28 September 2008

Welcome to St Alban’s Anglican Church 

Today's Scripture (HC) : Ezekiel 18: 1-4, 25-end    Philippians 2:1-13    S. Matthew 21:23-32Today's Liturgy: 8.35 a.m. BCP Matins; 9.00a.m. Scripture Study; 9.30a.m. Holy Communion; 6.00 p.m. EP

Mon (S Michael & AA Day) HC 12.30 p.m.; Fri: Midday Prayer 12.30p.m. CONFIRMATION PREPARATION IN PROGRESS - prospective candidates see Rector

19^th Sunday After Trinity

O God, forasmuch as without thee we are not able to please thee; Mercifully grant, that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

FAITH IN FOCUS: FIXED PENALTY GOD?

All’s fair in love and war, they say. But all’s not fair when it comes to Christianity. This is because our human concept of fairness does not even come close to understanding God’s creative mixture of justice, mercy and grace.

We human beings seem to have an inbuilt sense of justice that is like the old-fashioned shop scales with two buckets. You put the food in one bucket and then balance it with some weights in the other bucket and this tells you the weight that is at stake and the price that must be paid. In fact we regularly depict Justice as a character holding a pair of scales. Whatever goes into one side has to be weighed up and balanced with a penalty of similar cost.

Throughout history God has failed to take any notice of this type of justice. In today’s passage from Ezekiel the people are complaining that God is unjust because he allows wrongdoers to live rather than die. Ezekiel points out (speaking on behalf of God) that the weight of punishment should only be exacted against those who stubbornly refuse to admit their sin and to repent. And a similar scene greets us when Jesus discusses with the priests about someone who comes to their senses after behaving badly. They are not to be condemned.

This human view of justice and fairness is too crude for God to commit to it, for it leaves no room for manoeuvre, takes no account of the true circumstances of the person involved, and completely abandons any reference to Christ’s redeeming sacrifice for sin and the effects of grace. Faced with our faults, God, who has every reason to be indignant, chooses to be forgiving and calls us to be the same with those who offend against us. Yet we obstinately cling to our appeals for "justice" when in fact we often are only interested in revenge. We plead fairness when what we really want is graceless reprisal. God hates sin and wrongdoing as much as do our tabloids and politicians yet he always views things from a wider perspective of grace and forgiveness. And God’s passion for pardon is so strong that while we clamour for the scales to balance, God clamours for a balanced judgement.

WORD OF GOD

You object: "What the Lord does is unjust!"

(Ezekiel 18:25)

WORD FOR TODAY

People often claim that they are looking for justice when in reality they only want revenge. They rant against punishments that they call too lenient and urge harsher treatment for offenders. And when they hear that God’s justice is tempered with mercy and generosity they don’t know how to react, except to keep ranting.

HEALTH is not never being ill. It is being able to recover. (Jonathan Sachs)

ANIMALS LACK CRUELTY, but they also lack mercy.

(Rosemary Dunnage)

TYING THE KNOT

In medieval times the most popular month for getting married was June. This is because in those days people only took a bath once a year and they powdered themselves the rest of the time. May was the month when most people took their annual bath and so they still smelt reasonably sweet in June. However, just in case they had started to go off a bit, brides carried a bunch of flowers to perfume the air around them. And this is the origin of the bridal bouquet.

There was a time when Christians could marry with no reference to the Church. But even those who did have a Church wedding did not necessarily go inside the building. Some of them stopped under the lych-gate, that little hut structure at the gate to many old churches. Could this be the origin of the phrase "married in the sight of the church"?

THIS WEEK’S BIBLE READINGS

Mon: 2 Kings 5, Acts 26: 1- 23, Mark 15: 1-15

Tues: 2 Kings 6: 1-23, Acts 26:24-end, Mark 15:16-32

Wed: 2 Kings 9: 1-16, Acts 27: 1-26, Mark 15:33-41

Thurs: 2 Ki 9:17-end, Acts 27:27-end, Mark 15: 42-end

Fri : 2 Kings 12:1-19, Acts 28:1-16, Mark 16:1-8

Sat : 2 Kings 17: 1-23, Acts 28: 17-end, Mark 16:9-end

NEXT SUNDAY : Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-end, Philippians 2:1-13, S. Matthew 21:23-32