A season to grow

We are all living in a busy and complicated world

The rhythm of times and seasons in the church calendar is useful

... there are times when we are really busy and there are time when things quieten down

... there are times when we celebrate and times when we are more reflective

... there are times when we remember certain events and times when we look at general points

This sunday sees the beginning of the green colours in church which are ordinary... pastoral ... growth colours reminding us that we are indeed called to grow, to live

In this period between Trinity Sunday and the start of advent we will be reading Bible Passages which are focused on living out the Good News, of applying principles so that we grow as Christians, so that we become wiser in our learning, so that we become a wee bit more like Jesus.

Time and again Jesus used images from agriculture ... seed, roots, vines, wheat to speak about growth.

The readings at this time of year have been chosen to challenge congregations around the world to put into practice the whole of the Gospel - to apply the passages to our everyday situations.

Inspiration for sermons come in all sorts of different circumstances ... from all sorts of different people

I am learning in the curatage garden that there is a need to not only feed and water the plants but I also need to remove things that might damage them. I do love taking advice from people who know what they are talking about. Just this week Jim came and said that the window boxes are looking well but he also said ... look there is something damaging those young plants ... you need to get pellets to remove those pests.

Jim knows what he is talking about ... and sure enough they have gone. I needed to take action.

Every single one of us is called to grow, we are called on an amazing journey to know God better, we are called to develop, to become more like Jesus. Our reading this morning calls this sanctification ... a process of development ... Sunday by Sunday we come to church to worship, to hear the word of God proclaimed, to be strengthened when we hear it, to recieve Holy Communion, to be reminded the length Jesus has gone to for us and to be sent out our way, to wherever and whoever we are serving this week.

In our Epistle reading this morning we are reminded of the things which could so easily prevent us from growing up in the faith. Paul writing to the Church in Rome reminds them of sin and all that that word conjours up in our minds.

Not one of us are perfect ... all of us need to hear the message that we are all called to reflect on the stuff in our lives which we need to get rid of. If we don’t take action like my little flowers we may be hurt, we will be damaged by it.

When we talk about sin ... we could rhyme of a whole list of ways to sin ... but as we were preparing the current all age worship service sheet

we found the wording

Forgive us Lord

when we do the wrong thing,

when we say the wrong thing

even when we think the wrong thing

None of us have to look too far to see things that we have done, said or thought which are not of God’s will

When we compare our love to that of 1 Cor or our actions to that of what the Holy Spirit wants to produce in us

As we begin this period of growth over the summer period how are you and I going to grow, how are we going to put into place in our lives places of spiritual food, reflection, challenge and indeed community.

In St. Columba’s our prayer has been and will continue to be that all ages would be welcomed, would recieve love and fellowship. That all envy, pride and hatred would not be found here. That those who are tempted would find help, that those who are grieving would recieve comfort, that there would be mercy and place of growth

It is to this end that we want to provide Bible Study right through the summer on a wednesday evening ... currently looking at a book called Knowing God. Each Chapter is a stand alone study so if you want to come along please do let myself or the rector know ... copies of the chapters will be available

We also want to provide during the summer months dates, times & places to meet and be together, ... for all ages... Today we are heading to Tollymore. Other times will appear in the mid summer magazine

We simply want to give people the excuse, the space and time to pause, to chat, to be together and to renew strength and go on their way in hope and Joy.

We do live in a busy and complicated world ... church is called to stand out, to be a place where all can belong to a loving and caring community. It is our prayer in this community would grow into and would know that we are here for one another through good and bad. For this to happen we all need to play our part.

I do believe that this is Faith and Growth in action

Let us pray

Help us Lord to grow, to become more like you in our attitudes, in our words and deeds. Amen