The Meaning of Life

I am listening to a BBC interview with the former art teacher of Damien Hurst the Yorkshire artist. The teacher once asked Damien 'What is the meaning of life?' to which the immediate reply was 'To get to the other side.' I never thought for one moment that I'd get to agree with Damien Hurst about anything.

Heavy thoughts.

I have been listening to a report on the position of women in Afghanistan, a place I haven't visited, although I did get to the border and looked across to barren rocks and sands and not even one blade of grass. God laid on my heart that I could perhaps achieve more for his kingdom by going to a place where the church hierachy is weaker and I would have freedom to operate as the Spirit leads. My immediate reaction -I'm too old. Then 'How old was Mother Theresa? although of course I cannot compare myself to her. Then I turned to a book of prayers and read these words:-

O God we remember your apostle St James, the first of the twelve to die as a martyr in the name of Christ , and we pray that you will give to the leaders of your church that Spirit of undenying service which is the hallmark of true auhtority among your people. What a challenge!

My Christian life

I had to describe myself and my Christian life today. Note the word Christian – not Baptist, Salvationist or Catholic, although in any one week I do attend meetings /services that include all of these – mass, worship, support groups, learning , Bible study etc..
On Sunday the sermon included advice about using time well, including spending quality time with God. My daughter’s comment was ‘I don’t think you and Dad have to worry about that.’ Yet there is always room for more. A new trick is to deliberately have a Bible and an inspirational book at hand when I’m on the computer - so as to better use my time when that page doesn’t download or things are slow. It has to be better than Freecell.
There is a prayer book close at hand and I've just
opened it randomly on a page for the induction of a new minister. It asks :-
Do you engage in the strength and spirit of Jesus Chrsit faithfully to discharge all parts of the Christian ministry entrusted to you amongst this people, ot the building up of the church and the spread of the Kingdom of God - My answer in 'As far as my abilities allow and as far as I am able.'

God has already done it!

Today someone wrote to me ‘God has already done it.’ I know in which area of my life I applied those words. I leave it to you to prayerfully consider what they mean for you and your life of faith.

Bridget Mary

http://bridgetmarys.blogspot.com/2011/11/god-s-kindom-today-means-living.html?spref=fb

What God Expects

We cultivate a very small field for Christ, but we love it, knowing that God does not require great achievements but a heart that holds nothing back for self.” —St. Rose Philippine Duchesne
This cuts out the guilt we often feel when we see problems in the world. We are where God has placed us and can do our best, wholeehartedly, right where we are - that is what is required.

Meeting in Westminster

http://www.womenpriests.org/meeting1.asp

The Priesthood

Prayer for Vocations to the Priesthood

Ever present God; open the hearts and minds of
all people, and inspire us to use the unique gifts
you have given us for loving service to each other.
We pray especially now, for those women whose
gifts are best suited to serve your Church as
ordained priests. Empower them with courage as
they answer your call and strengthen them for
humble service, great compassion, and insightful
wisdom. Support them through their ministries and
enlighten the leadership of your Church to practice
the equality that Jesus modeled to embrace all
women and men whom you have gifted for
sacramental service. Strengthen your Holy Spirit
within those you have chosen for priestly ministry.
May they answer your call and follow you with
generous hearts. We ask this in the name of
Jesus, who called Mary Magdalene and Phoebe –
as well as Peter and Paul – to be ministers in the
early Christian communities. Amen

Rob Bell

I have seen a number of Bob Bell videos and they certainly provide plenty of material for discussion.
He certainly seems to be sincere in his beliefs. However sincere belief does not always mean that someone is correct - I am sure that Hitler was certain that he was right for instance. Buy the book and judge for yourself. http://www.challies.com/book-reviews/love-wins-a-review-of-rob-bells-new-book On a somewhat different subject these words from the Jerusalem Bible were my reading for today 'The Lord Yahweh has given me a disciple's tongue. So that I may know how to reply to the wearied he provides me with speech' - words I take as a challenge rather than as a statement of fact. My session at the International Training College of the Salvation Army was the 'Disciples of Jesus'.

Relevant Words

Today I needed some encouragement. I was running late, alone in the house and my Bible open on the desk from a study session last night.
Right in front of me were the words I needed. Written many hundreds of years ago, almost two thousand years ago, possibly to a young man, and definitely in a very different place and situation yet speaking to me, an older woman in the 21st century.
From infancy you have known the holy scriptures , which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus , who will judge the living and thedead,and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word.
2 Timothy 3 v 15 – 4 v 2

This meeting is now over, but could you do the same in your parliament?

http://www.womenpriests.org/meeting.asp
The bit I loved the best was when an elderly man stood up and said loudly 'This will happen while I'm still here on earth!'

A Brilliant Thought

I’ve Just found this brilliant thought :- Only God can turn a mess into a message, a test into a testimony, a trial into a triumph, and a victim into a victory!

New Man in the Offing?

I have been reading about two possible papal candidates, both African, as well as the possible fragility of Joseph Ratzinger. If one of these men were eventually elected, whenever that is, what would the possible differences be? What would the implications be for the Church? A livelier one perhaps and some change of emphasis? Also what about the future position of women?

I have no real knowledge of either of these men, except that one of them is 63, young for a modern day pope.  Will he suffer the fate of a certain candidate for the Generalship of the Salvation Army some years ago? The person concerned was almost certainly considered to be the best person for the job, but was rejected at that time as being too young. The youth in itself wasn’t the problem, it was the fact that once in place she ( note the pronoun) would be there for very many years.  She was elected some years later. John Paul II was of course only 58 when elected.. His relative youth meant  that lots of travel was made easier, but as well as other stresses which go with such high office,  it is an increasingly physical job – lots of travelling and public appearances.  A lot to ask for a man well into  his 9th decade, even with the support of the Holy Spirit

Many the gifts, many the works, one in the Lord of all.

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Reward for Screaming

I’ve just read a web page which talks about the joys of childhood. It concluded by saying 'Remember a time when you could scream and scream and then someone would give you a cup cake.'

I’ve been screaming spiritually for many months because God was definitely asking me to do something that seemed impossible – especially after months of trying to get my ancient qualifications validated. In some cases the institutions I attended no longer exist,  and in all cases I could not give details of individual modules as they didn’t do that in the age of the dinosaurs. It was humiliating  to find my hard earned qualifications of no value – at least as far as American colleges are concerned.  There was one college which really appealed to me, but they wanted me to do what I saw as a very basic course in life skills as well as pass a maths test so I tried elsewhere – repeatedly.  At last there only seemed to be one option left – that very first college, of which I am now a student who has just sent in my first assignment.  I’ve still got to complete the life skills course, but have discovered that it is only as simple and basic as you make it  - so am able to do it at my own level. In the assignment I quoted from my new ‘Glasgow Bible’ ( Stuart 1997, page 3 )  where in retelling the story of creation the author manages to get over the implicit meaning of the passage, even if he adds words to the original:-  

God then made folk tae look like himself- man and wumman thegither.                            ‘They’ll  hae herts an minds tae love me.’

Theresa and the Ottowa Citizen article 24th October 2011

"I believe the leadership should design ministry to meet the needs of the people and that should include women

O'Gara said…... "We say women resemble Christ when they're baptized," she said. "We say they are in the image of Christ when they died for the faith, when they were martyrs. So then why can't they be in the image Christ as priests?" In 1994, Pope John Paul II gave a third reason. He said Christ did not start out with the intention of picking men but through prayer decided only men should be picked.

"This is a better argument than that Christ was a male, but how would we know what Christ prayed?" O'Gara asked.

Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/life/Women+still+worthy/5595519/story.html#ixzz1bsSwxp7X

Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/life/Women+still+worthy/5595519/story.html#ixzz1bsSc6xeU

Keeping a Record

For my college course I have to do a time audit for a week.  There are several alternative ways to do this –Firstly to be honest, which is what I am intending to try to be. Secondly you can try and improve your behavior before recording it so that it sounds good and makes a positive impression. Thirdly you can slob along and just lie.  

Actually whichever method is used it really makes you think about how you spend your time and whether or not this is in a positive way or not, and that can't be a bad thing.

A SEnse of Place

On Sunday I did what I hate to do – I arrived late for church. The reasons were twofold  - Firstly what is sometimes described as a chronological  inexactitude – the clock was wrong. The second reason was that we collect a handicapped friend to take her to services.  She has just purchased a new wheelchair and we had difficulties in getting it to fit into our car. These two factors together meant we arrived late, having to maneuver her chair down a narrow aisle once worship had already started, and, it being a bigger chair than previously , knocking into both chairs and people. We felt embarrassed and just a little out of things, even though everyone was very nice, including the man whose foot I ran over.  I felt I didn’t quite belong.

Today I turned to my copy of Celtic Daily Prayer for my quiet time and I read :-

               My soul’s desire is to study the Scriptures and to learn the ways of God.

My soul’s desire is to be freed from all fear and sadness, and to share Christ’s risen life.

My soul’s desire is to imitate my King,  and to sing His purposes always.

My souls’ desire is to enter the gates of heaven and to gaze upon the light that shines

forever.  

Further down the page God speaks :-

I have prepared a place for you , says the Lord,

A place that is for you, and only you, to fill.

Approach my table, asking first that you might serve.

…In the place of My appointing will be your joy.

The page concludes with a short prayer  - Lord show me the right seat; find me the fitting task;  give

me the willing heart.

A Heroine of the Faith

http://iglesiadescalza.blogspot.com/2011/10/first-colombian-woman-priest.html

Permission Given

On Sunday as a couple we attended 3 different church services – two together and one I went to by myself. My solo appearance was at the local Catholic church where the theme of the homily was Truth and Justice. We were told that if we became aware of injustice we should do something about it , or at least support those who did speak out. This I feel gives me the go ahead to say what I feel about the injustice of banning women’s ordination within Catholicism.

The other two services were at churches not bound by a liturgical calendar, yet the message was  the same. The speakers both took instances from the life of David, the first describing how David made use of what he knew in order to bring glory to God . The second was even more compelling - the way in which Samuel chose David to be the future king.  He did not look at outward appearance as all of Jess’s sons were called before him. My outward appearance is that of a woman and in my case that of a wife and a mother. The Catholic Church of course looks for vocations amongst its priests, but after that concentrates only on outward appearance i.e. discards all who are not men.   Is that just? Is it what God wants? I have met men who recognise my call, they don’t deny it at all, so presumably recognise it as coming from God, but then say ‘Not in a thousand years’.  The hierarchy seems just too strong to be overcome and resistance impossible, or apparently so . Yet look at examples, even in recent years, of how laws have been overturned – apartheid is a glaring and excellent example. Yes I know that isn’t within the Church. Go a little further back. The Church accepted slavery as a norm. It no longer does so. Here’s to the day when women’s ordination is no longer a matter to be discussed ( or ignored) , but to be celebrated.

Confirmation

This morning  I feel really encouraged that what I want to do for God is fitting in with his will. My husband recently bought me a study Bible. It has two ribbons to mark pages so that is where I opened it. These are the words that jumped out at me. Psalm 16  v 5

Lord you have assigned me my portion and my cup;

You have made my lot secure.

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places ;

Surely I have a delightful inheritance.

The second ribbon is in Isaiah chapter 15 so I read :-

               My word that goes out from my mouth;

It will not return to me empty,

But will accomplish what I desire  and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace;

The study notes point out that ‘my word ‘ refers to the promises of God in earlier verses –

V 3 Give ear and come to me ;

Hear me that your soul may live.

I will make an everlasting covenant with you,

V 5 Surely you will summon nations you know not

He has endowed you with splendour.

Of recent months, thanks to the Internet, I have met people from nations I will never visit, and have been able to witness to my faith. Just a few days ago I had the opportunity to witness to a whole group who had come together to seek God her in Yorkshire. In a few days time I begin my training with the hospital chaplaincy team, and will meet people again from places I will never go.  He is very good.

One man of God

Today there was a visiting priest from Kenya. Still a young man, he has a masters in church organisation. He is going to need it. After completing his studies he returned to his diocese three years ago. One bishop, 3 priests and more than 200 catechists. In most churches mass only takes place once in several months.  He is responsible for training all the catechists , whom he so obviously cares about , even trying to provide them with food  and telling them of good strains of fruit an d vegetables to grow. He is also responsible for the hospice services and for seeing that the many thousands of children in Catholic schools, primary and secondary, receive religious education.

 One man. However much he feels the power of God within him, however strong his call to serve – just one man. 

 But we can’t have women to help him can we? After all God doesn’t speak to women about the priesthood does He? This week is the feast day of St Teresa of Avilla. If I go to the service on Friday I  wonder if any mention will be made of the fact that she , like many others, felt she wanted to be a priest – an office denied to her, a saint of the church, by the rules of men! I don't really wonder. I know it won't be.

All Change?

Just yesterday a visiting priest talked about the new missal. Its words had been used in part during the service. The result was almost total silence at some points. People didn't want to make mistakes , but none of us had copies as yet, apart form the creed and other short prayers. The priest was older than the majority. Old enough to remember the Latin mass. 'It's simple!' - he then went into Latin for a minute or two - totally unintelligable to his congregation - and then added with a shrug 'We're just back to where we were.' He meant of course back to pre-Vatican 2. Firstly does any one really want this? Secondly , can we go back? Not just to the words of the missal, on which I hold judgement not having seen it in its fulness, but whether one agrees with it or not the church has moved on, as has the world. People have different expections to those held in the early 60's and earlier. Women are being ordained, and the more this is made known, the more people will accept it as normal. How can any priest who claims that God called him into ministry tell a woman that she is mistaken when she describes exactly the same experience? The Church has changed its mind on many topics , slavery to name one. So keep praying and keep believing. 'Longing for food, many are hungry. Longing for water, many still thirst. Make us your bread broken for others, shared until all are fed... Let us be servants to one another, making your kingdom come.

Reactions

Reactions

Yesterday was a strange day. Our anniversary. The day began with John opening his present  – a sundial. It took half an hour to figure out how to put it together and then when he finally took it out into the garden the sun had gone in. Later I discovered it outside the summerhouse pointing defiantly to 3 when it was in fact 9 am. This is going to be an on-going process.

We set off for a favourite garden near York , only to find it was closed so we had lunch in Ripon before going to Fountains Abbey. In Ripon I wandered into a charity shop and there among a pile of discarded china was a beautiful carved cross. About a foot high and with the words of the Lord’s Prayer carved into it. It now resides on our mantel piece, but what was it doing in the shop?  The person who donated it obviously had little regard for it – or perhaps little for what it represents. Too many people push Christ and his sacrifice aside.

At the abbey I was able to go into the  church , and despite all the people, say a quiet prayer.

I thought back to when I became a Christian. A friend read John 3 v 16 and then asked me to read it – but to put my name in there  - so I read ‘For God so loved Margaret that he gave his only Son so that she might have eternal life. Such an action demanded a reaction on my part and I have been living with that ever since – my reaction to God’s act of love.  

The people who push Christ out – they are perhaps frightened because they don’t want to make such a commitment. It would mean changes  - putting Christ first, doing what he wants with their lives.   

John’s present to me was a wonderful study Bible. Not perhaps a devotional one as there are just too many references, illustrations, comments  - distractions perhaps. That was my first thought. Then in bed last night I flicked through it. I began with Genesis. The footnote begins – The Bible makes no apologies or explanations for the presence of God. He is there. I looked up several familiar passages, then , time almost up, I just let the pages flick and some words jumped out ‘You are a priest forever.’ from Hebrews 7 v 17 . I know it refers to Christ , and of course I don’t for one minute wish to take on what is his. But nevertheless the Lord really spoke to me through these words.

Saddened yet with hope

Saddened yet with hope.

There were several  pieces of news that specially concerned me this week. One was the news of the Pope’s recent visit to Germany. He met with victims of the priest’s scandal and was apparently quite moved by what they had to say. On the same visit he was also  told  that women priests should be considered as a possibility, and not just because of the scandall.

I read that after reading a letter from a young lady. She expressed eloquently how from her earliest awareness she had wanted to become a priest.  As soon as she was able she began to serve at the altar with enthusiasm. Now she finds out that in a neighbouring parish females have been banned from this task, one they have done faithfully and well for a number of years. The explanation given for this ban is that if boys act as servers they are more likely to consider the priesthood.  But does the fact that boys can make this choice preclude girls from serving?  There was a comedy show on this week in which a girl expressed the wish to become a Catholic simply in order to get into the same school as her friend. After researching the matter further she came to the conclusion ‘I could never be pope’ and so decided not to go ahead. It was a comedy show, yet like so much comedy actually had a kernel of truth. Women have no official voice in the church when it comes to decision making – decisions that are about them as often as not. If you think this is not true just think about papal elections.

The young lady server has bravely offered a challenge to the priest who issued the ban. She challenges him to take the thing to its extreme – to stop confirming girls, to stop baptising them. After all we are all equal in baptism – that is the theory. Baptism  by definition  is the means of ‘Enabling participation in the sacraments, the priesthood of all believers, and the growth in grace.’ Let us practise it in all its fullness.

Confusion

I am confused. I read words of Paul in 2nd Timothy:  

1 v 6-8  I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ⁷ For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. ⁸ So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord.

 And then  verses 13  and 14

 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

Is this in the same spirit as 1 Tim 2 v 12 ‘I do not permit any woman to teach or to have authority over a man ; she must be silent.’

And what about ‘One Lord, one faith , one baptism’ Ephesians 4 v 5  or of course Galatians 3 v 28 ‘Neither Jew  nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female.’

It isn’t just the feminist s who think that the passage in 1 Tim is an insertion, probably at the end of the 2nd century – theologians and linguists seem very sure of this.  But I don’t need their assertions. It is the Spirit who tells me the truth. So no confusion after all.

A Hard Day

A Hard Day

Yesterday was wonderful. I attended a meeting in the hospital basement chapel where we intercede for the patients piled high in the wards above us. I had an image of the chapel as a boiler house with power flowing out to reach each person within its walls.

Usually the meeting has a fairly fixed format and lasts just over an hour. Last night we did pray for patients as always, but suddenly we were praying and supporting each other in Christian love.

My second loving event of the week. On Saturday my daughter got married. A t least half of those who attended   have no place as yet for God in their lives, yet they were able to see Christ’s love in this service.  At the request of the happy pair I gave the blessing - too often a formality, but everyone joined in and I was almost floating with joy.

Then today I received a big knock back that I wasn’t expecting and I let it get to me. I was upset, angry even. I felt let down and betrayed. Why do we let , I let , things like this happen. I cannot help the events that took place, but I can help my reactions. Phil 2 v 5  is a very real instruction , a reaction to what Christ has done on our behalf  ‘ Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.’

A prayer for today

This prayer comes from the final verse of a song by Jeffrey Rowthorn ( 1978) which was used when the Pope was in the U.K. recently. In a way it is ironic as so many feel prevented from doing what they might by rules and hierarchy.

Faith , hope and love restoring,

May we serve as You intend ,

And, amid the cares that claim us,

Hold in mind eternity.

Caedmon's Prayer and Mine

A Prayer from the Northumbrian Community which states exactly what I would wish for my life.

This is a prayer to celebrate the life of Caedmon whose day of celebration is the 11^th of February. That seems a long way away from high summer - it is August as I write this – unless you look out of my window today and see grey rain sheeting over the Yorkshire countryside.

Caedmon’s Prayer

I cannot speak unless you loose my tongue.

I only stammer and I speak uncertainly;

But if you touch my mouth my Lord

Then I will sing the story of Your wonders.

Teach me to hear that story through each person ,

To cradle a sense of wonder in their life,

To honour the hard-earned wisdom

Of their suffering,

To awaken their joy

That the King of all Kings

Stoops down

To wash their feet

And looking up

Into their face

Says

‘I know – I understand.’

Veni Sante Spiritus

Veni Sante Spiritus  

You are a fragrant breeze – blow away all that is not in your will.

Words that come from three sources. As I write a man is singing ‘Veni Sante Spiritus’,

In front of me open on my desk is a book celebrating the Pope’s recent visit to the UK .

On the left hand page there are the words of a song  which include the words ‘Lord, I seek to do your work, touching the world with your kindness.' Something I try to do , but which rules and hierachies at times make difficult.

A few minutes ago I watched a web cast  from the American Catholic Council. http://vimeo.com/27732775 , A woman prayed asking the  Spirit to come ‘You are a fragrant breeze’  and then I looked a the right hand page in front of me  - a prayer in Scots Gaelic   - I t includes the words ‘You are a fragrant breeze’ and then the prayer continued ‘Blow away all that is not in your will.’

A coincidence some would say  - haven’t they heard of ‘God instances.

One step forward, one step back.

One step forward, one step back.

There are very confusing things going on in the Roman Catholic Church. The reports tell us that in the past few days the pope has allowed the ordination of a married theologian in his native Germany – the father of two children. ‘Is he so desperate to find theologians who agree with him? ‘was one very cynical reaction. Why this man and not others? What about married deacons who are told they can never become priests , yet who work so hard within the limitations imposed upon them.

At the same time in America Phoenix Cathedral officials have stated that females will no longer be able to serve at the alter – this is in contravention of established  practice right across that country.   The reason/excuse given is that this will encourage more boys to become servers and such boys are therefore more likely to become priests.

How can a less inclusive church be an encouragement to anyone but bigots? Yet talking to a cleric only yesterday evening he is finding, as I do, that on the whole it is younger priests who are the most conservative. Why is this? Is it because they are too young to remember the joy and freedom of Vatican 2? Is it the way they are being taught in ever fewer seminaries?  What about the charismatic Catholic churches in Africa? What would their opinion be?

Surely the call of God to choose priesthood comes from God, not from  negative practices by clerics– although of course the Church has its part to play in helping such young people to test and further their vocation.

Confusion

The Vatican has just announced a new list of candidates for the title of Doctor of the Church.  The list includes a number of women . Yet those same women would be excluded from so much in church life  - could certainly not be priests or  ever have any say in who would be pope. How does that work? In the  later days of the Latin mass they would not even have been allowed to serve at the alter.

Teresa of Avila has been often quoted as believing that she should be a priest – so she was presumably pro the ordination of women  or at least able to discuss or consider it as a possibility. Yet this is the same pope who has condemned others for this same feeling – forced a bishop to retire early for even mentioning it.

Is it any wonder that people are confused about the Church's position on this topic.

I would love this to be …..

I would love this to be …..

So many blogs are about such things as gardening, art, cooking crafts – things you would never have imagined making. Do they have specially shaped magic fingers?

Cakes are particularly popular, the more brightly coloured and sickly the better - put cake into a search engine and see what you get.

However, although I do garden and cook and enjoy both, God has placed something else on my heart fore this blog .

Philippians 4 v 6-9 Paul’s words to his beloved church at Philippi are what God is using to speak to me just now ‘Keep doing all the things you learnt  from me and have been taught by me and have heard or seen that I do. Then the God of peace will be with you.  

To priest is a verb

An active verb. A verb that goes somewhere and does positive things for God and the people . I know my grammer teacher would raise his eyebrows at priest, a noun, being used as a verb, and I did study linguistics at university, but nevertheless it is a verb. The person cannot be separated from the action of being a priest – otherwise they are a sham, a waste of space, a nothing. Wearing your collar back to front no more makes one a priest than standing in a garage makes one a car. I am not trying to denigrate the priesthood , but explain it.

On several occasions in recent months people have acknowledged me as a priest  - as someone serving my community because of my relationship with God and  my response to his call on my life.  These are people who haven’t seen me serve the Eucharist ,  and I certainly haven’t been wafting incense about, but I have been trying to put a few lives into a better relationship with Him – I have lived an imperfect life of course, but have lived it walking as best I can   with the Spirit. In Galatians 5 v 25 it says  ( Good News Bible) ‘Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep step with the Spirit’.  I see others around me doing their best  in this world to serve the people Christ died for, because of what Christ has done for them That for me is the priesthood we should all be aiming for. 

Male and female were created in God’s image and likeness, equal yet different. It is the “equal yet different” which necessitates the female embodiment in ecclesial leadership and theology. Jesus was quite aware of this, and so was the early church. Jesus, in his bodily maleness, radically assumed the feminine bodily gifts of giving birt

This is part of a longer discourse from the Prairie Messenger , an article to make us think by Marie-Louise Ternier Gommes

Male and female were created in God’s image and likeness, equal yet different. It is the “equal yet different” which necessitates the female embodiment in ecclesial leadership and theology. Jesus was quite aware of this, and so was the early church. Jesus, in his bodily maleness, radically assumed the feminine bodily gifts of giving birth, both in the way he lived and in the way he died. Jesus revealed in his total personhood that the capacity of women’s bodies to bear, deliver and nourish new life belong to God’s very nature. If this were not so, why else would the Son of God choose to take human form in a woman’s womb? Why else would Jesus break social and religious barriers by carrying on a profoundly theological discussion with a Samaritan woman and reveal his true identity to her, something that greatly unsettled his male disciples? Why else would the risen Jesus commission a woman, Mary Magdalene, as the first apostle to spread the Good News of his resurrection? Why else does the apostle Paul praise women disciples as leaders in their house churches? Why else does St. Paul stress so frequently in his letters that we are “a new creation in Christ” and that “everything old has passed away”? If this means nothing, then why baptize women “in Christ” at all?
Something tragic has happened in our 2,000-year history. Female leadership in the early church lost its prominence once worship moved from the private to the public sphere, now suffering from historical amnesia. The current ecclesial gender imbalance, in which women’s ways of knowing, understanding and witnessing have been relegated to the margins of ecclesial vision or are primarily perceived through male eyes, seals off a rich and much-needed resource for theology, spirituality and liturgy. Women’s fundamental human experience and her ways of knowing and living are seldom consulted in the church, let alone reflected in official church statements. Even in today’s time of ecclesial crisis and decline, women’s ways of mediating, perceiving and resolving remain largely untapped at higher levels of church governance. And so, church leaders stumble through mea culpas and feeble attempts to fix and to re-energize the spirit of the Gospel, wondering why it is not working. In the meantime the spiritual health of both men and women continues to suffer from breathing with only one gender-lung.
The Lineamenta (preparatory document) for the 2012 Synod on New Evangelization urges the church to take a hard look at its own means of proclaiming the Gospel, asking how to tap into the religious experiences of especially those Catholics who no longer feel at home in our faith family. This invitation to ecclesial self-examination could offer a prime opportunity to re-evaluate the church’s relationship to its own women and to listen deeply to their ecclesial pain.
The bIood and water flowing from every woman commingles with the blood and water flowing from Jesus on the cross in one great act of birthing a new world, recalled vividly in every eucharist when water is mixed with the wine/blood of our Lord. Jesus was flesh of Mary’s flesh and blood of her blood, having grown in her womb for nine months; as his Blessed Mother, at the Lord’s crucifixion it was equally Mary’s flesh that was tortured and her blood that was spilt for our salvation.
St. Thomas Aquinas said, “What has not been assumed, has not been redeemed.” Every woman knows intimately, even if she is not a biological mother, her God-given vocation to transform ordinary food and drink into the body and blood of a new human being. In every conception and birth God’s great incarnational and eucharistic work is revealed in and through a woman.
Why then is it considered heretical to claim that God could well call a woman to stand at the altar and act in persona Christi — my Body, my Blood? And if God indeed calls her, how is she to respond? If, and only if, it is not God’s will (all other criteria and claims are subject to this one) that women serve as priests, then how can the church’s bishops open wide the tap of wisdom and gifts in half of God’s image and likeness? For the sake of the Gospel, the need for the new evangelization, the spiritual wholeness of all God’s people and the overall future of the church, we have little choice but to engage such questions.

The pie

Todays writing may not seem to be very spiritual , unless one considers marriage as a sacrament to be renewed and refreshed each and every day.

The Pie

Since my husband retired he has been busier than ever. He arranges barn dances, feeds the homeless, mows the garden, cycles miles and paints the sheds and studies hard. We wonder how he ever fitted in going to work. He rises at about 6 or even earlier – a legacy of working in very hot climates, when he took language classes before breakfast  - something I have managed to overcome.

Today as I descended the stairs at a more civilised hour I could hear the sound of chopping from the kitchen. John makes wonderful bread. Last week he produced 5 jars of marmalade. Today he was making his first ever apple pie with fruit from the garden. The biggest bowl we own was full of apple pieces gradually turning brown. I rushed for the lemon juice – found only a drop so used grapefruit instead – but does it really matter if apples are brown?

I had breakfast, made tea and took mine into the office and settled to work.

Then came muffled cries for help of various kinds – the sound has to hit several walls if John is speaking in the kitchen and addresses me in the office.

‘Have we got a baking tin?’ This I interpreted as ‘Please get me a tin out of the cupboard’ – I ignored that. Then came– ‘Do the apples need sugar?’ ‘Do I use granulated? Is this granulated?  How do you make pastry?  The answers were, ‘Yes, No, and a brief explanation. He’s made pastry before.

All this from a man who, when I was very ill for a prolonged period, cooked dinner every day for the whole family as well as getting two small children off to school .

I just went into the kitchen. He has completely emptied the fruit bowl. The compost bowl is full of very extravagant peelings. The flour is scattered with a fine snow of plain flour – he nearly used self raising, but changed his mind. The work surface indicates that he didn’t flour it before rolling out his pastry. But he is a grown man. He can clear it up.

I’m waiting now for ‘What temperature should I put it on.’

But it will be a beautiful pie we will all enjoy - although it may take us several days before it becomes just a crumbly memory.

But have I got a man out there or a boy of nine?  Definitely a man , but one who seems at present to need lots of contact  - lots of support – as he ventures into the new world of his future.

A home study - Love in all its aspects

August  - week 3

Blessed be the Lord our  rock

He is my love our fortress;

He is our stronghold, our Saviour

Our shield, our place of refuge

Lord, what is man , that you care for him; mortal man, that you keep him in mind;

But you do Lord, You do and so much more than that -  You love us.

We don’t really understand, but we do so appreciate.

Amen

Prayer

For those yet to believe (Isaiah 55:6-8;)

In our case we think ahead to Liz and Shaun’s wedding  - a Christian  service where those who attend include many who have no real faith even if they are nominally Christian .

“Seek the LORD while he may be found;  call on him while he is near.
⁷ Let the wicked forsake their ways  and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them,
   and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

For Christians we know

¹⁵ Ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, ¹⁶ I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. ¹⁷ I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit^[f] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. ¹⁸ I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, ¹⁹ and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

For those who are Christians and who seek to do the will of God in a particular ministry  - I think of those involved in such things as ‘Healing on the Streets’, the trip to Zambia, CBBC, ( Sunday school)  the hospital chaplaincy, feeding the homeless and all the rest  - a cry for power

Acts 4 v 29, 30 “Now, Lord,…. enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.  Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

Bible Study

We are going to consider today one of the great classic passages on love, one that almost everyone is familiar with, but too often people just read chapter 13 and failed to include the verse before  where Paul says ‘ I will show you a more excellent way’ and then goes on to describe love.. Also the first verse of chapter 14  ‘Eagerly pursue and seek to acquire this love – make it your aim.’

Many years ago a friend called Rene Catchelin, a great grand daughter of William Booth,  challenged a group of us to read 1 Corinthians  13 and put our names in place of the words love. So I read from v 4 onwards ‘Margaret is patient, Margaret is kind. Margaret does not envy, does not boast – I soon came to a staggering halt.

1 Corinthians 13 -  Amplified Bible

¹IF I [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such ^[a]as is inspired by God's love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

²And if I have prophetic powers (^[b]the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), and understand all the secret truths and mysteries and possess all knowledge, and if I have [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love (God's love in me) I am nothing (a useless nobody).

³Even if I dole out all that I have [to the poor in providing] food, and if I surrender my body to be burned or ^[c] in order that I may glory, but have not love (God's love in me), I gain nothing.  ⁴Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.

⁵It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].

⁶It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.   ⁷Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].  ⁸Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. As for prophecy (^[d]the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth].   ⁹For our knowledge is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect), and our prophecy (our teaching) is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect).  ¹⁰But when the complete and perfect (total) comes, the incomplete and imperfect will vanish away (become antiquated, void, and superseded).  ¹¹When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; now that I have become a man, I am done with childish ways and have put them aside.   ¹²For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection [of reality as ^[e]in a riddle or enigma], but then [when perfection comes] we shall see in reality and face to face! Now I know in part (imperfectly), but then I shall know and understand ^[f]fully and clearly, even in the same manner as I have been ^[g]fully and clearly known and understood [^[h]by God].  ¹³And so faith, hope, love abide [faith--conviction and belief respecting man's relation to God and divine things; hope--joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation; love--true affection for God and man, growing out of God's love for and in us], these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Closing prayer  - adapted from ‘Shine, Jesus, shine  ( Graham Kendrick)
Lord, the light of your love is shining
In the midst of the darkness shining;
Jesus, Light of the World,  shine upon us,
Set us free by the truth You now bring us, Shine on us, shine on us. 
As we gaze on your radiant  love
May our faces display Your likeness
Ever changing from glory to glory
Mirrored here may our lives tell your story,
Shine on us, shine on us, Amen

A quote from a Buddist nun

SEEING OURSELVES CLEARLY

When we begin to see clearly what we do, how we get hooked and swept away by old habits, our usual tendency is to use that as a reason to get discouraged, a reason to feel really bad about ourselves. Instead, we could realize how remarkable it is that we actually have the capacity to see ourselves honestly, and that doing this takes courage. It is moving in the direction of seeing our life as a teacher rather than as a burden. This involves, fundamentally, learning to stay present, but learning to stay with a sense of humor, learning to stay with loving-kindness toward ourselves and with the outer situation, learning to take joy in the magic ingredient of honest self-reflection.

To this I feel I must add these words from Taize

Lord Jesus Christ, your light shines within us.

Let not my darkness and doubts speak to me.

Lord Jesus Christ, your light shines within me.

Let my heart  always welcome you

St Kevin

Seamus Healey brings out the dark Celt in m. He tells ht estory of th esaint stretching out his hand in prayer and how a bird laid an egg on it, so that he was obliged to stay in the same position.  I am reminded of a time long ago - sitting at the bedside holding out my hand to a child who was unable to respond. I sat there for many hours while nurses and doctors came and went . I didn't even notice my own needs for drink, or food or sleep. I just sat with my arm extended. It must have ached, but I was unaware of any pain, just of the fact that she was unconcious They wanted to move her to another hospital, but even when the trolley came and I had to move just  a few feet I was reluctant. It was as if, when I let go, I would not be able to reconnect with this child I  loved so much, so beautiful in her stillness, and so far way. 

Eventually she recovered. At first she didn't know me, but I knew her and that was sufficient until fuller recovery came. We could carry on with our lives

Anything or Everything

Anything or anyone
that does not bring you alive
is too small for you.

I shrink from this thought. Do I ignore the people who don’t add to my posiitve experiences? Do I ignore the old lady on the bus who cannot really respond to me  - yet who is still grateful when anyone at all greets her and asks ‘How are you today?’

If I am honest it is easier to avoid her, more comfortable, so too often I smile and move on, glad that I boarded the bus with someone else so I have the excuse that I should sit by them.

I get on well with my neighbours , but still haven’t invited had my Chinese near neighbour, because I feel we have little in common –not least a language – but is that a reason  not to invite her?.

I have a friend, a Catholic cleric, and we meet each week.  We talk about all sorts of things  - but avoid one topic, which to me is so important, but which is difficult to express to this man who feels he cannot even begin to relate to where I am coming from – the whole conclept of   women’s ordination is so alien to his thinking that he cannot even bring himself  to look at historical evidence or the wriitngs of moderen day theologians. He is a lovely, loving man, full of the Spirit of God – so why on this one subject, does he create such strong barriers?    

Another friend, a Sikh new Chrisitsn, has so much personal baggage, that sometimes it is easier not to ask  how I can help, but then she smiles and my barriers collapse.

Being honest , there are a lot more barriers to be knocked down, challenges . to be faced.

Mathew 28 v 18 sets the standard – ‘Go and make disciples of alll nations ‘ This isn’t an option. It is a clear command to be obeyed or disobeyed I cannot choose one or the other when and where I feel like it. As part of the body of Christ I have responsibilities.  It was the fashion a few years ago for young people to wear braceelts with the initials W.W.J.D.   – What Would Jesus Do? My question is rather ‘What would Jesus have me do?’ The answer is obvious. 

What is laughter? It is life !

My youngest daughter just did not laugh. She recognised us, accepted hugs and kisses , even joined in silly games of Peek a Boo, but although on occasions her face could be said to be not quite as solemn as usual , still there was no laughter . Tears and yells on occasions, but never a giggle and she was 9 months old before she reached out, even for a toy. There was simply no positive response, yet we loved her nevertheless. Did she love us?  

Before her birth things had not gone well. I lost her twin sister at 18 weeks of my pregnancy, but Lizzie hung on. In labour her heart rate dropped as low as 18  - it could be expected to be somewhere over 130. At birth she was just a purple rag doll. It was well over two minutes before she took that first gasp  - was she damaged?  Was it permanent? – I fell into depression, deeper and deeper. But she thrived physically, met all the milestones exactly on time, and her language skills by one year old were brilliant  ‘Daddy gone work. Back later’, but still so solemn.

When she was almost 2 her sister started school and each day would bring back a book . That first week we had the breakthrough . On the way home we read Spike Milligan’s ‘On the Ning Nang Nong’ and the laughter rang out.  Her sister laughed at the funny words and so did she. They repeated lines back and forth, giggling so much they could barely get the words out.  Me, I was laughing in relief, in joy, in ecstasy . This mad Irishman had got through to my wonderful daughter when all else had failed.  She had woken up!

The harvest comes

‘I give every green plant for food

And it was so ‘ – Genesis 1 30, 31

The harvest comes  - sometimes.

Sometimes if there isn’t a spring storm to destroy the blossom.

If the fruit doesn’t get pecked by birds .

If the squirrels don’t arrive in force.

If the windfalls are collected before the slugs come.

If it is a good yea r for plums, or apples, raspberries.

If the cauliflowers don’t apparently get up and walk away.

If the lettuces don’t go to seed

If the rains come as well as the sunshine,

Then the harvest will come.

But the fruit of the earth isn’t just for us is it?

The world is to be shared, and so is its bounty;

And that includes feeding all the creatures God made – everyone.

So the harvest will come  - but not all for me.   

Thsi was a fastwrite for a course I am doing. Only after I was finished did I realise that I was actualy writing about my spiritual life - coming from God - but not just for me.

The Supremacy of Christ

On Tuesday I'll be leading the Bible study again. The group has one  member who is a very new Christian ( at the age of 82), and very recently baptised, so we will be looking at just one passage rather than taking a topic through the Bible so that he doesn't have to be embarassed when he is last to look up a passage or needs help. This time we will be looking at Colossians 1 v 15 onwards  - the supremacy of Christ . I t is one of those grand passages which sounds really well when read aloud,  but sometimes we need  to contemplate just a tiny section and take in what it really means for us.

Yesterday I was told quite vehermently that religion is the biggest cause of division in the world and how the person concerned wanted no more to do with it. And in one sense he is of course correct. The passage however takes a very opposite view  - "He is before all things , and in him all things hold together." It is about relationships and priorities. If there is no real relationship with God, but only 'religion' i.e practice which is just because of custom  - in this person's life because he was married to a Chrisitan and went along to church with her , but never really engaged with the experience or with God, then it is meaningless for him.

I wish it were otherwise and pray that one day it will be  

For those who do have the blessing of such a relationship we need to live out the truths in this short passage. We must believe that Christ is the image of the invisible God  - that is he who has the authority and power, that it is his blood that makes peace  - not in worldly terms , but peace with God, holding on to the good news of the gospel - the glorious riches of the mystery which is Christ in us.

The wind in our sails

The winds of grace are blowing, but it is you who must raise your sails.
~Rabindranath Tagore

BBC radio has been full of  Tagore recently, for it is 150 years since his birth. Also I am doing research on Brick Lane, the largest Bengali community outside Asia, so his name came up there too. As he was a Hindu perhaps his perception of grace was somewhat different from mine, but the imagery and concept are still valid. 

These words  made me search the  song book for a hymn that was elusive, on the edge of my memory.

Jesus be the centre, be my source , be my light , Jesus

Jesus, be the centre, be my hope, be my song, Jesus .

Be the fire in my heart , be the wind in these sails;

Be the reason that I live, Jesus.

Be my vision , be my  path, be my guide, Jesus.

It is a beautiful hymn, but it only covers half of what Tagore said.

We are asking the Christ of Colossians 1 v 15-20 to be so much , to do so much , for us, but the hymn writer  asks little of us, whereas Tagore says  that we must raise the sails. We must put the effort in, we must act in reponse to the wind, the breath of God in our lives.   We can feel the Spirit, we know when it is present, but too often perhaps we sit back and enjoy the experience –unlike the disciples in Acts 2 and on throughout the history of the Church. 

 Any  relationship must be two way if it is to work , and this applies just as much to our relationship with our God.

You could say the winds tell a boat where to go, although  the boatman does have some say in the matter if he puts the effort in  – and they give it the power needed – power that the boatman develops and  learns to use .  Where do we need to go next? What is the wind of God whispering in our inner being?