5 July 2009

 

Welcome to  St Alban's Anglican Church       

Today's Scripture   :   Ezekiel 2: 1-5               2 Corinthians 12: 2–10            S. Mark 6: 1-13

Today: 9.00 a.m. Matins; 9.30 a.m. Holy Eucharist;    6.00 p.m. EP.

This Week: Tues-Fri 12.30 p.m. Midday Prayers.

 

4^th Sunday after Trinity

O God, the protector of all that trust in thee, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy; Increase and multiply upon us thy mercy; that, thou being our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we finally lose not the things eternal: Grant this, O heavenly Father, for Jesus Christ’s sake our Lord. Amen

 

FAITH IN FOCUS: NOTHING SPECIAL HERE

There’s a famous Latin phrase, attributed to Tacitus the Elder, that says “Omne ignotum pro magnifico”. When roughly translated it means “Things we don’t understand seem wonderful”.

People are always impressed by things that are a bit exotic. They presume a French burger van is going to serve better food than a British one. They are convinced that since a Scandinavian scientist has a theory on black pudding being good for gout then it must be correct. And they are prepared to spend a fortune on a holiday to Burma on the assumption that it’s bound to be better than Bognor.

We are easily impressed by out-of-the-ordinary things. We find them somehow more glamorous than what’s on our doorstep or what’s easy to understand. This is illustrated in today’s gospel when Jesus returned to his home town and to the people that knew him. Despite his reputation and regardless of the fact that he’s just performed a series of miracles his neighbours reject him. Why? Because we know who he is; he’s Mary and Joseph’s son. Nothing special. Nothing to start crowing about.

It’s easy for us to sit in judgement on the people of Nazareth and accuse them of blindness and stupidity. But we can be as guilty as they are. We can fail to see what’s good on our doorstep. We can fail to see the wood for the trees.

God uses people and situations of ordinary daily life to speak to us. Most of us will never be visited by an angel with a special message. But we will meet all sorts of people and situations week in and week out that are shouting the message of the gospel to us. These people may be our neighbours; they may be (and often are) people we don’t like or find it hard to accept and get on with. But they’re still the mouthpieces that God uses to announce his never-ending call. There are no people or places that we can write off.

So, how open are we to all the sights and sounds around us? God’s voice is bound to be in one or other of them. Why not let yourself be surprised?

  WORD OF GOD

This is the carpenter surely, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joses and Jude and Simon? His sisters too, are they not here with us? And they would not accept him. (Mark 6:3)

 

WORD FOR TODAY

When were you last surprised to learn something from an unexpected source? From someone you thought unlikely to be able to help? Like the people in Jesus’ home town we often close our eyes and ears to what our neighbours are saying; yet we might just learn something if we open ourselves to the possibility that people we’re familiar with might have something to offer us.

 

A BLIND MAN will not thank you for a looking-glass.

(English Proverb)

 

FAITH IS TAKING THE FIRST STEP even when you don’t see the whole staircase. (Martin Luther King)

 

THERE IS NO SUCH THING as a lack of faith. We all have plenty of faith; it’s just that we have faith in the wrong things. We have faith in what can’t be done rather than what can be done. We have faith in lack rather than abundance; but there is no lack of faith. Faith is a law.

(Eric Butterworth)

 

THIS WEEK’S BIBLE READINGS       

Mon: Job 33, Rom 14:13-end, Luke 17:20-end

Tues: Job 38, Rom 15:1-13, Luke 18:1-14

Wed: Job 39, Rom 15:14-21, Luke 18:15-30

Thurs: Job 40, Rom 15:22-end, Luke 18:31-end

Fri: Job 41, Rom 16:1-16, Luke 19:1-10

Sat: Job 42, Rom 16:17-end, Luke 19:11-27

NEXT SUNDAY: Amos 7:7-15, Eph 1:3-14,

Mark 6:14-29