During this past week, the rector’s car and my Green machine have been busily going around the parish - delivering fruit and vegetables, flowers and cans of food to our housebound parishioners all of whom were very appreciative of the gifts which many other parishioners provided as their harvest offering which decorated the church last sunday.
The green machine has also been picking up clothes from various shops for the fashion show which happened last week.
It has also been taking me to various nursing homes, meetings about the creche, services here in church, home visits, rehersals, shops.
Life in the parish is busy - it is a real blessing to be in a parish where there is lots going on as well as lots of parishioners actively involved.
During the course of this week I also had cause to pause and reflect as to life in ministry - life in the busy-ness of parish work.
So often we are caught up with the concerns of today, the worriesSo let us now pause ...
A couple of weeks ago I ventured in my car up through North belfast to Cave Hill Country Park. I got on my walking boots and set off one clear friday morning and walked up right above belfast zoo. It was beautiful. to see the dynamic nature of the city. Down below was the hussle and bussle of the city streets, the aeroplanes landing and taking off, the ships rolling in, the buses, cars all busy going about their business. Seeing the hospitals, and looking out towards the east of the city seeing the familiar streets from a different perspective.
Whatever we are doing, wether we have a clergy collar on or a barristers wig or sit at a teachers desk, or work with a shovel or whatever we find ourselves doing.
The gospel reading this evening should invite us to pause, to think about three things
- Firstly we are called friends of Jesus
- Then we are called to bear fruit
- Ultimately we are commanded to love
Directly before this passage, Jesus speaks of the importance of being connected to the vine - You cannot produce fruit without being connected to the branches, once away from the vine fruit die. Friends who never communicate, who never meet up for a coffee, the friendship is in danger of dying.
Jesus said in our reading today “but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.” We have that relationship - the first challenge is a very basic one - how are you and I sustaining the relationship with God?”
How is our prayer life?, Are we reading the Bible?.
As I pause here - I mention our Bible Study Group - there is an invitation on a wednesday night to come along and get involved in studying God’s word. down at the back are the books we are using this term. Myself and the rector are leading it. Why not give it a chance if you are not already involved?
Then We are called to bear fruit
I am amazed as to the diversity of the things a curate is called upon to do - so much diversity in life - I love wakening up and wondering what is going to happen today? we are all called to live life in all its fullness. In Galatians we find out what we should have as the fruit of our lives - the things we should be producing - Love, Joy, peace, patience ...
How is that in our lives, are there things we do need to cultivate?
Recently the Bishop of our diocese has been speaking to clergy about our own support mechanisms, about the people we are able to chat through things with, about our own spiritual formation.
Every single person needs those people who are able to tend to us, those whom we can confide in, those who we can talk to about prayer, about the Bible, about faith, those who will pray for us.
Ultimately we are commanded to but also encouraged to and indeed cannot do any thing else but love.
Christian Love is expressed in many ways
The “How are you” telephone call
The “lets meet up for a cuppa”
The “I just called to see how you are”
The meal brou
ght round to save you cooking
The prayer for those whom we dont know
The “can I do anything for you”
Every single one of us can show love by what we say, by what we do and even how we do it portrays love or lack of it.
Let’s recap
We are called friends of God - how is our relationship with him?, how are we sustaining that relationship? - what practical ways could we feed that?
We are called to bear fruit - how are we producing the fruit of the spirit?, what do we need to consentrate on?
We are called to love one another - how can we do that this week?
Church should be a community where we support one another as we make mistakes, as we grow together, as we live out these values. Not one of us has got it all sorted ... I am sure that many of us find it difficult to pray... that many of us find it difficult to read the Bible each day ... but as Brothers and Sisters we spur each other on, we encourage each other, we are there for one another.
The practical out working of this passage is how we are going to live this week, how we are going to interact with those whom we meet- are we going to get angry or are we going to show grace, are we going to ask a “how are you really?” question and be prepared to listen for the answer, are we going to show love to x or y ?
It is now important to get on with the work, Let's do it ... John 10:10 "Life in all its fullness"
Amen
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