow…Harry is middle aged, blind, and has been off colour the past few days.  The walk allows me to wake up properly, pray, and sometimes, through the silence, bits of haiku start to form.  Today, this Good Friday one came into being: Mary on her cross. Heart shredded by grief’s talons. “My son, my son, why…” Blessings as you mourn, and wait through Holy Saturday. Sometimes we are not good at waiting, impatient in this society of 2 minute noodles, drive-through food etc, though these weeks in lock down may have made us a little more patient.  When we slow down, when we wait…well, we see things we haven’t noticed before, we become mindful. In the darkness, remember…you are loved. In Jesus’ darkest time, he remembered and cared for others, right to the end: ‘When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. ‘(John 19: 26-27) Barbara Good Friday Service: Leighmoor Uniting Church, 2020. If you have a cross, of any kind, I invite you to have it in front of you, or wear it, during this service at home, and to have as a focus for the rest of the day. I would have used other symbols for the Good Friday service, having them as the ‘voices’, but instead I have chosen to put together a service that is easier to follow on your own, or with a small family group. Introduction On this Good Friday we hear the Bible Readings, and are invited to enter the story, through some of the key characters. When we hear their stories we may ask ourselves: Am I like Peter?  Do I deny Jesus? Do I grieve like Mary?  Each of the stories (some of them adapted from Whole People of God material) is linked with Bible readings, if you want to look them up. I was going to include them as well, but it would be many more pages!  I have included prayers, parts of hymns, and a poem.  You may enter into all of it, or part of it.  You may even choose to focus on a hymn, or a reading, instead.  Prayer From the depth of his agony, Jesus cried out: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” In this question he identified himself with all who suffer pain, rejection, and death. We are invited to experience God’s presence, even in our darkest hours. This is the darkest of all Christian days, yet we worship God. In our grief, we seek God’s caring presence. Amen. Hymn 339: O sacred head sore wounded. O sacred head sore wounded, with grief and shame weighed down; O kingly head surrounded with thorns your only crown; death’s shadows rise before you, the glow of life decays; yet hosts of heaven adore you and tremble as they gaze. What language shall I borrow to praise you, heavenly friend, for this your dying sorrow, your mercy without end? Such agony and dying! Such love to sinners free! O Christ, all grace supplying, turn now your face on me. In this your bitter Passion, good Shepherd, think of me, look on me with compassion, unworthy though I be: beneath your cross abiding forever would I rest, in your dead love confiding, and with your presence blessed. (-Paul Gerhardt) Reflections Judas Iscariot tells his story: (Luke 22:39-51) Was I there?  Yes, I, Judas Iscariot was there all right.  I don’t suppose you’ll ever understand why I acted as I did.  But if you had known Jesus as I knew him, perhaps you wouldn’t be quite so harsh in your condemnation. Why, he had everything going for him!  He could make the crowds hang on his words.  There were hundreds-no thousands-who would have done anything he asked them to do.  He was the perfect leader for our people.  And then he threw it all away.  It would have been child’s play for him to get the whole nation behind him and throw those detested Romans clear out of the country.  I was sure that’s what he was leading up to, with all his fine talk about a kingdom.  And then he blew it.  “My kingdom is not of this world”-indeed! I tell you I’ve never been more disappointed in my life.  Someone who lets people down like that ought to be betrayed.  And yet…O God…I wish I could forget those eyes that seemed to see right into me.  I wish he had just stopped loving me for one bitter moment.  Perhaps it would be easier for me now. Peter tells his story: Luke 22: 54-62 How could I have done it?  “I’m your man, Jesus.  You can count on me!  Maybe not on anybody else, but you can count on good old Peter the Rock” That’s what I said to him, not 24 hours ago.  And I meant every word of it.  I was so sure that nothing could ever make me let him down.  And then look what I did- told those men and that serving girl, three times in arrow, that I never even knew him! Never knew him!  I knew him as I’ve never known anyone in my life.  To think that I was the one who realised on the mountain top that here was no mere mortal, but God living with us.  I was the one who blurted it out: “Jesus, you’re the Christ, the son of the living

Hello Faith Pals, I thought I would send you some thoughts for tomorrow, being Maundy Thursday.  Tomorrow morning I will email you the Good Friday service and the Easter Sunday service.  I just wanted to get this to you so you had it for tomorrow. For the hymn: ‘Were you there when they crucified my Lord?’ one version has these verses added for Holy Week: 1. Were you there when he gave them bread and wine? 2. Were you there when he knelt and prayed to God? 3. Were you there when his friends betrayed and fled? 4. Were you there when they scorned and mocked our Lord? 4. Were you there when they led him to the cross? We would be having a service tomorrow evening, wouldn’t we? (not sure whether this is a tradition at Leighmoor UC). Washing of feet, or Tenebrae? It doesn’t matter.  What might be helpful is tomorrow, sometime during the day,  when you have your shower/bath, or put on your shoes and socks, you consider your feet, and remember that Jesus washed his disciples feet. When you have your meals on Thursday, if bread is used, remember the last meal Jesus eat with his disciples, and put yourself in the picture.  Where are you sitting?  What are you doing?  What does it mean to follow the one who called himself ‘The Bread of Life’? ‘Kneels at the feet of his friends, silently washes their feet: master who acts as a slave to them. Yesu, Yesu, fill us with your love, show us how to serve, the neighbours we have from you. Loving puts us on our knees, silently washing their feet, this is the way we should live with you. Yesu, Yesu, fill us with your love, show us how to serve, the neighbours we have from you. As we ponder Jesus’ last night with his close friends, his disciples, we remember it was a night when he washed his disciples’ feet, as an example of humility. A night also when he broke the bread and poured the wine, as a means by which his disciples could remember the meaning and significance of his death. It was also a night when discipleship failed; when Judas betrayed his Master, and Peter denied his Lord. And those who had followed him abandoned him and ran away. Here is a beautiful prayer about Peter’s denial, and what it means for us-from the pen of the wonderful Ken Gire: Dear Lord Jesus, Thank you for Peter.  He was a great man.  He loved you so much.  He left everything to follow you.  In your name he healed the sick, cast out demons, and preached the kingdom.  For three and half faithful years he stood beside you.  And when the soldiers came to take you away, he stood up for you,  When the others deserted you, he followed all the way to the temple courtyard. I confess I would never have made it that far. Help me not to pass judgement on him, Lord.  Rather, may his great and fervent love for you pass judgement on me. Help me to see that I deny you in so many areas of my life, in so many ways and at so many different times. When I am too busy to pray, I deny that you are the centre of my life. When I neglect your Word, I deny that you are competent to guide me. When I worry, I deny that you are Lord of my circumstances. When I turn my head from the hungry and the homeless, I deny that you are a God of mercy who has put me here to be your hands and your feet, When I steal something from another person to enrich or enhance my life- whether that be something material or some credit that is rightly due another, which I have claimed for myself- I deny you are the source of all blessings. Forgive me, Jesus, for all those quiet ways, known only to you, in which I have denied you. Help me to pray for and encourage others the way you did for Peter.  Even during those times when they may in some way deny their friendship.  Especially during those times. Thank you for all the times you have prayed for me that my faith might not fail.  There is no telling how many times I have been rescued from Satan’s hand because you stood beside me.  And thank you, most faithful of friends, that no matter how terribly I have failed you, I can always look into your eyes, and there find forgiveness. Amen (Ken Gire, Instructive Moments With the Saviour) Prayer Lord Jesus, although you were betrayed, another denied knowing you, and everyone abandoned you, help me to stay with you. You remained faithful to death, even death on a cross. Strengthen me, help me not turn aside when the going gets tough, but help me follow you through sunshine and shadow alike, For the final victory belongs to you, Amen. Blessings to you all, Barbara   Virus-free. www.avg.com

Sunday April 5th: Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday  Lectionary Readings: Palm Sunday: Isaiah 50: 4-9                         Psalm 118: 1-2, 19-29                         Philippians 2: 5-11                         Matthew 21: 1-11 Passion Sunday: Isaiah 50: 4-9                             Psalm 31: 9-16                             Philippians 2: 5-11                             Matthew 26: 14-27:66 or Matthew 27: 11-54 Lots of hymns to choose from.  Some are: Tis 333: All glory, praise and honour        348: Ride on, ride on in majesty        724: Hosanna, hosanna      231: At the name of Jesus (picks up the words from one of the Bible readings    set for today: Philippians 2: 5-11) As we prepare to enter Holy Week, we may wish to reflect on: 640: Kneels at the feet of his friends, silently washes their feet Prayers: God of all faithfulness, we come before you this Palm Sunday to remember your way of love in the midst of triumph and in the midst of pain. We recall the passion of your son Jesus Christ and of how he was faithful to your way even when it meant death on a cross. Be with us as we read the story again and help us to respond faithfully to its challenges. Amen. This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. Oh Lord, our feet are like lead, we feel unable to dance at your entrance into Jerusalem.  We feel weighed down at the beginnings of the most holy time in our Christian calendar, Holy Week. We do not feel cheerful, joyous, due to the troubles in the world, troubles on our front door step. Oh Lord, as we struggle to welcome you into Jerusalem, we ask that you ride into our hearts. Help us tame our fear, our anxiety. Help us to continue to love one another.  This can be difficult to do, as we may look at others as harbourers of the virus.  Help us to remember that you are with us, we are not alone. Amen Sermon Crowds  Welcoming parades- Moomba, Grand Final parades, or disruptive crowds, protests.  Last year, around this time, there were a number of large protests in the city-do you remember?  I seemed to be in the city on several of those occasions, stuck in a tram, or having to negotiate a different route through the city, on foot. There were a number of union protests, climate change ones, and a large protest organised by vegans. But not this year. The city is, I understand, pretty empty. This year, there is an absence of crowds. An absence of gatherings, of groups.  Forbidden as well. More like a Good Friday than a Palm Sunday mood.   If Palm Sunday was actually taking place THIS Sunday, the crowd would not have been able to gather to welcome Jesus into Jerusalem, due to the covid-19 virus. What would they have done? What will we do? How will we welcome Jesus? Let’s get back to the Gospel: What sort of parade was it on Palm Sunday?  Did the crowds inconvenience anyone?  Stop market traffic?   On Palm Sunday, we are reminded that the Jesus whom adoring crowds welcomed into Jerusalem, is the Jesus whom the crowds turned against before the end of the week. Palm Sunday quickly merges into the Sunday of the Passion. -violence, bloodshed, and terror lurk behind the words of the story of Jesus’ last week. During this Holy Week- we see a terrifying picture of our true selves and what God intends to do with us  (repeat) Today’s lectionary reading has two choices: Palm Sunday, about the parade into Jerusalem, or the other readings, for Passion Sunday, which is the account of the betrayal, arrest, trial and crucifixion of Jesus-about the longest text of the church year-it contains the Last Supper, continues with Jesus’ prediction of his death and his disciple’s betrayal of him, and closes with his burial.  It is a story of betrayal, injustice, cruelty and death. It is a reminder that we continue to betray Jesus with our sin, our violence, our unfaithfulness. This sermon will attempt to merge Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday, as we ready ourselves for Holy Week. Two different moods-joyful, and sombre. And yet-is this so? Palm Sunday: on this day, crowds welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem by waving palm branches and shouting as he rode into town on a donkey. -the waving of palm branches is usually interpreted as a biblical sign of welcome, hospitality. But reports from an anthropologist note that, in some cultures, people wave branches to ward off approaching evil or terror. The branches are like an extension of their arms, protecting themselves. WHAT IF those waving palm branches were not simply an outburst of hospitality- but an unconscious attempt to ward off Jesus- to protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem from this strange intruder? If that is so-then maybe we should wave palm branches every time we open the Bible! Terror is no stranger to the Bible. The Bible can be a terrifying book. Not every time we hear the word, but as we near Good Friday-it is hard to escape the approaching terror. An innocent man is about to be murdered. Think about shocking parts of the Bible, shocking Bible stories. One of the most disturbing for me, is the story of Abraham preparing to kill his son Isaac. And now, in the New Testament, God is preparing another son, for a cross. Let’s go back to Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday- as a parable for how

Lent 5.  Jesus and Lazarus: A God who weeps. Lectionary Readings: Ezekiel 37: 1-14 Psalm 130 Romans 8: 6-11 John 11: 1-45. Hymns I would have chosen.  If you have a hymn book you may wish to look them up and read, sing or pray them.  They may also be on-line: 637: Lord of the living 607: Make me a channel of your peace 638: O Christ, the healer 687: God gives us a future. “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.” Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought he was referring merely to sleep.  Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.” (John 11: 11-14). Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.” 2 quotes: The first from Woody Allen: “I’m not afraid to die.  I just don’t want to be there when it happens.” And, from preacher and writer Fred Craddock: ‘Lazarus left the tomb, but the price was that Jesus had to enter it.’ I know I said I would speak about Psalm 23, but this reading is too good to let go, especially with what is going on in our world-and on our own doorsteps, right now. Death…and a foretaste of Jesus’ resurrection. I know we are hearing so much about death at the moment-BUT we must not let fear overcome us, overwhelm us, paralyse us.  This story, set for the week before Passion/Palm Sunday, gives us HOPE, and, hopefully, steadies our fluttering hearts and strengthens us for these difficult times. Let’s face it-we are following a really, hard and long Lenten journey this year! We can feel the heaviness of the cross on our backs, and within our hearts. We are not to be Pollyannas, thinking everything will be all right if we think positive-our news reports inform us of the severity of the virus-BUT we are to hold on to our faith, knowing we are NEVER alone. God did not promise us trouble free times-BUT Jesus did say he would be WITH US during those times. This powerful reading, infused with tears, is a link to the impending death of Jesus. The raising of Lazarus is a foretaste of what will be done for the whole world in the arrival of Jesus. Although the resuscitation of Lazarus is not Easter, it is not the resurrection of Jesus-it is as if the presence of Jesus exudes life, vitality. His very presence, his voice, evokes life. “I am the resurrection and the life.” One of the most precious things in the world to have is a home-where our loved one are, where we can go and find rest and understanding, peace and love. Some of us may be a bit sick of being ‘at home’ at present-but you know what I mean. This need of and for home was doubly true for Jesus, for he had no home of his own: In Luke 9: 58 he says: “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Yet…in the home at Bethany, Jesus found such a place. There were three people who loved him dearly-Lazarus, and his two sisters, Mary and Martha. There Jesus could rest from the tensions of life. The gift of rest-for weary feet, for tired souls. Lazarus became ill, so the sisters send a message to Jesus. We know the two sisters-Mary, the more contemplative one, Martha the more practical one.  “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” Now, watch carefully. This story of Lazarus’s death and resuscitation is set within a number of exchanges between Jesus and the two sisters. We identify with these women don’t we, we know what it feels like to be worried about a loved one. Let’s look at the message they sent to Jesus-is something missing? ‘So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” This verse speaks volumes of the love between this family, and Jesus. Their message does not ASK Jesus to come to Bethany. (repeat) They knew that the simple statement that they were in need would bring him. There is a great depth of friendship and trust here. But watch Jesus. In a sense he brushes off the message. He says “This illness does not lead to death.” -a curious statement since Jesus hasn’t even seen Lazarus, doesn’t know what his illness is. A bit like Dr Google these days! Then he says that Lazarus’s’ illness is for ‘God’s glory.’ -the cure would enable people to see the glory of God in action…and that God’s glory will also be seen in the cross. Remember one of my opening quotes: ‘Lazarus left the tomb, but the price was that Jesus had to enter it.’ BUT ‘after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.’ Don’t you find this a little strange? After receiving the sister’s news, Jesus hangs around for two more days-before heading off to Bethany. Wouldn’t you think he would drop everything, to go and visit a loved one who is ill? It’s not as though he is busy doing something more important, John just says that Jesus ‘stayed two days longer in the place where he was.’ So why didn’t Jesus rush to Bethany?  To Lazarus’s bedside? The writer of John always shows us Jesus taking action entirely on his own initiative-not being persuaded by others. Remember the miracle at Cana-the water changed in to wine?  Jesus tells Mary not to bother about it-in a sense, he is telling her he will deal with the situation when he is good and ready. The same today. Jesus does things in his chosen time. This is a warning to us. So often we would like Jesus to do things our way, in our time frame… “Lord do this please-and

Hello Faith Pals/Angels/members of the congregation, Hang in there!  I have been taking our blind dog Harry, for some of the drives into Epworth hospital for David’s dialysis treatment.  I like to have company for the trip home, and Harry isn’t a ‘back seat’ driver!  (Actually, he sits in the front-not for the view, but because it is a more comfortable seat, and I can pat him when the traffic lights turn red). He loves the car trip.  The motion, the rhythm sends him off to sleep.  When our son was little, I would often strap him into his car seat and go for a drive-it would always calm him down, and he would usually fall asleep during the trip. Reminded me of God.  If we rest in God’s arms, we can be at peace, despite all the turmoil that is going on around us.  If we listen…we can perhaps even hear God’s heart beat.  It may be our heart beat, but our hearts are connected to the One who made them!  God is bigger than us, much bigger.  As you reflect on your life’s journey, and the number of times you got through tough situations, with God’s strength, Christ’s hand, and the Spirit’s peace…rest in God’s lap, tell God how you are feeling, and let the Divine soothe your troubled hearts, and brush away your fears and worries, as gently as a loving parent brushes back the hair from a sobbing child. Here is a prayer which echoes my thoughts.  It is kept in the Bible that is on my bedside table. I do not know who wrote it: When fear and doubts stroll through our doors: God stands beside us, whispering of peace. When we toss and turn late at night: God sits by our beds, singing lullabies of love. When we stumble through the shadows of error and sin: God illuminates the paths of goodness and joy. Lullabies.  Not only do they soothe, but in some cultures they are a way of passing down traditions or cultural knowledge.  Several of our Christmas carols were written as lullabies for baby Jesus, the best known one being Silent Night. ‘What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.'(John 1: 4-5) Blessings, Barbara Allen   Virus-free. www.avg.com

Hello Everyone, Did any of you have pen pals?  When I was a young teenager, the school I attended organized these writing partnerships/friends.  It was a way to learn about other cultures, and to encourage us to write. This was in an era before emails and internet and Facebook/Twitter etc. I had two pen pals for a number of years: Gerard, from Ireland, and Mieko from Japan.  I would look forward to receiving their letters, as well as excitedly writing back.  I can’t remember what I wrote about, but I do remember how precious and welcome their letters were.  It was wonderful having friends in other countries. Maybe you could be addressed as- Hello Faith Pals? The first item I would like to share with you, to bolster flagging spirits, is a hymn.  I did not know it until I heard it on Songs of Praise a number of years ago.  The background to it is very moving.  Let me tell you the story of its origin, and of a man named Horatio Spafford. In 1870, lawyer and Presbyterian church elder Horatio Spafford, and his wife Anna were well off.  They had extensive real estate along the shore of Lake Michigan.  But their happy life was to change-the first way was through the death of their 4 year old son, from scarlet fever.  The following year, in 1871, the Great Chicago Fire destroyed their properties.  To help ease his wife’s deep depression, and to cheer up their four daughters, Horatio arranged for them to take a trip to Europe in November 1873. He was also planning on helping hymn writers Sankey and Moody with their campaign in Britain. On the day they were due to leave, Horatio was faced with a sudden business emergency, so he sent them on ahead, and said he would follow in a few days time.  On November 22, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, their streamer was struck by a British iron sailing ship, and sank in 12 minutes.  Out of the 307 passengers, only 81 were rescued-one of them was Anna Spafford. Their daughters had drowned. When Anna finally reached Cardiff, she sent Horatio a telegram with a brief and heartbreaking message: ‘Saved alone.” Horatio immediately set sail to bring his wife home.  Several days later he was called to the bridge by the ship’s captain when the ship passed the place where it was thought the steamer had gone down.  That night, alone in his cabin, with a faith that never faltered, Horatio penned the words of this moving hymn.  Later, he wrote to Anna’s sister: ‘On Thursday last we passed over the spot she went down, in mid-ocean, the waters three miles deep.  But I do not think of our dear ones there.  They are safe, folded, the dear lambs.’ Who among us, faced with such tragedy-the drowning of 4 daughters, could write words like these, not just of acceptance and deep faith, but of thanks, hope, praise? To be able to say: ‘it is well with my soul.’ To add to the couple’s grief, some of the Christian community back in Chicago starting talking about the accident as being punishment from God.  Horatio, and his wife, and with 2 daughters they soon had, fulfilled a lifelong ambition-to go and live in Jerusalem.  There they were a blessing to many.  They established The American Colony and brought practical help and love to the needy, the sick, and the homeless. Their own loss seemed to give them great compassion for the suffering of others.  Their work and its legacy continues in Jerusalem today, at The Spafford Children’s Centre. The first verse and chorus of the hymn It Is Well With My Soul: When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say, It is well, it is well, with my soul. It is well, with my soul, It is well, with my soul, It is well, it is well, with my soul. Horatio G. Spafford, 1873 May it be well with your soul as we cope with the Covid-19 (Corona virus) situation.  ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.'(John 14: 27) Now, Bill Pugh has mentioned that hymns are on from 7am-7.30 on 3mbs.  Of course don’t forget Songs of Praise at 11.30 on the ABC. Bill and Geoff also mentioned the pew sheets from Synod: victas.uca.org.au/pewsheets Of course we are to pray for the world, and for each other.  I have modified a prayer I found on-line which I thought was a lovely one to pray when we are feeling overwhelmed: ‘Everlasting , loving God, as I walk through circumstances that cause confusion and pain, remind me that your reign endures throughout all generations. Help me put my trust in you. Lift me up as I fall and raise my head when I feel overwhelmed. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.’ Here is one from the President of the Uniting Church, Dr Deidre Palmer: Prayer Gracious and loving God, Give wisdom and strength to all those in our community and around the world, who are responding to the coronavirus – health professionals, government officials, aged care providers, school leaders. May those who mourn the loss of loved ones to the virus, be comforted. May those in our community who are feeling anxious, find peace and reassurance. May our congregations, and faith communities be places of compassion, attentive to those who are impacted by the coronavirus. May we be communities of empathy, love and care, in all we face. Through Christ, our Lord, Amen. Remember, phone or email is a great way to keep in touch. My quote from Winnie the Pooh: “What day is it?”asked Pooh. “It’s today,”squeaked Piglet. “My favourite day.”said Pooh. Well, that is enough for you! 

1 Samuel  16: 1-13 God sees the heart (Lent 4) I Samuel 16: 1-13 Psalm 23 Ephesians 5: 8-14 John:1-41 Paul Kelly, an Australian singer and song writer, penned these words, which could summarise this passage: ‘from little things, big things grow’ (and yes, it is the jingle used for an insurance ad!) This passage of Scripture delights children, and expands the heart of the underdog. In our of our children’s Bibles, there is a picture of a later episode, when King Saul kits David out in armour…David’s tunic is too long, and the helmet goes right over his face so he cannot see…not the equipment he needs! It is a passage that reminds us that God sees the little…and the big, the powerful…and the insignificant And That all have a purpose…for we are all part of God’s family. Back to the story. Seven of Jesse’s sons are lined up, strapping lads…but not one of them has been deemed suitable as the future King. The other one, outside, overlooked, too young to merit a look in- is the successful choice…God’s choice. I’m not much of a sports person (so this cancelling of sporting events is not a hardship for me), but I do like watching the Olympics, especially the Winter Olympics. I enjoy seeing sports we were not created for-ice skating-if we were meant to skate, we would have blades on out feet, and if we were meant to jump off slopes to ski-we would have long, narrow feet! BUT I do enjoy it when the underdog wins (remember Steven Bradbury?  There was even a reference to him in Joy’s Ordination Service last week), or is at least able to compete. Remember Eddie the Eagle, daring to do the ski jumps?  Back in 2016 a movie was made of Eddie’s life and his determination to be an Olympian.  It was a good little film about following your dreams etc-but it still didn’t convince me to see skiing as my calling! I prefer the Para-Olympics, for they are the real heroes, in my book. Dare to tell someone their life is over, or that they cannot ‘do ’something…and see what happens! The richness of the Invictus Games.  Sadly, they may be cancelled this year (they are scheduled to be played in the Netherlands in May). Back to David.  Where is he?  Out with the sheep. Now, we need to put aside any romantic notions we may harbour about shepherds…take off our ‘Heidi’ glasses…these are not the Swiss Alps! Shepherding was a dangerous job: there were lions and bears.  The shepherd’s crook was not only used to rescue sheep stuck in crevices or on ledges…the crook was also a weapon, used to fight off predators. David…yes, I know the passage mentions David’s good looks, “he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes , and was handsome” (a bit Mills and Boon) but that wasn’t the reason for his choice by God (remember that Samuel had thought Eliab would have been chosen, ‘But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on the outward appearance or on the height of his statue, because I have rejected him, for the Lord does not see as mortals see…”) David was a brave soul. Used to danger, defending the herd, being courageous. BUT Perhaps also chosen because as a shepherd he would have earned to be watchful, alert, and…gentle. In Judaism, one of the reasons Moses was chosen by God to lead his people out of Egypt was because of his care of the flock. In the Midrash (a form of ancient Jewish commentary on the texts, often stories which ‘fill in the gaps’).  The standard explanation for Moses and David being shepherds is that taking care of sheep was a prelude and, in a way, a training ground, for leading the Israelites.  In the Midrash Exodus Rabbah (2:2) God observes the leadership capabilities of both Moses and David through their shepherding skills.  Regarding Moses, the Midrash famously tells how a little lamb ran away while Moses was tending Jethro’s flock: ‘When Moses was feeding the sheep of his father-in-law in the wilderness, a young one ran away.  Moses pursued it until he reached a ravine where it found a well to drink from.  When Moses reached it, he said, ‘I did not know that you ran away because you were thirsty.  Now you must be weary.’  He carried it back.  Then God said, ‘Because you have shown pity in leading back one of the flock belonging to a man, you shall lead my flock, Israel.’(Exodus Rabbah).  Similarly, regarding David, the Midrash states that he kept the big sheep penned and let the little ones graze first, allowing them to eat the softer vegetation.  Next, he released the old sheep to graze on the medium vegetation, and finally the strongest sheep were released to graze on the toughest vegetation.  God then declared, “Whoever knows how to take care of sheep, each one according to its strength, he is the one who shall come and shepherd My people.” The connection between leadership and shepherding is also made in another Midrash, where many parallels are listed between the way God and Moses looked after the Israelites.  For example, a shepherd takes care of his sheep even if they run off, just as God and Moses did not abandon the Israelites during the forty years of wandering in the desert, despite their constant complaints and rebelliousness. Why not David as well?  We know, as king, he cared for his human flock, he did not abandon them. People who care about animals often make good and kind leaders. God chose David, who had a good, courageous, yet gentle, heart. God sees the heart…rather than the outer appearance. Be good and compassionate folk-from your inner core…from your very heart. And know that God still has a plan for you…a unique set of instructions for your life…even during these trying and troubling times.  Whether you are tall…or small God, as your shepherd,

Year A Sermon: John 4: 5-42. How many of you know that feeling, when you are waiting for an operation or a procedure to be performed, and you have to fast: no food or water for at least 8 hours? You didn’t feel thirsty until you were told you were not to drink!  Oh, for that cup of tea! OR You are in a car, on a long country road trip.  You, or your travelling companion, says “When we next see a shop or a petrol station, we will stop and get a drink.” THEN it seems like forever until you spy that petrol station! Heat.  Thirst. In 1908 Dorothea MacKellar wrote the poem, ‘My Country’.  Portions of two of its  stanzas: I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains, Of ragged mountain ranges, Of droughts and flooding rains. Core of my heart, my country! Her pitiless blue sky, When, sick at heart, around us We see the cattle die But then the grey clouds gather, And we can bless again The drumming of an army, The steady soaking rain. We are lucky here, even in Australia.  Most of us do not know what it is to be deprived of water.  Droughts remind us never to take the gift of water for granted.  Be grateful.  We see land, plants and stock suffering, but In Australia humans don’t die of thirst. We also have clean water-we are not going to catch a life-threatening disease from our drinking water.  When people started buying bottled water I remember thinking, “This isn’t a third world country, our water is safe to drink.” ‘Living water’ is like gold.  The world is a thirsty place-and the wrong kind of water can be dangerous: 1 out of every 5 deaths of children under 5 is due to a water-related disease. 783 million people do not have access to safe water (1 in 9 people) 443 million school days are lost each year due to water-related diseases. Half of the world’s hospital beds are filled with people suffering from a water related disease.  Water is the starting point for Jesus’ conversation about salvation with the Samaritan woman who came to the well and discovered more than ordinary water. Indeed, three of our four lectionary readings deal with the theme of water. Samaria. Let’s get the map out in our heads.  In the time of Jesus, there were three definite divisions of territory: in the extreme north, there was Galilee, in the south, Judea, and in between there was Samaria.  Relations were tense between the Samaritans and the Jews.  The Samaritans were a Jewish sect.  Unlike the Jews of the south, their ancestors had not been taken into exile into Babylon.  Samaritans worshipped on Mt Gerizim instead in Jerusalem and they believe that they preserved the original traditions of Moses.  The major issue between Jews and Samaritans was the location of the Chosen Place to worship God: for the Jews, it was on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, for the Samaritans, it was on Mt Gerizim.  Indeed, in the Samaritan version of the Pentateuch (there are many differences between it and the one used in Judaism)-there is a uniquely Samaritan commandment to construct an altar on Mt Gerizim.  Even the name ‘Samaritan’ is divisive: it means Keeper/Guardian [of the religious texts]. There are about 500 -600 descendants (practicing Samaritans) today, mainly living around the area of the town of Nablus, which is at the foot of Mt Gerizim.  Samaria now constitutes the majority of the territory known as the West Bank. Jesus arrives at Sychar and sits at Jacob’s well.  This ground is part of Jewish memory.  This land had been bought by Jacob (Gen 33: 18,19). Jacob, on his deathbed, bequeathed the ground to Joseph.  After Joseph died in Egypt, his body was taken back to Palestine, and buried there (Joshua 24:32). Memories. John provides us with a rare glimpse of Jesus’ physical well being.  He is tired and thirsty from travel.  The disciples have gone to the village to buy food.  We are not sure why they have all left Jesus-we are not told.  Then the woman arrives, at the well, by herself.   Midday.  Hottest, or near hottest, part of the day. The well was an area where the women caught up with each other.  A bit like Melbourne’s inner city cafes.  The best time to do this would be either early morning or late afternoon. She came at midday-in order to avoid the other women. She had a reputation-five husbands, and living with another man-she would be the cause of much gossip.  So social rejection, being on the outer, would explain her lonely midday walk to the well. From the outer-to the inner From thirst-to being quenched. Jesus’ request for a drink is met with an insult: “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a Samaritan?” “Jew” was not used here in a complementary manner. This is about racial relations. The laws of ritual purity would not have allowed Jesus to drink from a Samaritan’s drinking vessel. Let’s do into deeper water.  This is more than a story about getting a drink! Jesus moves to a deeper topic, moving from racial boundaries to theology.  Jesus speaks of ‘the gift of water’ and ‘living water.’ She is unsettled.  She now addresses him in a more deferential manner, using the title “Sir”’. Jesus looks into her heart…and names her circumstances. He pours living, gushing water into her thirsty, dried up being. She drops her water jar and rushes off wondering about him: “Could this be the Messiah?” This woman, with the big reputation, becomes the first evangelist in the Gospel of John. (repeat) She repeats the words Jesus uttered to his first 2 disciples, back in John 1: 39: “Come and see.” She tells her village to “come and see” this man at the well. “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done!” (not

Lent two-8 March 2020: Have faith in the future Message: – Jesus calls us to entrust ourselves into the care of the Holy Spirit who will carry us into the unknown future of God. Our Psalm 121 today commencing with :”I will lift up my eyes to the hills” jogs my memory of a gathering at the International Hospital Chaplains at Toronto during the early 90’s when a leader Dr Howard Clinebell stated that he spent each of his birthdays travelling to a mountain to be closer to God. Some who feel depressed or who want to feel the closeness of God through nature make a point of getting up early to view a sunrise or maybe, more conveniently watching the sun set over a range of hills as I did recently at the Bungle Bungles in the Kimberly.  People down through the ages have been inspired by the words of this Psalm, basing their lives on the same faith in the same Lord, sharing in the life and worship of the community which is the continuing Body of Christ. It raises the question, who might you and I share our faith with today? During the forty days leading to Easter, called the season of Lent, allows us to ask ourselves again, whether we have got what it takes to be the people of God and followers of Jesus. We are confronted by challenging messages from the Bible today about what it means to be a follower of Jesus. It is one thing to be warned to count the cost, but another to be told there is no way of calculating the cost. This latter is today’s message. As we hear, Abraham is one of the key figures whose footsteps we are to follow in if we take the life of faith seriously. As “Love to the World” which is a book of daily Bible readings that many of you may be familiar with,  says of the Genesis reading, there are few more revolutionary claims: “that God speaks” in the Christian faith than these simple words. The message from God to Abraham was “Get up and leave your country, your relatives and the family of your parents and move to the land that I will show you”. It’s just “Get up and make tracks and you’ll find out what it all means as it unfolds. Just trust me. He did, and so must we. May we recommit ourselves led by the wind of God’s spirit but understand that no one can tell you all that it will mean or where it will take you. It is simply a matter of putting your trust in Jesus, of entrusting your life into the hands of one who will take you who knows where, but who is utterly committed to your best interests and has proved faithful to generations of Spirit led people before us. In the John Gospel 3: 16 ,it is  arguably the most quoted verse from the Bible:- “God loved the world so much that he gave his only son so that everyone who has faith in him may not die but have eternal life.”  As ‘Love to the World” points out, this does not refer simply to more life nor after life, but to an abundant and full life in the here and now: the life that really is life. Through Jesus life, death and resurrection we are all brought out from death and into life! The daily readings in “The Friendship Book” [ used to be called the “Frances Gay Friendship Book”}, for February 23 reads: – “In a fable, a man learns of a magical stone that can turn anything into gold. He would know it by its warmth. Unfortunately, it was somewhere on a beach full of stones.  Every day for a year he picked up stones, declared them cold and threw them into the sea. Then he picked up a warm stone. His heart jumped, his mind celebrated, and he threw the stone into the sea! Habit had conditioned his body so thoroughly that heart and mind were automatically over-ruled. When our habits have that sort of power, let’s make sure they are good ones! In the discussion Jesus had with Nicodemus, there is talk of faith and especially the idea of making a new start using the metaphor, of new birth, or being born again. The change that God calls us to make is so radical that it is as though we emerge into life all over again, starting again, leaving the old behind. He compares this encounter with the unknown to the wind: -“the wind blows where it chooses”. When the wind of change offers us the chance of a new beginning, a new birth, we can either cling to the known or let go and allow ourselves to be carried off into complete unknown of a new beginning. A real test of this church congregation will be our willingness to let go of our past and allow the new wind to blow where it will and take us to a promised land through faith. God will be with us and Jesus will carry us into a wonderful future, I am confident.  One more take on this Gospel reading is from Eddie Askew, President of Leprosy International in his book “Breaking the Rules” who reported that the first recorded composer of European music was a twelfth century nun. Recorded in a manuscript, not on a CD, she described herself as a “feather on the breath of God”.  This is something, someone, utterly at God’s command. Ready for the Spirit’s direction. Sensitive, trembling at the least movement. Surrendered to his will. Carried along by his strength. Not only does the breath of God give a sense of purpose, but it gives life itself. We are told that when God made humanity, he “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” [Genesis 2:7] But the image breaks down if carried too far. We’re not