Hebrews 1 - Sermon Series (Blarney)

Big Idea: Jesus is God’s greatest revelation, so we must pay more careful attention to the message about Jesus and not drift away.   

 Don’t look anywhere else. Jesus is the real deal , greater than angels, crystals… etc.

  

Sermon preached at the opening of the sermon series on the book of Hebrews.

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be now and always acceptable in thy sight O Lord our strength and our redeemer. Amen 

Hebrews… Why Hebrews?

• We’ve been saying that we want Clear Biblical Teaching, relevant to our culture today and also brings together themes from Old and New Testament. 
• We’ve also been saying that we need to have clear challenge in our teaching about who Jesus is and what he means for us today
• We also want to encouragement the parish … in our discipleship as well as providing all of us with confidence in our faith.
• Also we’re covering Hebrews now because … Sunday PM (our Youth Group) are doing it and as a leadership team we wanted to make sure that the whole family of the church were working on the word of God together in this season.

Where we’re at … at the moment

We’re living in confusing times … Financially, Socially, technologically … norms are changing… more people than ever are asking questions as to identity. Our world today is developing faster, communicating more. We’re trying to grapple with all sorts of issues whilst also maintaining links with our past and looking forward to our future.

Hebrews audience

There are many parallels to the days that the book of Hebrews was written. 

The church community, the Christians had undergone a huge shift in their thought process

… Imagine being a Jew  in the 1^st Century … you’re content … you’ve got a temple to go to … you know what should be done at a temple and a synagogue, You’ve got a community with leaders, teachers, and friends and family who you’ve grown up with, you know the stories of your history, you know of Creator God, you know he acts in human history. That’s all fine. 

But then you also have encountered this teaching about Jesus, you’ve readily accepted that he is the promised messiah, he’s the one who came from God, who is God and who was born, lived, taught, died, rose and ascended and returning.

You in your mind can accept both of those.

But then there are problems within the church community …There is a growing issue with persecution … your friends are ridiculing you … you are facing persecution from within the Jewish community and from outside …. From Government forces

Then also there are those who have wandered from these teachings … people who have been listening to others … people who do sort of make sense but you know that there’s something not quite right about what they are saying … you just can’t put your finger on it but it doesn’t sit well with you.

So you are confused …

… Do you go back to the familiar… your life the way it was as a Jew (and forget about the Christian stuff) ?

… Do you dabble in the new upstart stuff … the strange things … angels or whatever else

… or Do you stick to the encountered teaching of Jesus?

This confusion is where the writer to the Hebrews is speaking into

Into the text

Well the writer to the Hebrews is at pains to communicate the essential message that Jesus is better …

Basically it’s the familiar message we’re used to hearing with advertisers - The best just got better— It’s not that our previous product was poor. It’s just that the current one is superior.

He’s Better than the Law and the Prophets … Matthew’s Gospel says he’s the fulfilment of them.

He’s Better than anything else… in all creation … because he’s the creator (whether that be the fresh winds, or ancient wisdom of angel teaching, crystals or whatever else people come up with) 

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So with that background … Let’s look at how the writer to the Hebrews does communicate this

Verse 1 reminds the hearers what they already know …

He reminds them that God spoke … they have no issue with that … he spoke in many ways

In Genesis we find God speaking directly to Adam, Cain and Noah, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God spoke through a rainbow (to Noah), an angel (to Hagar), dreams (to Joseph), a burning bush (to Moses), (to high priests), a small voice (to Elijah) and a vision in the temple (to Isaiah).

During the final centuries of Old Testament history, God spoke through oracles (Amos), life experiences (Hosea, Jonah, Ezekiel), symbols and symbolic acts (Ezekiel), sermons (Haggai), mystical signs (Zechariah) and by questions and answers (Malachi).

This might have been one of the issues for them … but we are reminded that he also spoke through the son … Who comes before God’s voice speaking to the prophets and also afterwards … in the person of Jesus

We then see in verses 2-3

In Hebrews 1:2-3, our author shines four colored spotlights, as it were, on the Son through whom God has spoken in these last days. In these lights we see him progressively as (1) God’s Son/heir, (2) the divine agent in creation, (3) who shares God’s eternal nature, (4) and who is now enthroned at God’s right hand.

In other words – We’re told … yes this is new, its better and its in line with the past.

Then -  we see that because he’s God’s Son … he’s above anything else … and the argument develops … why would you want to look anywhere else when Jesus who is God’s Son, through whom the world was created, who has made away for eternal life and is sitting at God’s right hand … why would you bother wasting time with other stuff.

Angels, crystals, stones… or whatever else are of the created order.

Do you see the futility in worshipping the created rather than the creator. That’s where this line of thinking is taking us to… The rest of Chapter 1 talks about this

We as readers are asked at the end of Chapter 1  Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?

Basically … angels … aren’t they meant to serve for our sake (sent by God)

To bring us closer to him… when we get any other picture of them then we run into problems.

Angels are postal workers … bringing messages … from the one who sent the message

Imagine getting a message from the President to head up for dinner … You aren’t going to say it’s fantastic … that postman is great … he’s just doing his job … no you’re going to say … the president wants to see me. Why settle for anything other than the person who has sent the message.

Chapter 2 Begins with the warning

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. …  how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? ….

Basically return to the message – you’ve heard … continue down that path and don’t drift from it.(image of a boat being driven off course slightly by winds)

The rest of the book of Hebrews looks at how this decision not to drift will ensure we stand on a firm foundation. 

 So What? ... Apply it!

None of us here this morning are 1^st Century Jews … but all of us have heard the Good News and in some ways have responded to it

Constantly we have those three options

… Do you go back to the  Old ways (and forget about the Christian stuff) ?

… Do you dabble in the new upstart stuff

… or Do you stick with the encountered teaching of Jesus and grow and develop as a disciple?

When we become Christians we clothe ourselves with Christ … we are called to a life of faithfulness, a life that has meaning and purpose far beyond anything we can think or imagine. It takes time as Christ shapes us and moulds us into people he would have us be.

That process sometimes is painful, sometimes it seems that it would be much easier to revert to old ways. But Christ call is to keep going – he has something in store for us. The writer to the Hebrews is reminding us to Keep Going

It is, as we shall see later in this book … a marathon … but it is a marathon within a community, a community of supporters who are encouraging us to keep going even when times are tough, when the reward seems so far away. 

I suspect for some here, times are tough … that sometimes we feel we’re hanging in there by our fingertips. 

Let’s be very clear who it is we are worshipping and giving our lives to … The bold claim of Christianity is clear …

 It is only the exalted Jesus who can make purification of sins, according to Hebrews (1:3; 8:1–2; 9:1–10:18), and provide us a way to draw near to God (4:14–16; 10:19–25).

 It is only the exalted Jesus who can offer help to us in our time of need (4:15–16), deliver us from death (2:14–15), and lead us to glory (2:10; 12:22–24). In short, it is only the exalted Jesus who is fit for our worship and attention and who can help us persevere in the Christian life.

That’s what we as Christian are sure of

Nothing less than the best

Questions for Discussion 

 

• Look at verses 1:2-4 – What is said in these about who Jesus is and what he has done

• What are my distractions? & How can we help one another to stay focused on the message of Jesus?

• Which of the statements in 1:1-4 are most easily forgotten when life is easy 

  New Song 

   

  
  
  
  

  
  

Church & Mission

This morning we were doing a lot of thinking about Church and future ... over the next while, we'll have some more info on our parish website ... but one of the Videos that was shown at the United Celebration is here ...



This is Discipling from vids2inspire on GodTube.

Techie Nerdie Blog - Printer Drivers windows 8

Techie Nerdy Blog
I told you that this blog can be quite Random ... and it really is! ... Nerd Alert!

OK, after a few weeks on and off, I managed to install a printer on our parish computer. A simple process you might imagine ... but oh no

so I place this blog on the net just in case it might save someone the hassle I went through ... or to remind myself how it was done just incase I might need it in future

The usual web disclaimer ... I take no responsibilty whatsoever should you follow it! ... but it has worked for us.

We have a Sharp AR-M205 Photocopier which is a relatively old one but it is working and still has a good long life ahead ... hopefully

So if you happen to be looking to be working with a similar system ... and the manufacturers website doesn't have windows 8 drivers supported a work around which might work is to download the vista /7 drivers

Then if they are not digitally signed in device manager ... you will need to install them without the digital signature. To do this you need to do an advanced startup of Win 8 - to do this you need to sign off

Shift and restart

Hit option 7 on restart

Then go to control Panel and Device manager

Have disk and locate the drivers from where you downloaded them.

make sure you install.

and hopefully you now should have a working printer :-)

Update: Windows 8.1 is different! .... aggggh http://revryl.com/2013/08/06/install-unsigned-drivers/

And... I'm Back for 2014

At the start of the new year

 ... I've  been reading writing and reading quite a bit over the past few days
...  I've been reading in preparation for a few meetings, sermon series and the beginning of a new course.
... in notebooks, word documents, random pages and the rest

The beginning of the new year is a time when we get to look back and also to dream big dreams for the year ahead.

My reading has been interupted by facebook and the links friends post. One post jumped out at me which prompted this blog... and I hope it's OK to steal it ... but it sums up a lot of stuff I would hope to put into practice this year

Based upon their Mix here's mine as I sit with a cuppa ... I've left theirs which I'm going to own for myself in Red

Taking time to Build Community - Taking time to be with people, listening and encouraging them. Not rushing on.

 Using Technology wisely - Like a hammer or any tool, phones and computers can be used constructively or destructively. I want to treat my technology like I do my other tools – use them when I need them. And I don’t need my tools telling me when to work (which is where airplane mode or “shut down” comes in handy). Facebook friends can be like microwave meals – they take little energy to make, but they can also leave you malnourished.

Reading More - Taking time to read a good mix of books - fiction, non-fiction and the rest 

PRACTICE THE OLD-SCHOOL SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES. Fasting, prayer, solitude… these are exercises for the soul, working out the spiritual muscles. Just like running (which I also hope to do), the hardest step is the first one… but the more we do it, the better we breath and the more alive we feel. 

LIVE A LIFE THAT IS SIMPLE… AND STILL BEAUTIFUL. Simple living does not mean ugly living. I want to be free like the lilies and sparrows – free of consumerism and clutter and noise– and be surrounded with wonder and beauty.

SPEND MORE MONEY ON OTHERS THAN ON MYSELF. It’s been said that “budgets are moral documents” – I hope my budget, community budget, and organizational budgets reflect loving our neighbors as we do ourselves --and that you can see it reflected in the line items.

BE A MINORITY more often. I hope to put myself in situations where I am surrounded by folks who are not all like me (age, gender, ethnicity, economics, religion, politics…), and where who I am may be the exception rather than the norm.

KEEP THE SABBATH HOLY. Old idea – originally God’s idea for everyone. Surely I want to integrate work and rest and holy leisure every day, but one day a week I hope to rest in a special way – and do things that refresh my soul.

BELIEVE IN MIRACLES… and live in a way that might necessitate one. Oldie but a goodie – friends living in pretty extreme poverty have taught me that part of the reason that those of us in industrialized countries don’t see many miracles is that we don’t “need” them. When we get sick we go to the doctor, when we get hungry we go to the store… but when we live like the lilies and the sparrows in utter dependence on God we see God provide in miraculous ways. I want more of that… not more poverty, but more of that kind of faith.

LAUGH OFTEN. I have a friend who says, “If we can’t laugh then the devil has already won.” Social justice folks can be so serious… and need to loosen up a little. Joy comes from the confidence that the world doesn’t have to stay the way it is. It also helps win over those who oppose you – it’s hard to hate folks who make you smile.

So there we go ... quite a few things there ... what's yours?

Temporary Online Move ...

With lots of stuff going on within the parish at the moment ... my focus has been and will continue to be on the parish communication stuff ... so you can find me

on the parish website - www.cupcork.ie 

on our Essential 100 Bible Reading blog - www.cupcork.ie/e100blog

on twitter @bobinblarney

on facebook www.facebook.com/coiblarney

Celebrate Freedom

A Sermon preached in The Church of the Resurrection - Blarney on Sunday 23rd June 2013

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be now and always acceptable in thy sight O Lord our strength and our redeemer. Amen

Passages 1 Kings 19: 1-15a, Luke 8: 26-39

Freedom is a call on each one of our lives … we all want to be free … we see this through the world history … nobody wants to be controlled … we see freedom fighters, we see the human rights of freedom being enshrined in laws. We Have, desire and enjoy freedom.

As Children are growing up we see them wanting freedom to choose, freedom to go where they want to go, to do what they want to do. Parents have to tread a very difficult path … allowing freedom, whilst also protecting their kids from harm.

As humans, as Christians we have been given freedom to choose … this is the fundamental God Given right … all of us can do what we want to do. What we do is up to us how we use this freedom.

When our freedom is removed … we become enslaved, imprisoned … the decisions we make, the circumstances we find ourselves can remove that freedom from us.

In our gospel reading today we see that there is a man who has had his freedom severely restricted by evil … his life is less than what it could and should be. We see he is outcast, on the edge of society but we also see Jesus’ concern for him is to be made whole, healed and sent back to community.

This man, in Luke's account is not only confined to a life on the outside of community but also his physical confines in terms of chains and shackles are limiting his movement. With a few authoritative words from Jesus his situation turns around and his life changes forever.

I recently came across this piece of street art which is in Philadelphia … it is fascinating take on society … but for me as I look on it … it speaks so much about our society today … shaping us into its mould and the freedom that is possible ... The artist to my knowledge doesn’t say anything about Christ but as I look at this the struggle inside each human being, having being moulded by our circumstances desiring to be free and in the end finding that freedom, where it truly is to be found- In Christ… It was for freedom that Christ has set us free.

Huge Challenge for us this morning as we gaze upon our readings today …

<< God spoke to Elijah … and asked him “what are you doing here?” twice in this passage … he had ran away from his responsibilities … he had chosen his own way … he was 100’s of miles away from where he should have been … God met him there and brought him back … told him what he should be doing. >>

Then in the New Testament passage we see someone shackled in his circumstances … we aren’t told how he had ended up in this position, what decisions he had made, what was done to him by others but we do know that evil had gripped him … and then we we see that he is restored to wholeness.

One of the illustrations which Scripture Union uses for this reading is that of a jigsaw puzzle … he catch a glimpse of what it could be … but the parts come together and make up the complete picture.

Today’s Gospel reading is picture of the possibility of freedom … which is linked to wholeness, which is linked to all the bits of the jigsaw coming together and the possibility of a new start.

On Friday Night I had the opportunity to meet a friend of Doug and Olwyn’s ... Greg a pastor of a Southern Baptist Church in the USA … He was telling of an encounter with someone in Dublin… Greg was speaking a service and told the congregation of the amazing news that those who are in Christ have past sins forgiven, Present sins forgiven and future sins forgiven. After the service … the guy came up to Greg and said … wow that’s a fantastic deal …count me in! and then started telling his wife about it as well!

Folks … We have freedom … freedom to choose … with this freedom of course comes responsibility what will we choose to do, what is God calling us to do?, what is God’s best for us?

It may look like our lives are messed up … that there are different parts of us all over the place … but we are called to wholeness. We are called to enjoy life, to be complete in Christ, broken lives made new.

The jigsaw will come together, sometimes It’s easy, other times it takes a long time … may we find our freedom in Christ. Our potential in Christ, may we not be moulded into expectations of what others think of us, or what the world expects us to do. but allow ourselves to be free to do what God wants us to do. To be bold and strong for Christ.

The church is an organisation which should be declaring freedom, which should be allowing people to be who they were created to be. We should be equipping each other to use our God given gifts and to dream big dreams.

I get passionate about this because I see so many people who are moulded into the ways others see them, That may be pressure from work, family or peer pressure from friends … people who are struggling with their identity, or they have just given up in their struggle and are addicted to things of this world and simply feel that they are in a mould that they cannot break out of.

I’m sure all of us know individuals who have huge potential but due to situations find themselves hemmed into moulds, situations where things could be much better for them. Freedom is what we are called to speak.

The Christian Gospel, the good news we proclaim is freedom to the captives, forgiveness to the sinner, healing to the hurting, purpose of life to searching.

How have we been molded … for the good, but also negatively … how do we break out of the mould of the world and be bold, be strong for the Lord. That’s something each person will have to look at for themselves but I get excited when talking about freedom, because freedom invariably means change, it means action, it means prayer, it may mean pain, but we are free. We are people of freedom.

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Again in the New testament passage … The guy was told to go back home and tell …

As Christians we are called to use our freedom to bring freedom to those we encounter … Just as Jesus did.

Our world so often views Christians as people who are so bound up with rules and regulations but we are also people of immense freedom … we have been set free from our sins, we know where we stand within eternity… let us share this freedom with the world around us. And let us know this freedom for ourselves.

Grace in the Public Square

This sermon was preached in The Church of the Resurrection Blarney on Sunday 16th June

Speak Lord that I may speak your word to day

Today as a staff team we want to preach about the Protection of Life during pregnancy Bill – in other words “The Abortion Issue”….. we feel compelled to do so because it is an issue which the church has a deep interest because of our understanding   of the Sanctity of Life”.

We are also doing so because in the survey conducted recently within the parish someone asked for more sermons on live issues. And we want to respond to that by saying, that if we have neglected this area it is because:

• ·         10/15 minutes is hardly long enough to really present these issues

• ·         We as clergy  wrestle with these difficult issues ourselves and we find it no easier than church members to speak clearly, without being simplistic. we are also aware that by speaking on these issues there is the whole area of pastoral care for those who these issues affect. So sensitive that that it has divided a nation for 30 years.

• ·          I prayed at the beginning that: Speak Lord that I may speak your Word today….. the preacher has an responsibility which we take utterly seriously … and I am hugely conscious that words have a huge power to build up but also to tear down …. This has been the most difficult issue I have had to preach on ... I’m happy to discuss this with anyone over the coming days.

First of all let’s just put into one sentence what we mean by the Sanctity of Life …

"With God as creator - The concept of the sanctity of life is the belief that all human beings, at any and every stage of life ..., are to be perceived as persons of equal and immeasurable worth and of inviolable dignity and therefore must be treated in a manner commensurate with this moral status."

It is this Church holds onto. While these are views that are enshrined in the Bible, the church believes they provide the very air that we need to breathe as a human race.

So the church says to this world ...  this message is not only for the faith community but for the world. We believe that God cares for the whole of the world and our lives and therefore the church has a role of being a voice to speak into the issues about the sanctity of life.

It is this sanctity of life which spans from beginning of life to end of life issues.

Now in Ireland the RC church is the voice that is being heard the loudest but  What does the C of I have to say?…. Within the church of ireland, we were asked 3 days before the meeting to prepare a submission to the debate in Dail ... basically the conclusion was this ...The full text can be found here 

“The Church of Ireland opposes abortion in principle but acknowledges that there are exceptional  cases of ‘strict and undeniable medical necessity’ where it is and should be an option.

There is a variety of opinion within the Church of Ireland on what constitutes ‘exceptional cases’ but agreement that it includes circumstances where the continuation of the pregnancy poses a real and substantial risk to the life of the mother”

The major difference between the RC and C of I is that ….the Anglican Church doesn’t tell you ... it invites you to participate and journey in the decision making . historically The church has 4 tools for any of decision which we make

• Scripture
• Tradition
• Reason
• Experience

Over time these 4 sources interact with each other, and cause decisions to be made which previous generations of the church may have disagreed with. However, as technology, society and thought have developed the church has to re-engage with the debate and find out what we need to say in our day, in our place.

God has given us all freedom of choice ... and the choices we make as christians will be informed by these things.

Let’s take the Bible and the Gospel of the day and those words of Jesus to Simon “Do you see this woman?”

This story has nothing to say about the protection of life during pregnancy but everything to say about how we can have all the correct moral standing, right doctrine in the world and still not see individuals for who they are.

What I want to do now, is ask the question: Do we see…this woman…this man…this situation…. do we feel the tensions within, the contexts from which they come from...

here are a few examples:

-  Do we see the uncertainty of women in hospitals at the moment?

- Do we see the 16 year old girl’ who is has been trafficked into a prostitution ring getting pregnant and seeks a termination?

- Do we see doctors who are torn Ethically with decisions they have to make on a daily basis?

- Do we see the woman who travels to London for an abortion because it affects her career plans and lifestyles and she has three children already?

- Do we see our politicians receiving threatening messages written in blood?

- Do we see the dilemma of being a catholic but not a catholic Taoiseach?

I was amazed and horrified to read in the papers this week  Enda Kenny saying in the dail this week

"I am now being branded by personnel around the country as being a murderer..." detailing how he had been sent items of Catholic regalia and threatening messages.

"Therefore I am proud to stand here as a public representative, as a Taoiseach who happens to be a Catholic but not a Catholic Taoiseach."

What do we see from these images? Do we look beyond? Do we see them as Christ does?

Have you seen this woman Jesus said to Simon …? …..He had condemned before understanding.

And not only that ... he failed to understand that Jesus as a prophet didn’t condemn her.

So often we only hear the voice of condemnation and not the grace of Christ that made this woman lavish her love on Jesus.

She who discovered that previous life was like living like a fish out of  water and found love through those words of not just a prophet, but the Son of God “Your sins are forgiven.”

And in this debate about the lives of mother and baby we need to look beyond and sadly so many Christians all too often seem to be taking Simon’s side.

The churches concern for what is right is not heard because it only seems to condemn. In its battle with the forces at work in our world it is using the blunt instrument of doctrinal certainty instead of pointing to the lavish grace of Christ.

In fairness they are in the battle …. There are powerful forces at work.

The secular view that wants to ridicule Christian beliefs as of a bygone age.

Forces at work in the media who take the unfortunate and regretted words of a midwife in the tragic case of Savita Halappanavar about Ireland is a catholic country that doesn’t allow abortion and sets ablaze the kind of forest fire the book of James speaks of in Chapter 3 “The tongue is also a fire  ... it sets the whole course of one’s life on fire….”

the media has set the nation on fire and of course douses the fire of the Holy Spirit that wants to speak of the of the politics of forgiveness and grace ….. Because it doesn’t sell newspapers and create advertising revenue.

We also see in Ireland the power of the church over the state …battles long lost in Europe … 

Now today Christians everywhere need to unite …

Jeremiah the prophet called to speak into the needs of his day.

Called even before he consciously knew it called from within the womb where God began to shape him and form him so wonderfully... to to fulfil that destiny...God’s purpose.

The church today in a post Christian era  must find its destiny to point to this God who cares for everyone.

• - Firstly we must live by the manifesto of the Sermon on the Mount and not just the commandments of the Old Testament. They are even more demanding in their demands because they require seeing and acting for others as Christ does.
• - Welcome into the church family with open arms everyone. If we take the sanctity of life seriously .  One sinner helping another through the challenges & difficult decisions of life.
• - We need to be teaching the Gospel of grace… ??interestingly in the opinion poll released this week a majority of people thought that abortion on request is wrong. This surely says something about the positive Christian legacy that we have inherited??. it is now the churches task to teach the ways of the Kingdom that call for accountability and yet are lavished by grace.

And we need Act Immediately while the legislation is being debated and write to our TD’s/ Taoiseach to ensure that the legislation will be robust enough - See our parish Blog for the text example 

Trinity Sunday

A sermon preached on Trinity Sunday in Church of the Resurrection Blarney on Sunday 26th May 2013

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be now and always acceptable in thy sight O Lord our strength and our redeemer. Amen

Today is a day when we celebrate God … who he is in all his fullness …

Celebrating Father, Son and Spirit and the relationship between the three  and in celebrating …

We remember

• The work of the Father in Creation,
• the work of the son in our redemption which he has won for us and the
• work of the Holy Spirit in our sustaining us in our lives today .

We celebrate also the dynamics which exist between them and the love which is at the very centre of the relationship between the three parts which overflows into creation.

In our readings today we see this work between the three is a work of love … it is dynamic and it flows out to the world

The father loves the son and the same love he has for the son is the love with which he loves the world.  And we (as people in the world ) are called to respond to that love with which he created the world and he created us.

The Epistle Reading

Romans 5: 1-5

By faith we have been made acceptable to God. And now, because of our Lord Jesus Christ, we live at peace  with God. 2 Christ has also introduced us to God’s undeserved kindness on which we take our stand. So we are happy, as we look forward to sharing in the glory of God. 3 But that’s not all! We gladly suffer] because we know that suffering helps us to endure. 4 And endurance builds character, which gives us a hope 5 that will never disappoint us. All of this happens because God has given us the Holy Spirit, who fills our hearts with his love.

Paul writing to the Romans…  we see that it is by faith we have been made acceptable to God … by faith we have the peace with God … its then we able to live at peace with God.

Those 2 words … at the beginning … BY FAITH  … For so many that step is difficult … we have questions, we have doubts, they put up all sorts of arguments  but there comes a time when the challenge has to be made.  

We see also that Christ has introduced us to the Father’s undeserved kindness on which Paul says the church takes its(our) stand – I wonder do we understand God’s amazing Glory.

But with all of this, and this is where we sometimes get things wrong …we sometime think that all will be rosy but we see that Paul is grounded … this life is one in which there will be suffering and difficulties. But this is where the Holy Spirit, the Sustainer, the advocate and the teacher comes in who as he describes will fill our hearts with his love.

In our Gospel reading today we see the dynamics which exist in the relationship once again is unique and upon which the gospel absolutely depends

12 I have much more to say to you, but right now it would be more than you could understand.13 The Spirit shows what is true and will come and guide you into the full truth. The Spirit doesn’t speak on his own. He will tell you only what he has heard from me, and he will let you know what is going to happen. 14 The Spirit will bring glory to me by taking my message and telling it to you.15 Everything that the Father has is mine. That is why I have said that the Spirit takes my message and tells it to you.

Let’s Trace it again

All that the father has is mine -  Jesus  says

Jesus proclaims that message

the Spirit takes Jesus’ message and tells it to you

Like we saw in the Romans Reading …  we see that the spirit is revealing the truth to the world … That Truth, as we trace it through John’s Gospel is the love of the father for creation and the relationship the father wants his creation to respond to the love that is shown

We see it in John 3:16 the well known verse

God so loved the world that he sent his son

We see that he also loves his son … 3:35

• The Dynamic of the father is always outwards love flowing to the son and to the world
• The Dynamic of the son again is always outward love flowing to the world and to the father
• The Spirit’s love is filling our hearts with the love of the father and the son

No other philosophy … or religion apart Christianity … proclaims this truth of the relationship in God at the heart  this is love, and grace together   …

During a British conference on comparative religions, experts from around the world debated what, if any, belief was unique to the Christian faith. They began eliminating possibilities.

Incarnation? Other religions had different versions of gods' appearing in human form. Resurrection? Again, other religions had accounts of return from death.

The debate went on for some time until C. S. Lewis wandered into the room. "What's the rumpus about?" he asked, and heard in reply that his colleagues were discussing Christianity's unique contribution among world religions. Lewis responded, "Oh, that's easy. It's grace."
After some discussion, those in the room had to agree. The notion of God's love coming to us free of charge, no strings attached, seems to go against every instinct of humanity.

The Buddhist eight-fold path, the Hindu doctrine of karma, the Jewish covenant, and the Muslim code of law -- each of these offers a way to earn approval. Only Christianity dares to make God's love unconditional.

Undeserved Kindness … Made possible through the relationship of the trinity … we can’t work our way, talk our way only by faith through grace.

• Thank God for the trinity
• Have a think about the freedom this gives
• The great news of relationship this is possible  

When we grasp this … and it does make sense … it’s a relationship right before the beginning of the world and will sustain the world beyond the grave.

This is why the church does what it does

This is why we invest in kingdom things so that the world may know the love of God

So to recap

Trinity is essential … the relationship … equal and eternal

Its unique …none other speaks of grace made possible through the relationship

It’s the heart of message we proclaim to the world

Blogging Resumed

I was reminded this morning about my Blog ... I have certainly mangaged to neglect it since Easter (not unusual on this Blog) ... perhaps its been the pace of life, the many and various things which have been happening and the other things which take time away from sitting down and taking time to put thoughts together.

So with a cuppa coffee in a coffee shop with wifi ... what's been happening since Easter Sunday in this wee corner of Ireland ?...

Well, looking back at previous pages in the diary ...

... It was great to be back up in St. Coumba's for K McA's Wedding ... a wonderful event such a relaxed day and great to see so many friends gathered around and helping out in all sorts of ways at that event :-)

... We've been trying "Normalise Prayer" (a phrase which I was very struck by just before easter ... for me this means simply putting prayer into everything that we do as Christians)

... We held a prayer team training event with resources from New Wine Ireland for a team from the parish and others from various local churches in preparation for the New Wine weekend with John Hughes. This was a great time of teaching, fellowship and worship in Blarney Church.

... Lighthouse (Messy Church) has continued to go from Strength to Strength ... with the introduction of T-Shirts for the team, Puppet Ministry and new activities

... A week off spent in Rome and England It was great to catch up with Family :-)

... It has been great to spend time with friends who visited and catch up with them


Over the course of the next while again there are lots of things to do  ...

... Preparation for things in the Summer ... Holiday Club, New Wine in Sligo, Photo Festival, Prayer garden (More on that in a later Blog)

... Pastoral visits around the Village of Blarney

... Keeping going with whats happening

... finalising our new website

Easter Sermon 2013

Sermon preached on The First Sunday of Easter ... 31st March 2013 ... in the Church of the Resurrection Blarney 

What a difference a day makes ... Just 24 little hours! 

Bishop Tom Wright - in his book Surprised by hope ... Writes That ... "We could cope, the world could cope with a Jesus who ultimately remains a wonderful idea inside his disciples minds and hearts. The world cannot cope with a Jesus who comes out of the tomb, who inaugurates God’s new creation right in the middle of the old one...

All of us have questions ... 

What does the future hold ?... what’s the big picture? ... what on earth am I here for? ... is there a plan? ... Life after Death ...

These are all questions we at various times I am sure we have asked and have grappled with. It is interesting to hear people talking in cafes...on TV and around campfires. The human condition asks these questions. 

Easter day brings these questions into focus ... because on this day we are talking about death and life, God and eternal things, the big questions and it is interesting how as society has moulded these huge life defining issues into fluffy chicks, white rabbits with baskets and chocolate. 

So.. Easter day ... a day when we proclaim Christ is Risen ... What difference does that make?  I’m suggesting from the readings today that 

• Easter Produces Hope 

• Easter Provides meaning 

• Easter Changes Everything 

Hope ... is one of the essentials of life ... It is the virtue of the expectation that what we see is not what will always be ... in other words that change is possible ... no matter how unlikely that change might well be. 

This excites me ... and I hope you are excited too... When Jesus came out of that tomb on that first easter day he launched a world of justice and joy and hope for the whole earth. 

We can live through things if we have that expectation that better is possible. Easter provides this by saying Life is worth living, our world is not how it should be and we can change our circumstances in the present. 

Our hope in Christ is for now as well as for our future by this hope that things can be better things which lack meaning can have meaning. 

Hope for the poor, Healing for the sick, friendship for the lonely, meaning and restoration for the depressed, freedom for the slaves, homes for refugees, food for the hungry, a future for the abused, the down trodden and the despairing. 

God’s kingdom in the resurrection has been inagurated but it is still to find its fullness in our midst. 

We see some of this hope in our midst as we work to see God’s Kingdom here ... but more of it is still to come. 

Easter provides meaning ... In our world today there are many people who are searching for meaning, striving for the eternal things - some try to find it in all sorts of strange places - Tarrot, Material Possessions, Crystals, Pilgrimages, adventures ... 

In our Easter celebrations ... easter allows us to see that Those who are in Christ ... are a new creation the old is gone the new is here and that it is possible to find meaning in the creator God who has come amongst his people ... through sending his son to share our human experience. 

Our task ... Our purpose is to live as resurrection people in between Easter and the final day, with our Christian Life, corporately and individually in worship and mission. 

No other faith in our world today speaks about life and death the way Christianity does. 

Each person is a unique creation, loved by God, created for a relationship with him and we are to find our meaning in the mission he has given to humanity - Creating a better world, loving our neighbour, getting to know God better, telling others about him

All that we do as easter people we are called to know that fear is gone - worry, hatred all the rest of the stuff when we get the eternal perspective is removed. 

Yes setbacks come ... illness, broken relationships, bad decsions, but the big news about easter is that it is possible for us to have a structure upon which to make sense of life, death and meaning. 

There are many places which try to provide this, many gurus in our world today which try, down through the years people have tried to give their own philosophies. However the claim of the church is unique ... is that what we proclaim in our creed ... yes Christ has been crazily misrepresented by those who are supposed to know better but at its core - Christ claim to be the Son of God and that Death has be conquered has to be believed. 

And we also go further ... This is not just a nice code to be live life by ... just for now ... the Apostle Paul doesnt allow us to have that sort of belief If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

The effectiveness of Easter, is for all time - is for eternity. 

Easter Changes everything 

Imagine a business who is looking to grow ... they bring in a consultant who from outside is able to ask difficult questions, allowing those in the business to dream big dreams. 

One of the basic questions which they will ask ... where would you like to see your business being in 5 or 10 years down the line. This is a dreaming question, it is a question which asks something about the core business, about their values, about what could be. 

Once the vision is mapped out the question will be asked what steps need to be taken to get there ... what resources are needed, what needs to be worked on and what other things need to be done. 

Easter provides an opportunity for us all to reflect on our lives in the light of not just 3-5 years but what our lives look like in the light of eternity - in the light of the knowledge that we are called into relationship with Christ and what does that mean in terms of our dreams, in terms of what we we could do for him, in terms of the things we value. 

A business which doesn’t have a vision for what could and would be ... who is simply doing the same things day in and day out without planning for the future could be seen not to be growing and perhaps even declining. 

We all can get caught with all the worries of today, with all the concerns of making ends meet for today, and all the details. 

But easter calls us to a bigger vision, a vision which changes as we realise that our lives mean somthing more than the sum of our ideas, our wage packet. That there is something more going on. 

In conclusion 

The Easter message makes sense ... 

- Easter Produces Hope 

- Easter Provides meaning 

• Easter Changes Everything 

Let us take a few moments to pause ... Are there things we need to re-think, things that the Resurrection has thrown up for us that we need to follow up upon 

Blarney Update

Below is the latest Blarney Update to appear in our parish Magazine

Now that the month of April is on the horizon and the clocks have changed, plans are beginning to come together in Blarney for all sorts of things happening both within and beyond the church doors.

• ·         The Parish Website continues to be developed
• ·         Blarney Church has its own Facebook page – please do “like” us.
• ·         We are looking at our summer programme in the church especially tourist friendly information leaflets which will be distributed in May- June.
• ·         This the end of this month we are looking forward to welcoming John Hughes  - please do come along if you are free on any of the evenings  / Saturday Morning. More details elsewhere.
• ·         Linking up with primary School’s in the Blarney Area.
• ·         Continue to Develop our Lighthouse Ministry – AG reports on March’s Lighthouse :

“ The Lighthouse Easter celebration - Wow! So much enthusiasm! So many people and lots of happy noise and movement around the place! We have just had our Easter Lighthouse and there were a record 94 people in the church, with lots of new and familiar faces. It has been just such a joy to be able to be a part of Lighthouse and seeing the numbers attending it grow.

Some of you are probably thinking, so what is this Lighthouse thing all about. To Explain what Lighthouse is as well as having songs, prayers, Bible stories, all of which regularly happen at church services, there are also lots of different activities through which the Bible story may be explored. 

This month we did such things as put red paint handprints on the shape of a cross to show how Jesus died to forgive our sins, fold and cut a piece of paper to give lots of different shapes which could be used to tell the story of Good Friday and also spell out the word ‘Alive’, make a model of the empty tomb, an Easter card to help us share the ‘Good News’ with others and ice and decorate biscuits to share together at refreshment time, as well as other games and activities."

The Lighthouse is aimed at families with children 3-12 years, with a play area for younger children.”

Why not come and join us at the next one which takes place on Sunday 14th April at 3.30 – 5pm.

Move us into action ... we must go! ... but how? ... where? and whom?

Right ...

With lots of people in Blarney ... I have just returned from a service for the World day of Prayer ... a service prepared by some women of France. A service which is being prayed by lots of people throughout the world over these 24 hours.

There was a real challenge in this service this evening, and if this challenge isn't heard then I wonder what the church of God is doing ... it is a challenge ...a huge challenge ... A biblical challenge right throughout Old and New Testament ... a challenge which, as we were challenged tonight with is get on with it ... do it!

According to the World Day of prayer website
World Day of Prayer is about Informed Prayer which flows into Prayerful Action. After hearing the voices of our sisters, experiencing their pains with them, and feeling their hopes and fears, we are empowered to act. Prayer and action are not two different things connected by a string but rather inseparable realms of our faith experience. To pray truly is to be changed. To truly let in a new perspective is to be changed. To act in accordance with these shifts happens organically. Action continues our prayer.

OK, let's be very practical about this ... in Blarney, in Cork ... wherever you find yourself ... what can we do for those who are Hungry, Thirsty, Strangers, Naked, Sick, In prison

How do we know who they are?

I was very challenged by someone who said on the way out ... something along the lines of ..."well what are we doing about what we have just prayed about" ... mmm... yup ...

 all ideas welcome ... It would be a great conversation to have ... not for the sake of talking but to get on with the business of being Jesus' hands and his feet in this village, city, county and beyond.

Be careful what you pray for!!!