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Up-to-the-minute jumping-off points for sermons, linking the reading to the latest news and global issues
Finding trust
Where trust has been lost, trust can be found again (Luke 15.9).
Context
Taking phone calls for the NHS 111 service this week, I was surprised to discover, in passing, that many people were unaware that we have a new Prime Minister. Perhaps working in the NHS makes us sensitive to political change, but not to know that Boris Johnson has been succeeded by Liz Truss suggests that people are all but completely detached from politics.
In the midst of the current ‘cost of living’ or ‘cost of greed’ crisis, many people, of course, are too busy simply trying to put food on their tables; but research indicates that there has also been a gradual but widespread loss of trust in politicians over several generations.
Trust is extremely valuable at every level of our interactions, and politicians make decisions that affect all our lives; so this loss of trust is deeply concerning.
And, after I had responded to the above, came the news that Queen Elizabeth had died at the age of 96.
Ideas for sermons or interactive talks
‘I am puzzled about which Bible people are reading when they suggest that religion and politics don’t mix’, observed Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a leading figure both in South Africa’s successful struggle against the apartheid system, and in its subsequent Truth and Reconciliation Commission which sought to heal the wounds of racism through restorative justice.
The connection between religion and politics is obvious: both address the way in which we treat each other and order our society. Jesus was active (to put it mildly!) in showing us how we should treat each other and order our society, to the extent that those who hoarded power for themselves felt fundamentally threatened by him. Caiaphas and the rest of the Sanhedrin were afraid of the challenge Jesus’ example posed to their authority; and Pontius Pilate was persuaded to have Jesus executed, not on the religious charge of blasphemy, but on the political charge of claiming kingship and so challenging the Roman Emperor’s authority.
The Church is called to model a way of living together that embraces people of every background and lifestyle: not waiting for them to become ‘good’ before they are allowed in, but reaching out with forgiveness to sinners both inside and outside our community, just as God in Christ reached out to us ‘while we were still were sinners’ (Romans 5:8). For us to be ‘the Body of Christ’ means being God-in-Christ’s physical presence in the world today. If we are not active in the ordering of our society, as Jesus was, then perhaps we’ve missed something.
Liz Truss now has an opportunity to begin restoring people’s trust in politicians. Some, perhaps many, of us may be sceptical of her intentions; but, if so, let us remember that this once anti-monarchy, anti-Brexit, Liberal Democrat politician has already shown that she can change significantly. In any case, let us pray for her.
More immediately, perhaps those of us who have lost trust in politicians need to change, too. After all, politicians are not the only people who can make decisions about how we treat each other and order our society.
Queen Elizabeth
The peaceful death of Her Majesty the Queen on Thursday has stirred many deep feelings. As the world's longest-serving Head of State, the stability she embodied will be missed by other national leaders, not least in the Commonwealth. Her absence from the life and culture of the United Kingdom, from her annual Christmas message and Maundy Thursday ceremony to the Royal Variety Performance and her image on coins and stamps, will take considerable adjustment for many. We should remember, however, that in addition to her innumerable public roles, the Queen died a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, and offer our prayers for her family as we would for any others experiencing bereavement; may they find the comfort and consolation they need in this time of grief and loss.
Questions for discussion
- What does Jesus’ example show us about how we should treat each other?
- Why is this perceived as threatening?
- How should our local Church engage with decision-makers?
Robert Beard is an NHS worker, freelance writer and Church of England priest.
And, for one time only, a personal note from the ROOTS AAA Editor:
I was privileged to live and work on the Sandringham Estate (as curate) and in the next door parishes (as Rector) for seven years in the 1990s. I met the Queen on a number of occasions, formally and informally. There are stories I could tell but won’t because I don’t want to end up in The Tower! But what I can say is that Queen Elizabeth never ceased to astound and inspire me by the knowledge and genuine interest she had in everyone she came to know. We might wonder how someone surrounded by so many layers of protection and security could ever get to know the ‘ordinary’ people of the local area. But she did – and often much better than I ever did as the local curate! ‘You know [so-and-so] who lives [such-and such]’, she would say to me, ‘well did you know that he/she has just…’ and their story would be told with real understanding and compassion.
Of course, I understand that the monarchy and all it stand for is not for everyone. But for me personally, trying to understand how the God who holds in being the whole of the wonderful and exotic and mysterious universe might be interested in little old fallible me, living on a tiny rock in a seemingly insignificant corner of that universe, Queen Elizabeth is a true and shining example of the what and how and why of it. There is rejoicing in heaven over the one – because God knows and values and loves every single one of us. Amen to that. Thanks be to God for Queen Elizabeth, and long live King Charles.
Check-in
Connecting faith with everyday, real-life issues for young people
Have you ever lost something you treasured? How did that make you feel?
Last week, a paddleboarder in Massachusetts lost her iphone on a trip to the beach. It was safely tucked into a waterproof pouch, but it fell to the bottom of the sea when she toppled off her board.
Most of us would have given up at that point – it had fallen so deep that even the bright pink pouch couldn’t be seen. But, the phone and its contents were so valuable to the paddleboarder that the following day she found a local scuba-diving class and asked the student divers to look for the pink pouch containing her phone. Eventually, 25m deep, one of them found it and the phone was safely returned to its owner who was so overjoyed that she gave the diver $300 as a reward. Have you ever celebrated finding something lost?
In Luke 15:1-10, Jesus tells some stories about people who had lost things – a shepherd who had lost a sheep and a woman who had lost a coin. Like the paddleboarder, they didn’t give up looking – the shepherd left the rest of his flock until he had found the lost sheep, the woman cleaned her whole house top-to-bottom until she had found the lost coin. And, like the paddleboarder, both of them were overjoyed when they found what was lost – so much so that they threw a party to celebrate.
Jesus told these stories after he had been criticised for sharing a meal with people who were outcasts. He demonstrates that, when people lose their way, he will search for them and celebrate when they turn back to God. Why does it matter that we follow his lead and search for those who are lost?
Darren Philip is National Stewardship Consultant with the Church of Scotland where he writes resources for intergenerational ministry.
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