Today’s service is led by the Revd Andy Braunston

 
Welcome

Welcome to worship for this the first Sunday of Creationtide.  Over 30 years ago the then Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople asked Christians and all believers to pray for the environment on the 1st of September.  This has become now an ecumenical season of the Church’s year lasting until St Francis’ day on 4th October.  We’ll be using some of the readings set for today to think a little about the world we’ve created; a world of vitality teeming with life but a world endangered by human selfishness and sinfulness, wanton greed and dreadful warfare.  My name is Andy Braunston and it’s my honour to lead worship today.  I am the United Reformed Church’s Minister for Digital Worship and I live in the beautiful island county of Orkney off the far north coast of Scotland.  

Call to Worship

The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land and God calls to us as a woman calls to her lover: arise my love, my fair one and come away.

The fig tree puts forth its figs, the vines are in blossom giving forth fragrance and God calls us as a woman calls to her lover: arise my love, my fair one and come away.

As God calls to us, we cry to God as a woman calls to her lover: O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the covert of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice.

And so we come to worship, to rise up into God’s fair presence, that we may see God’s face and hear God’s voice, and find strength for the journey and courage to change.  

Hymn     From All That Dwell Below the Skies
Isaac Watts (1674 – 1748) Public Domain sung by Topher Keene

From all that dwell below the skies 
let the creator’s praise arise: alleluia, alleluia!
Let the redeemer’s name be sung through ev’ry land, by ev’ry tongue.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Eternal are your mercies, Lord;
eternal truth attends your Word: alleluia, alleluia!
Your praise shall sound from shore to shore Till suns shall rise and set no more.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
 
All praise to God the Father be,
all praise, eternal Son, to thee; alleluia, alleluia!
Whom with the Spirit we adore forever and forevermore:
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Prayers of Approach, Confession, & Grace

Father of Lights in You there is no variation or shadow due to change.
You love justice and hate evil,
and call us to be more than passive hearers of Your Word,
urging us time and time again to show our faith in action.

Risen Lord Jesus,
may our tongues be as nimble as the pens of scribes
that we may sing your praise with our loves and our lives.
When we deceive ourselves 
that we are truly following you, enlighten us;
when we lie to others 
that our motives come from our faith, forgive us;
when we make faith 
merely an ideology, change us,
when we ignore 
the cries of creation, awaken us.
Help us, Lord Jesus to be doers of the word 
and not merely deluded fools.  

Most Holy Spirit,
the earth is alive with Your glory,
You are seen in the life that teems around us,
wounded and endangered by our selfishness,
poisoned and polluted by our limitless greed,
yet nourishing and nurturing us.

Help us remember that pure and undefiled religion is this: 
to care for orphans and widows in their distress, 
and to keep ourselves unstained by the world’s greed,
that through faith in You, we may bring healing and change 
to ourselves and the world.  Amen.

Introduction

We are going to look at three readings today; an ancient song of erotic love written from the perspective of a woman.  It’s a song without shame and speaks of the desire that brings about change.  We’re going to say a Psalm together that sounds a bit like the work of a poet laureate called on to write something toadying for whoever is in power, yet repurposed by Synagogue and Church to speak of God and we’re going to listen to some words from the Epistle of James which encourage us not merely to listen to the Word but to live it in our lives and loves.  These will give us the lens to think a little about climate change and the actions we need to take to adapt to it and mitigate against its worst excesses.

Prayer for Illumination

Help us, O Christ,
that as we listen we put what we hear into practice,
that Your Word, read and proclaimed,
brings healing and life not greed and decay.
Amen.

Reading     Song of Solomon 2:8-17

The voice of my beloved! Look, he comes, leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills. My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look, there he stands behind our wall, gazing in at the windows, looking through the lattice. My beloved speaks and says to me: “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away, for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.  O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the covert of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely. Catch us the foxes, the little foxes, that ruin the vineyards— for our vineyards are in blossom.’ My beloved is mine and I am his; he pastures his flock among the lilies. Until the day breathes and the shadows flee, turn, my beloved, be like a gazelle or a young stag on the cleft mountains.

Reading     Psalm 45: 1-2, 6-9

My heart overflows with noble words.
To the king I must speak the song I have made,
my tongue as nimble as the pen of a scribe.

Your throne, O God, shall endure for ever.
A sceptre of justice is the sceptre of your kingdom.
Your love is for justice; your hatred for evil.

Therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness above other kings:
your robes are fragrant with aloes and myrrh.

From the ivory palace you are greeted with music.
The daughters of kings are among your loved ones.
On your right stands the queen in gold of Ophir.
 
Hymn     God The Maker Of The Heavens  
© Sam Hargreaves / Resound Worship, Administered by Jubilate Hymns Ltd sung by Engage Worship and used with their kind permission. OneLicence # A-734713  

God, the maker of the heavens, and the planet that we share,
show us how to live, like Jesus, lives of gratitude and care.
Make us mindful of the footprints from the lives that we pursue.
Make us partners in your mission: you are making all things new.

God, the gardener of Eden, teach us how to tend this earth,
learning from the changing seasons, times of fallow and new birth.
Lord have mercy when we’re careless, rich resources we misuse.
Use our hands to heal creation: you are making all things new.
 
God of labour and vocation, Lord of science, trade and art,
take our efforts and our passions make them mirrors of your heart.
Every habitat and creature loved and valued, God, by you.
May our lives reveal your Kingdom: you are making all things new.

Reading     James 1:17-27

Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. In fulfilment of his own purpose he gave birth to us by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures. You must understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger, for human anger does not produce God’s righteousness. Therefore, rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. But be doers of the word and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act–they will be blessed in their doing. If any think they are religious and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Sermon

One of the striking things, for me at least, in our recent General Election campaign was the near total lack of discussion about climate change and how we must mitigate against its worst excesses.  The Labour Party had backtracked on impressive Net Zero goals some months before the Election and the Scottish Government’s admission it had no hope of meeting its goals meant the SNP was very quiet about the climate during the campaign.  Of course, now a large proportion of their remaining seats are in the oil and gas belt of Northeast Scotland so they may become even more muted.   The Conservatives appeared rather distracted by sending youngsters off for National Service and asylum seekers to Rwanda, so it seemed that only the Greens and Reform were raising the issue of climate change.  Reform, of course, was denying its reality which doesn’t help us think about how to adapt.   

Since the election was called we’ve seen news stories showing our oceans are suffering from a record-breaking year of heat, speculation that climate change is making hurricanes worse, and London being urged to prepare for floods and heatwaves with an urgent need to renew and improve the Thames barrier.  All in all, the election seemed to indicate business as usual from the main parties; it remains to be seen if Labour will govern more daringly than they campaigned and if the rising Green vote will make a difference.  

Thirty years ago, the Ecumenical Patriarch urged all people of goodwill to set aside 1st September as a special day of prayer for the preservation of the natural environment.  Today, across the planet, many churches and Christians mark a season of creation lasting from 1st September through to the Feast of St Francis on 4th October.  The Church realises that climate change is real and that we must adapt if we are to survive; how to adapt, how best to mitigate the worst of the excesses which climate change will bring are matters of urgent debate.  As Christians we have tremendous resources within our faith tradition, and particularly, within the Bible that will help.  Today’s readings can be interesting starting places.

Our passage from the Song of Solomon is an ancient text where a woman celebrates her joy and desire for her lover.  The woman desires her man to spend the night with her and the passage joyfully celebrates the passion that two lovers feel for each other – particularly from a woman’s perspective.  It’s a lovely counterblast to the patriarchal views of relationships, and sex, that we see in other parts of the Bible.  (Though early on the rabbis saw the book as an allegory of God’s love for His people, and early Christian commentators felt the book was about the love Christ has for the Church – all that earthy sexuality can be unsettling!)   Here woman and man complement each other in an equal relationship.  Erotic love, therefore, is not peripheral to Biblical concerns.  It is good; within a relationship of equality, love is life giving and life affirming.    There is a contrast here between a Biblical view of sexual joy with the commodification of sex in our contemporary world  where everything has a monetary value, where everything is dedicated to decay, where bodies are bought and sold.  The transformation that love brings is exchanged for transitory pleasure.

In today’s passage nature, animals, women, and men together all take part in the joy of the poem – the fullness and abundance of life.  Here we see a vision of creation in harmony with humanity – written long before humans warmed the planet disrupting the joyful systems of life.  Erotic love is not the be all and end all of human existence, but it is transformative.  The playfulness and joy that comes from loving and being loved can transform the shy and unlovely into something very different.  

The Psalm set for today is a bit toadying really.   In the ancient world, as much as now, the wealthy serve as patrons of art.  Artwork might be a way to show off wealth, or a way to invest.  It may be a reward, or it might be a way of ensuring that wealth is passed on to posterity.  We think of art as painting or sculpture, but the written word also demands patronage.  Today’s poem was clearly written for a powerful king who may, or may not, have patronised the writer with a juicy appointment. Thankfully our General Assembly’s Address to the Throne doesn’t sink to the level of telling the King that he’s “the most handsome of men”.   Maybe this ancient poet laureate believed what he wrote or maybe it was just part of the job.  But this poem echoes down the years and we read into its kingly praise descriptions of God or Jesus.  In an age far more sceptical of divine right we might sneer at the praise or redirect it to the Most High.  We’re not the first to do so; the Psalmist endows the king with a throne, sceptre, love of justice, hated of evil and anointing with oil.  The letter to the Hebrews endows Jesus with these things in its attempt to locate Jesus as the everlasting king. 

We’ve no idea what Jesus looked like so can’t comment on whether he was, like this ancient king, handsome.  We can, however, see beauty in action: overturning tables, lifting the poor, enhancing the status of women, spending time with the outsider, healing the broken, and freeing captives are all marks of beauty.  A beauty different to the eroticism seen in our first reading, but vital if we are to see our world transformed and a harmonious relationship with the Earth, real beauty in our midst, be restored.  

By naming God as the “Father of Lights” shows that every life-giving gift comes from the Source of Light – God.  Yet James departs from the Greek thought of his age with the line “there is no variation due to shadow or change” as we are each given that light equally and abundantly.   Relying on Jewish thought about living ethically, James reminds his readers that knowing God’s law is one thing, doing it is what important.  In Greek thought those beings bathed in light reflected it back to the source of light; in Christian thought we are blessed with light to be a blessing to others.  The final line about caring for orphans and widows has a Christian ethic at the heart of a heartless pagan world; Christians are to be sources of light and love to those at the lowest rung of pagan society.  

So, what might we do with an erotic poem, a toadying Psalm of praise to an earthly king, and James’ admonitions to show loving ethics in a heartless world?

First I wonder how we might use this transformative energy seen in erotic love as we seek to change our values and ways of living so that the earth again enjoys abundant life?  Clearly we need a sense of fun and wonder, a spirit of playfulness even as we protest.  A sense of joy even as we grapple with huge changes.  We’re already creative; we know we must reduce, reuse and recycle.  We see some early signs of polluters paying to clean up their messes; supermarkets collect both batteries and soft plastic, there’s much we can recycle but lots we can’t.  What, I wonder, would yoghurt companies do if we cleaned then posted back to them our yoghurt pots? We get through millions of the things yet they most often can’t be recycled. What if we took those plastic trays that meat is often in, back to the supermarkets for them to puzzle over?  Direct action works, playful direct action can be fun too!  When we fall in love we change; the pole of our lives moves as we seek to find a new life with a lover whom we see as beautiful.  We adjust, hoping the other adjusts too.  The energy unleashed from romantic and erotic love lays the foundation for a new life together; what can be unleashed as we learn to love the planet again?

Secondly, we need to see that acting for change can be beautiful. Love unleashed is the power of change.  The love we need to show is for people and planet – people we may never meet in areas where the seas are rising or where our pollution is killing.  There is deep beauty in this selfless love.  The beautiful king extolled in today’s Psalm won’t come and save us like a Greek god popping out of the box to put things right at the end of a tragedy.  Instead, that beauty is seen in how God’s people serve, love, and change the world.  Just as in the early Church where Christians rescued foundlings who no one wanted, so now we must be at the forefront of the effort to change before we die.  We don’t have much time left; certainly, less time than our governments like to believe and so the power of love has to change us and change our way of living in the world.  

Finally, James urged his readers to reflect the light of God into the world around us telling us to be doers of the word; in this context this will changing how we live; urging governments to make producers pay for the pollution they cause, finding ways to make a just transition away from fossil fuels to renewables, putting pressure through our buying power for food with fewer air miles and less packaging.  

The challenge that faces us is massive; a challenge that governments seek to pass on to us whereas we need to convince them not to greenwash or avoid their huge responsibilities.  Yet it’s a challenge we can make loving and playful, beautiful and transformative, and a key part of our faith as, together, we seek to save the world. Let’s pray

Ancient of Days, yet ever young,
you hold us in your playful joyful love,
finding beauty in us that often we can’t see,
and urge us to make a difference in our world.

In your lovely joy,
give us the wit and wisdom to work for change,
that we may not perish but flourish. Amen. 

Hymn     Tend the Ground  
Text inspired by Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si’. Text and music © 2016, Curtis Stephan. Published by Spirit & Song®, a division of OCP. All rights reserved. Sung by Chris Brunelle and used with his kind permission.  One Licence # A-734713  

We till the earth, we tend the ground,
sowing hope and peace where none is found.
In selfless love God’s life abounds.
We till the earth, we tend the ground

As God provides our every need, 
with grateful hearts let us receive 
these gifts of love and make return 
to bless the world, to bless the world

All creatures share one common home, 
one loving God, one song of hope. 
The rocks cry out and praises ring, 
rise up and sing, rise up and sing
 
Affirmation of Faith

We believe that God created the world 
and it is good.
We believe that God created us 
to live in harmony with nature.
We believe that human selfishness and greed
are changing our climate, heating the earth,
and endangering all living things. 
We believe as temperatures and sea levels rise
we have to change our attitudes, lifestyles, economies, and politics,
and adapt to all that is to come.
We believe we can live as the Creator intended,
through the sacrificial example of Jesus Christ,
in the power of the Holy Spirit,
so that our world may not end.  Amen

Intercessions

Caring God, we thank you for your gifts in creation:
for our world, the heavens tell of your glory.
for our land, its beauty and resources,
for the rich heritage we enjoy.

We pray:

for those who make decisions about the earth’s resources,
that we may use your gifts responsibly;

for those who work on the land and sea, in city and in industry,
that all may enjoy the fruits of their labours
and marvel at your creation;

for artists, scientists and visionaries,
that through their work we may see creation afresh.

We thank you for giving us life;
for all who enrich our experience.

We pray:

for all who through their own or others’ actions
are deprived of fulness of life,
for prisoners, refugees, the disabled and all who are sick;
for those in politics, medical science, social and relief work,
and for your Church,
for all who seek to bring life to others.

We thank you that you have called us celebrate your creation,
give us reverence for life in your world.

We thank you for your redeeming love;
may your word and sacrament strengthen us to love as you love.

O Most High, creator, bring us new life.
Jesus, Redeemer, renew us.
Holy Spirit, strengthen and guide us.

God, you shape our dreams.
As we put our trust in you,
may your hopes and desires be ours,
and we your expectant people.
Be with us now as we pray as Jesus taught,

Our Father….

Hymn     God Whose Love Is All Around Us
Fred Kaan © 1968, 1996, Hope Publishing Company OneLicence # A-734713 sung by members of Acomb Methodist Church
 
God whose love is all around us,
who in Jesus sought and found us,
who to freedom new unbound us,
keep our hearts with joy aflame.

For the sacramental breaking,
for the honour of partaking,
for your life, our lives re-making,
young and old, we praise your name.

From the service of this table,
lead us to a life more stable,
for our witness make us able;
blessings on our work we claim.

Through our calling closely knitted,
daily to your praise committed,
for a life of service fitted,
let us now your love proclaim. 

Holy Communion

God of all creation, 
you bring forth bread from the earth and fruit from the vine.
By your Holy Spirit this bread and wine will be for us
the body and blood of Christ.

All you have made is good. Your love endures for ever.

The Spirit of God be with you.  And also with you.

Lift your hearts to heaven where Christ in glory reigns.

Let us give thanks to God. It is right to offer thanks and praise.

It is right indeed to give you thanks most loving God,
through Jesus Christ, our Redeemer,
the first born from the dead, the pioneer of our salvation,
who is with us always, one of us, yet from the heart of God.

For with your whole created universe,
we praise you for your unfailing gift of life.
We thank you that you make us human and stay with us
even when we turn from you to sin.

God’s love is shown to us:
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

In that love, dear God, righteous and strong to save,
you came among us in Jesus Christ, our crucified and living Lord.
You make all things new.
In Christ’s suffering and cross you reveal your glory
and reconcile all peoples to yourself, their true and living God.

In your mercy you are now our God.
Through Christ you gather us, new-born in your Spirit,
a people after your own heart.
We entrust ourselves to you, for you alone do justice
to all people, living and departed.

Now is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation.

Therefore with saints and martyrs, apostles and prophets,
with all the redeemed, joyfully we praise you and say:

Holy, holy, holy: God of mercy, giver of life;
earth and sea and sky and all that lives,
declare your presence and your glory.

All glory to you, Giver of life sufficient and full for all creation.
Accept our praises, living God, for Jesus Christ,
the one perfect offering for the world,
who in the night that he was betrayed,
took bread, and when he had given thanks,
broke it, gave it to his disciples, and said:

Take, eat, this is my body which is given for you;
do this to remember me.

After supper he took the cup; and when he had given thanks,
he gave it to them and said: 

Drink this, all of you. This is my blood of the new covenant
which is shed for you, and for many, to forgive sin.
Do this as often as you drink it to remember me.

Therefore, God of all creation, 
in the suffering and death of Jesus our redeemer,
we meet you in your glory.
We lift up the cup of salvation and call upon your name.
Here and now, with this bread and wine,
we celebrate your great acts of liberation,
ever present and living in Jesus Christ,
crucified and risen, who was, and is, and is to come.

Amen! Come Lord Jesus.

May Christ ascended in majesty be our new and living way,
our access to you, Father, and source of all new life.
In Christ we offer ourselves to do your will.

Empower our celebration with your Holy Spirit,
feed us with your life, fire us with your love, confront us with your justice,
and make us one in the body of Christ 
with all who share your gifts of love.

Through Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit,
with all who stand before you in earth and heaven,
we worship you, Creator God. Amen.

Bread and wine; the gifts of God for the people of God.

May we who share these gifts be found in Christ and Christ in us.

Music for Communion     I Watch the Sunrise 
John Glynn © 1976, Kevin Mayhew sung by Emmaus Music and used with their kind permission.  OneLicence # A-734713  

Post Communion Prayer

From the service of this table, 
lead us to a life more stable O Most High,
that we who have been fed by You will feed others,
we who have been blessed by You, will be a blessing to all creation,
that we who have been gathered into Your presence,
will bring your grace to a hurting world,
that we may live evermore in You, and You in us.  Amen

Hymn     I Sing the Mighty Power of God
Isaac Watts (1715) Public Domain.  Sung by the 300 Voice Mass  Choir recorded at St Andrew’s Kirk, Chennai and used with their kind permission.

I sing the mighty power of God that made the mountains rise,
that spread the flowing seas abroad and built the lofty skies.
I sing the wisdom that ordained the sun to rule the day;
the moon shines full at His command, and all the stars obey.

I sing the goodness of the Lord that filled the earth with food;
he formed the creatures with His word and then pronounced them good.
Lord, how Thy wonders are displayed, where’er we turn our eyes,
if I survey the ground I tread or gaze upon the skies.
 
There’s not a plant or flower below but makes Thy glories known,
and clouds arise and tempests blow by order from Thy throne;
while all that borrows life from Thee is ever in Thy care,
and everywhere that we can be, Thou, God, are present there.

Blessing

May the One who breathed creation into life,
the One who walked in harmony with the earth,
the One who inspires us to learn from the world around us,
breath life into you,
enable you to live in harmony with the planet,
and inspire you to learn from the life that surrounds us,
and the blessing of God, 
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
be with you and all whom you love,
now and evermore,
Amen.  

Although Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he continued to go to his house, which had windows in its upper room open towards Jerusalem, and to get down on his knees three times a day to pray to his God and praise him, just as he had done previously. The conspirators came and found Daniel praying and seeking mercy before his God. Then they approached the king and said concerning the interdict, ‘O king! Did you not sign an interdict, that anyone who prays to anyone, divine or human, within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be thrown into a den of lions?’ The king answered, ‘The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.’ Then they responded to the king, ‘Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the interdict you have signed, but he is saying his prayers three times a day.’

When the king heard the charge, he was very much distressed. He was determined to save Daniel, and until the sun went down he made every effort to rescue him. Then the conspirators came to the king and said to him, ‘Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no interdict or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.’

Then the king gave the command, and Daniel was brought and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, ‘May your God, whom you faithfully serve, deliver you!’ A stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, so that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no food was brought to him, and sleep fled from him.

Reflection

We often see the expression, ‘I’ll pray for you’ used as code for, ‘I’m not going to do anything to help.’ It’s easy to think praying is just talking to the walls, or to ourselves. And yet, when taken seriously, prayer has amazing power.

I come from a country that was not unlike Persia in the time of Daniel. The Communist dictatorship seemed all-powerful and immovable. And when Christians united to pray for the fall of the regime, it was gone in three weeks. I have seen amazing answers to prayer. I have also prayed and nothing seemed to happen. I don’t know why God answers some prayers and doesn’t answer others. But he is unlikely to answer our prayers if we don’t pray.

In Daniel’s time, powerful men plotted together to stop Daniel’s prayers; it didn’t work. In our time, it seems that it takes a lot less to stop us – busyness, social media, addiction to devices, or simple lack of faith. So we grow complacent, and we no longer believe in a supernatural, all-powerful God. But it’s not God who stopped being the God described in the Bible – it’s us who stopped accessing his supernatural power through prayer.

Try it. Write down a list of the things you want changed in your life, in your family, in our country, or in the world. Then, bring that list to God. You don’t need flowery, religious words – just read the list to God. Don’t just do it once – keep doing it. You will be amazed at the results.

Prayer

Lord God, these days there are no lions threatening to eat us; 
no fiery furnaces await us; 
no powerful people plot against us. 
Today we willingly give up our power as your children, 
for the cheap amusements the world throws our way.
Please forgive us and grant us courage:
to stand when no one stands with us; 
to pray when few believe in prayer; 
to trust in you when it seems foolish and useless.  Amen

Daniel 6: 1 – 8

It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps, stationed throughout the whole kingdom,and over them three presidents, including Daniel; to these the satraps gave account, so that the king might suffer no loss. Soon Daniel distinguished himself above all the other presidents and satraps because an excellent spirit was in him, and the king planned to appoint him over the whole kingdom. So the presidents and the satraps tried to find grounds for complaint against Daniel in connection with the kingdom. But they could find no grounds for complaint or any corruption, because he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption could be found in him. The men said, ‘We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.’ So the presidents and satraps conspired and came to the king and said to him, ‘O King Darius, live for ever!  All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counsellors and the governors, are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an interdict, that whoever prays to anyone, divine or human, for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into a den of lions.  Now, O king, establish the interdict and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.’  Therefore King Darius signed the document and interdict.

Reflection

The story of Daniel and the lions’ den is full of dramatic themes: jealousy, vanity, integrity, the power and preservation of God – and the lions will arrive tomorrow. 

Daniel, like Jesus, was faithful to God and to his duties and no negligence or corruption could be found in him.  He was in favour with the king for his honesty and excellent spirit. It appears the king does not bar Daniel from observing his faith and religion.  It’s all one to the king, as long as he does his work faithfully. But this upsets the others in charge, corrupted by their own power. The satraps were governors of their own provinces and had considerable autonomy as viceroys.  The term ‘satrap’ came to suggest tyranny or ostentatious splendour – the modern usage is pejorative with unfavourable connotations of corruption.  So they are offended by Daniel’s ‘squeaky cleanliness’.  They do not try to bear false witness against him, however, but make the king enforce an unreasonable demand that they know Daniel won’t obey.

What an affront to forbid praying to God!  And it’s not just Daniel it affects, or even just his Jewish compatriots in exile, it’s cutting everyone off from approaching God.

In the Covid pandemic, everyone was barred from attending places of worship, and that was tough for many people. In times of religious persecution throughout history, people have been driven to meet and pray in secret. But nothing can stop us from praying and calling to God for help, whatever desperate circumstances we may find ourselves in.  Living our faith means being loyal to God at all times.  Daniel is an example of being faithful, honest and reliable that we can all aspire to follow.

Prayer  ( Rejoice and Sing 532) 

Lord of all being, I give you my all;
if e’er I disown you, I stumble and fall;
but, led in your service your word to obey
I’ll walk in your freedom to the end of the way.

Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king said to Daniel, ‘So you are Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah? I have heard of you that a spirit of the gods is in you, and that enlightenment, understanding, and excellent wisdom are found in you. Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and tell me its interpretation, but they were not able to give the interpretation of the matter. But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you are able to read the writing and tell me its interpretation, you shall be clothed in purple, have a chain of gold around your neck, and rank third in the kingdom.’

Then Daniel answered in the presence of the king, ‘Let your gifts be for yourself, or give your rewards to someone else! Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and let him know the interpretation.  O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar kingship, greatness, glory, and majesty. And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. He killed those he wanted to kill, kept alive those he wanted to keep alive, honoured those he wanted to honour, and degraded those he wanted to degrade. But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he acted proudly, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and his glory was stripped from him. He was driven from human society, and his mind was made like that of an animal. His dwelling was with the wild asses, he was fed grass like oxen, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven, until he learned that the Most High God has sovereignty over the kingdom of mortals, and sets over it whomsoever he will. And you, Belshazzar his son, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this! You have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven! The vessels of his temple have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them. You have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know; but the God in whose power is your very breath, and to whom belong all your ways, you have not honoured.

‘So from his presence the hand was sent and this writing was inscribed. And this is the writing that was inscribed: mene, mene, tekel, and parsin. This is the interpretation of the matter: mene, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end;  tekel, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting;  peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.’

Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed in purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made concerning him that he should rank third in the kingdom.

That very night Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed.  And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.

Reflection

The writing is on the wall. A well-known phrase drawn from this astonishing story. Belshazzar (who should have learnt from his own father’s demise) mocked the living God through defiling holy items set aside for worship whilst feasting and toasting idols with his harem and allies. Terrifyingly, a hand appears and writes words on the wall which folk are unable (or unwilling) to interpret – so Daniel teller of truth to power is called.

Numbered, weighed, and divided.  Belshazzar days were numbered, the days of his kingdom numbered, he had been weighed and found wanting, the kingdom was divided between his enemies.

Numbered, weighed, divided.  A message to all of us too.

Numbered. Teach us, O God, to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12), for every one of them is written in the book of life (Psalm 139:16) and we cannot add one hour to our life through worry (Matthew 6:27). Numbered. The days of any oppressive regime or power are numbered – no kingdom will ultimately stand against the coming of the kingdom.  Our attempts to run our own lives, control our circumstances, have anything other than God at the centre will ultimately fail.

Weighed. The measure we have used will be used to measure us (Matthew 7:2). Has it been a good measure, pressed down, shaken and running over (Luke 6:38)? Have we lived as children of our loving, generous, hospitable justice-seeking God?

Divided. The Kingdom is like good and bad fish being sorted from the catch; like wheat and weeds being threshed; like sheep and goats being divided by the shepherd. Parsin means divided, decided, judged. At the heart of this judgement is the promise of being reconciled to God through our union with Christ in his death and resurrection. The truth is we were divided but are called to be one just as Jesus is one with the Father (John 11:17).

Prayer 

Numbered.
Numbered.
Weighed.
United.
Loving God, you made us mortal
and call us to serve your everlasting kingdom.
May we embody your loving generosity to the world
and remain in you as you remain in us.  Amen

Daniel 5: 1 – 12
King Belshazzar made a great festival for a thousand of his lords, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand.

Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar commanded that they bring in the vessels of gold and silver that his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. So they brought in the vessels of gold and silver  that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the wall of the royal palace, next to the lampstand. The king was watching the hand as it wrote.  Then the king’s face turned pale, and his thoughts terrified him. His limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together.  The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the diviners; and the king said to the wise men of Babylon, ‘Whoever can read this writing and tell me its interpretation shall be clothed in purple, have a chain of gold around his neck, and rank third in the kingdom.’  Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king the interpretation.  Then King Belshazzar became greatly terrified and his face turned pale, and his lords were perplexed.

The queen, when she heard the discussion of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting-hall. The queen said, ‘O king, live for ever! Do not let your thoughts terrify you or your face grow pale. There is a man in your kingdom who is endowed with a spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father he was found to have enlightenment, understanding, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and diviners,  because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation.’

Reflection
Graffiti has been happening for centuries. Its modern urban form seems to have taken shape in 1970s Philadelphia and New York where it began developing as a distinct subculture, moving on from buildings and bridges to include also the defacing of subway trains. 

Defacing: there’s a loaded term! Because the nature of graffiti is contested: Is it always mere vandalism, or might it become a form of art? Transport authorities, councils and business-owners may respond more or less swiftly to clean-up the unwanted paintwork (and I’m mindful it can be a recurring headache for some of our churches too). Yet I confess, without condoning illegality, that I’ve sometimes marvelled at instances of graffiti that I’ve seen left in place. Not least at “halls of fame”, curated areas where a city’s street-artists (another value-laden term!) are allowed and encouraged to make their mark legally. 

And at its most potent, street art can transcend the arguably mundane act of “tagging” (marking the wall with a stylised “signature”), and reach towards a kind of social commentary. It can confront us over our complacent self-acclimatisation to the status quo, and call us to reassess the ways we’ve been living. 

Which brings us to the tale of Belshazzar’s feast. Like a spray-painted tag glimpsed on a moving train, the inscribed message is declared difficult to read, let alone understand. We’ll need to wait until tomorrow’s Devotion for Daniel to decipher the writing on the wall. But whilst it would be stretching things to identify it as the handiwork of some Biblical Banksy, there is already in today’s passage a sense of foreboding that the message will not be comfortable for the king and his court. 

As for us, perhaps the challenge is to consider: Will we be receptive only to those pronouncements which reach us in a familiar, acceptable format? Or dare we open our eyes and ears to perceive, and even to learn the vocabulary of, messages whose very form is beyond our comfort-zone?

Prayer
Holy and life-giving God,
guide me in the way of justice;
guard me from my own vanity
and from the emptiness of idols.
Keep me alert, I pray, 
and receptive to your direction this day.
And if I should fail to read, or to heed,
your word of truth,
then may wiser minds than mine be found,
to interpret and declare
the writing on the wall.
Amen.
 

Daniel 4: 34 – 37
When that period was over, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me.

I blessed the Most High,
    and praised and honoured the one who lives for ever.
For his sovereignty is an everlasting sovereignty,
    and his kingdom endures from generation to generation.
All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
    and he does what he wills with the host of heaven
    and the inhabitants of the earth.
There is no one who can stay his hand
    or say to him, ‘What are you doing?’

At that time my reason returned to me; and my majesty and splendour were restored to me for the glory of my kingdom. My counsellors and my lords sought me out, I was re-established over my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honour the King of heaven,

for all his works are truth,
    and his ways are justice;
and he is able to bring low
    those who walk in pride.

Reflection
What is the cost of following your own dreams and desires?  Nebuchadnezzar was an arrogant king, who was filled with an overbearing sense of his own importance.  God had brought his vaulted self-assurance crashing to the ground. For seven years Nebuchadnezzar lived like the cattle in his kingdom, his mind, reason and self – importance deserted him. When we meet him again, Nebuchadnezzar’s wilderness years are ended; he is able to look to the heavens and his reason and consciousness returns to him.  We hear the relief that the life he knows is restored, as he recognises the sovereignty of God over all creation and generations. Nebuchadnezzar’s perspective has changed, he is willing to accept another view of kingship, which is based on truth and justice, this acknowledgement of God’s nature and purpose allows his restoration. The sovereignty of God had come into clear focus and he is changed as he realises how he must live in the future. Making God the king of his life and his peoples.
 
This example of Nebuchadnezzar might feel very far from our experience, but the principle is the same; we need to align ourselves with the eternal God who rules with justice and truth. Jesus came to show us who God is, filled with God’s grace and truth.  We are able to follow our dreams and desires, if we stay connected to God’s purposes for our lives. Being connected to God (John 15 v 1 – 17), and our church and community helps us to discern God’s call to mission, giving us perspective and focus. Ephesians 3 v 20 can help us to put our faith into perspective: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,  to him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen”

Prayer (R&S 69)
Lord of all being, throned afar,
Thy glory flames from sun and star;
Centre and light of every sphere,
Yet to each loving heart how near.

Lord of all life, below, above,
Whose light is truth, whose warmth is love,
Before Thy ever-blazing throne
We ask no lustre of our own.

Grant us Thy truth to make us free,
And kindling hearts that burn for Thee,
Till all Thy living altars claim
One holy light, one heavenly flame. Amen

Words by Oliver Wendell Homes (1809 – 1894)
 

inspiration in your inbox 26 August 2024   Daniel 4: 28 – 33 All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, and the king said, ‘Is this not magnificent Babylon, which I have built as a royal capital by my mighty power and for my glorious majesty?’ While the words were still in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven: ‘O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: The kingdom has departed from you! You shall be driven away from human society, and your dwelling shall be with the animals of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like oxen, and seven times shall pass over you, until you have learned that the Most High has sovereignty over the kingdom of mortals and gives it to whom he will.’ Immediately the sentence was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven away from human society, ate grass like oxen, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven, until his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers and his nails became like birds’ claws. Reflection The song Viva la Vida by Coldplay is about someone who exercised great power but lost it suddenly to the extent that he ended up sweeping the streets he used to own.  Like the passage today it reminds us how precarious life and power can be where even the most powerful leaders can lose it overnight.   While part of us may feel that Nebuchadnezzar received what his pride and arrogance deserved, disaster can befall anyone at any time.  Many people down the ages know only too well what it is to lose everything overnight.  Today people are still having their lives turned upside down through accident, war, famine, oppression, climate change or diagnosis of a serious medical condition. In a world that seems increasingly unsure, we cannot be confident that it will not happen to us.   Nebuchadnezzar was reduced to the level of the beasts of the field.  Today’s sufferers retain their humanity but so often they are treated as subhuman regardless of race, skills, youth, or age.  They are seen as a threat to a country’s resources and security even though they have potential to offer whichever nation will give them a home.   We are all made in the image of God.  When we see, hear, and read stories about suffering, it’s easy to go along with the narrative that some politicians and sections of the media want us to buy into.  We need the help of the Spirit to resist this and give everyone the status and respect they deserve, regardless of their situation. Prayer Our world has always been precarious, and our present comfort can close our senses to this.  Help us not to be seduced by the clarion calls to see others as less than human, to be thankful for what we have, and be prepared to show God’s love to everyone, regardless of the situation they find themselves in. Amen.

Today’s writer The Revd Ian Kirby, Minister, Brecon Beacons Pastorate New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 
Today’s service is led by Roo Stewart

Hymn     The Canticle of the Turning  
Rory Cooney GIA © Publications 1990 OneLicence # A-734713. Sung by the Virtual Choir of Creator Lutheran Church
 
My soul cries out with a joyful shout
that the God of my heart is great
and my spirit sings of the wondrous things
that you bring to the ones who wait.
You fixed your sight on your servant’s plight
and my weakness you did not spurn.
So, from east to west shall my name be blest,
could the world be about to turn?

My heart shall sing of the day you bring;
Let the fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears for the dawn draws near
And the world is about to turn!

Though I am small, my God, my all, 
You work great things in me.
And your mercy will last  from the depths of the past 
to the end of the age to be.
Your very name puts the proud to shame
and to those who would for you yearn,
You will show your might, put the strong to flight,
for the world is about to turn.

My heart shall sing of the day you bring;
Let the fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears for the dawn draws near
And the world is about to turn!

From the halls of power to the fortress tower
not a stone will be left on stone.
Let the king beware for your justice tears 
ev’ry tyrant from his throne.
The hungry poor shall weep no more
for the food they can never earn.
There are tables spread, ev’ry mouth be fed
for the world is about to turn.

My heart shall sing of the day you bring;
Let the fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears for the dawn draws near
And the world is about to turn!

Though the nations rage from age to age
we remember who holds us fast.
God’s mercy must deliver us 
from the conqueror’s crushing grasp.
This saving word that our forebears heard 
is the promise which holds us bound.
‘Til the spear and rod can be crushed by God
who is turning the world around.

My heart shall sing of the day you bring;
Let the fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears for the dawn draws near
And the world is about to turn! 

Welcome 

Welcome to our Sunday service from the United Reformed Church. I’m Roo Stewart and part of my role as Head of Public Issues is to lead the URC’s presence at the Greenbelt Festival. The annual Greenbelt Festival is happening this weekend, where Christians, questioners, and all their friends come together to celebrate, grow, and enjoy time together, on the grounds of Boughton House near Kettering in Northamptonshire. Some will come for a day, others will travel in from guest houses and hotels, but the hardiest of us are camping on site throughout the weekend. Which explains why I’m speaking to you from inside a tent today! 

The URC runs both the youth venues and an ethical café on site. These are hugely popular places at the festival, and visitors get to experience something of the character and mission of the URC as they eat and drink, attend workshops, listen to testimonies and pray with us.

One of our contributors at Greenbelt will be preaching later in this service: Dr Anthony Reddie will be encouraging us to do the right thing, from Matthew 25. And we’ll have hymns and prayers that evoke the strong sense of justice, artistry and faith that pulses in the very heartbeat of Greenbelt.

This evening, at 6.30pm, you are invited to join us for our live online Greenbelt service where you can be part of our worship, and also get a chance to see the finished ‘blanket of dreams’, which has been stitched together from 100s of squares submitted by URC members all across the country. It promises to be a really special time.  (the link for this is at the end of the order of service.  But until then, let’s prepare our hearts for worship.

Prayers of Approach

Lord, you are the Bread of Life, so we come to you, hungry for justice, praying you will give us the bread that is the food of life,
with plenty for everyone in the kingdom of heaven.

Lord, you are the oasis of life, so we come to you, thirsty for peace,
praying you will give us a cup of your life-giving water
that will never be empty In the kingdom of heaven.

Lord, you are the host of life, so we come to you, needing to belong,
and pray you will open the door into the hearts of your people
where we will find a welcome in the kingdom of heaven.

Lord, you are the light of life, so we come to you, stripped of our identity,
praying you will clothe us today with the light of your love
that everyone will be wearing in the kingdom of heaven.

Lord, you are the healer for life, so we come to you, 
sick from doing wrong, praying you will heal us today
so we can do better tomorrow, 
forgiven and renewed for life in the kingdom of heaven.

Lord, you are the truth for life,  so we come to you as prisoners of fear,
praying you will break into our lives, with your truth unlocking the doors
and leading us from captivity into the kingdom of heaven.

Lord, your food for the world is to do the will of God, 
so may we sit at your table  with thousands who are hungry 
and break bread with you in the kingdom of heaven.

So, Lord, we pray we can eat what you eat and drink from your cup,
wearing your love as a coat, healed by grace and forgiveness,
to live free from our prisons of fear in the kingdom of heaven.

Some prayers of saying sorry to God. Please join in the words in bold.

Lord, forgive us for choosing to feast on injustice when
we believe you are Bread for the hungry.

Forgive us for fighting over the source of life when
we believe you are an oasis for the thirsty.

Forgive us for choosing to walk in the dark when
we believe you are the light for the world.

Forgive us for neglecting the good health of your creation when
we believe you are our healer and sustainer.

Forgive us if we become prisoners to the lies of the world when
we believe you are the truth that sets us free.

Your food, Lord, is to do the will of God.
So may we eat what you eat and drink from your cup
so the kingdom will come as we pray:

Our Father…

Reading     St Matthew 25:31-46

‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.  Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”  Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?”  And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”  Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.”  Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?”  Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’

Hymn     Heaven Shall Not Wait  
Graham Maule, John L. Bell © 1987 GIA Publications OneLicence # A-734713. Performed by Ruth and Joy Everingham and used with their kind permission.

Heav’n shall not wait for the poor to lose their patience.
The scorned to smile, the despised to find a friend.
Jesus is Lord: he has championed the unwanted.
In him, injustice confronts its timely end.

Heav’n shall not wait for the rich to share their fortunes,
The proud to fall, the elite to tend the least.
Jesus is Lord: he has shown the master’s privilege
To kneel and wash servants’ feet before they feast.

Heav’n shall not wait for the dawn of great ideas,
Thoughts of compassion divorced from cries of pain.
Jesus is Lord: he has married word and action.
His cross and company make his purpose plain.

Heav’n shall not wait for triumphant hallelujahs,
When Earth has passed and we reach another shore.
Jesus is Lord in our present imperfection.
His pow’r and love are for now and then for evermore.

Sermon     Doing the Right Thing by Dr Anthony Reddie  

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of all our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our Rock and Our Redeemer. Amen.

The theme of my sermon is doing the right thing. There’s a sense in which, right from its earliest days, there’s always been a tension in the Church between what’s more important (and obviously it’s both) but you have to choose one: is it to believe but not do the work, or to do the work but not believe?  The Church has always been clear: it’s the first but not the second. In most of the official teachings of our Church, in terms of most of our creeds – certainly in the Methodist Church – although we have a strong tradition for social justice, we still say that the means of salvation is through the scriptures in the name of Jesus. That’s how you get saved. You get saved by acknowledging the saving work of Jesus.

If you happen to do the work that Jesus calls us to do in these passages, to be in solidarity with those who are ‘the least of these’, ‘that’s great but it’s not essential’ and therefore, as I was saying earlier at the start of my talk, there’s a reason why Christianity was able to collude with empires, because in the end ‘doing the work’ isn’t necessarily what saves you… Except for this passage – which is interesting! One of the things about some of the early reformers is that they didn’t like this passage, because it seems to be ‘salvation by works’. Because when you look at the text, there’s no indication that those on the right – the sheep who do the right thing – believe the right thing. There’s nothing in the text that says that they have the right belief. What they do have is that they’re in solidarity: they do the right thing and, by doing so, it would appear that they are saved. Whereas those on the left – the goats (who may well believe – we don’t know) – don’t do the right thing.

So that seems kind of obvious: it’s clearly that we have to do the right thing to be in solidarity and to help others. But here’s the rub: that’s not quite how it works, because the truth is it’s very easy to do the right thing for all the wrong reasons, which doesn’t therefore make it right.

One of my earliest experiences of ministry was as a university student. I was part of SCM [the Student Christian Movement] and one of the things we would do is we’d go on mission over Easter. I remember we went on mission to Droitwich, which is a town not far from Worcester. We spent a week as good, righteous, radical progressive students, working alongside people all on the margins. I remember befriending a young man called Bert who had drug addictions. And of course, me and my 18-year-old… – I mean, what the hell did I know about drug addictions and trying to help him – but anyway, I was full of righteous zeal, and I was doing the right thing. I read the passage and I wanted to work alongside him to help him. But the truth is, it was transactional: I was doing that because this was my way of working out my faith. It never occurred to me that the guy I was working with might have something to teach me, because the truth is, I was there doing my good thing. I was doing the right thing, but I was doing the right thing from a paternalistic, patrician model that the Church loves to do. We love social welfare. We love to help people. We love to help those who are ‘not as quite as good’ as we are; people who maybe are having a hard time. All of it is well meaning, but it’s still paternalistic and the power still lies with the people who are doing good.

To be clear, that’s not to say that doing good is not good, but it’s still problematic. The key thing I’ve learned from this passage over the years has been this radical sense that it’s not that we do it because it makes us feel good or does something for us. We work in solidarity and do the right thing because it’s in doing that that we find Christ. It’s interesting, if you look at the text, that what is revealed in working alongside those who are the least of us is Christ. That’s a radical idea that the Church has never embraced right from its early stages, even though it’s right up front and centre in the text.

In most of our official teachings, we say that we meet Christ in our official liturgy, so in bread and wine we meet Christ. Such is the significance of that, that in many of our traditions – obviously not so much in the URC – but certainly in the Methodist Church and certainly in Episcopal churches, only certain hands of those who are set apart are deemed holy enough in order to say the requisite prayers that then reveals God in Christ in those elements. A key insight of liberation theologies has been that actually that’s not to say that God is not present in bread and wine, or present in sacrament, but it’s to say that human life is also a sacrament, in those that are the least of these, those whose bodies we often see as being transgressive, that seem problematic, the ones who don’t turn up at Greenbelt because they can’t afford to come: it’s in the lives of those ordinary people who are the least of these that we find Christ. Actually, I would go even further and say if we are not finding Christ in them, we’re not finding Christ at all.

Doing the right thing is not a transactional thing that we do because, somehow, it’s about us. It’s actually a fundamental question of where are we looking in order to see where Christ is present in the world. Here’s the key thing: if we really believe that Christ was present in those who are the least of these, we would treat the least of these very differently. If we really believe that not only was God present in Christ in bread and wine, in sacraments, in holy and distinct things that we say are ordinary but made extraordinary by the power of the Holy Spirit – I have no problem with any of that theologically – but we also believe that Christ was as present in beggars, was as present in asylum seekers, was as present as people who are in prison, was as present in those who don’t have a voice and we see as being ‘problematic’ (those we patronise and want to help them, but don’t really see as being as important) – if we really believe that, think of how different the world would be.

If we really believe that Christ was present in them, we wouldn’t send one asylum seeker or refugee off to Rwanda. If we really believe that God was present in the least of these, then our penal system would be different. If we really believe that Christ was present in the poor, then our taxation system would be different, rich people would pay their taxes and we would have proper distribution of resources. This is a revolutionary text, because in not seeing Christ in the ‘other’, in the ones who are the least of these, I would say that we are not seeing God at all. The challenge is: are we prepared to genuinely do the right thing? To genuinely do the right thing is to be alongside those who are the least of these because it’s a just act to do, and not simply because it’s a nice bit of social welfare that fits into our forms of paternalism, and simply helping the ‘others’ because we feel somehow it makes us feel virtuous.

That’s as much a challenge for me, so it’s easy for me to say it and much harder for me to do it. But every time I read this text, I see it as a judgment on myself because while I would like to confidently believe that I’m on the right (it’s interesting that it’s the only time I’m ever on the right by the way – every other time I’m always on the left!) but to be on the right side, which, however we understand that, cannot be in any other way than being in solidarity with those who are the least of these.

It’s easy to worship a God we can’t see and despise those people that we can see because they’re not our type of people. So let us do the right thing, but do the right thing in the spirit of searching for Christ in the least and the lost and the lonely in the name of Christ.  Amen.

Hymn     The Reign of God Like Farmer’s Field
Sr Delores Duffner © 2003 GIA Publications Ltd OneLicence # A-734713. Sung by Tim McNabb and used with his kind permission.
 
The reign of God, like farmer’s field,
Bears weeds along with wheat;    
The good and bad are intertwined    
Till harvest is complete.    

Like mustard tree, the reign of God 
From tiny seed will spread,    
Till birds of every feather    
Come to nest, and there be fed.            

Though hidden now, the reign of God 
May, yet unnoticed, grow;    
From deep within it rises up,    
Like yeast in swelling dough.    

The reign of God is come in Christ;    
The reign of God is near.    
Ablaze among us, kindling hearts,    
The reign of God is here!    
 
Intercessions

God of majesty, creator of all. In you all things hold together. 
All things come from you. All are yours.
 
Yet you willingly set aside the splendour of heaven
to become like us and live among us.
 
You are the hungry. You are the thirsty.
You are the naked. You are the sick. ou are the prisoner.
 
We remember all those who are hungry and thirsty
in our homes, our neighbourhoods and our world.
 
We remember those unable to afford the essentials
in our homes, our neighbourhoods and our world.
 
We remember those who seek shelter from danger
in our homes, our neighbourhoods and our world.
 
We remember those who seek healing and relief
in our homes, our neighbourhoods and our world.
 
We remember those in prisons physical and psychological
in our homes, our neighbourhoods and our world.
 
As we share our food, our water, our essentials,
our clothes, our care and our attention, we encounter you.
 
Guide our thoughts and our words,
our actions, our giving and our presence today and all days.
 
May we seek first your ways, finding heaven in the margins,
the transcendent entirely immanent, 
God-with-us in the midst of hardship.
 
We pray for those who lead us.
Help us not fool ourselves into relying on them to do the right thing.
Help us do the right thing anyway, echoing Jesus, our best example,
our saving grace, our divine friend.
 
In a moment of stillness, we cast our unvoiced concerns upon you…
 
…knowing that you are more present in suffering and despair
than we could ever know.
 
Remain with all those who need you this day and forever. Amen.

Hymn     The Kingdom of God is Justice and Joy  
Bryn A. Rees, © 1973, Alexander Scott OneLicence  # A-734713. Sung by Paul Robinson and used with his kind permission.

The kingdom of God is justice and joy;
For Jesus restores what sin would destroy.
God’s power and glory in Jesus we know;
And here and hereafter the kingdom shall grow.

The kingdom of God is mercy and grace;
The prisoners are freed, the sinners find place,
The outcast are welcomed God’s banquet to share;
And hope is awakened in place of despair.

The kingdom of God is challenge and choice:
Believe the good news, repent and rejoice!
His love for us sinners brought Christ to his cross:
Our crisis of judgement for gain or for loss.

God’s kingdom is come, the gift and the goal;
In Jesus begun, in heaven made whole.
The heirs of the kingdom shall answer his call;
And all things cry “Glory!” to God all in all.
 
Closing Blessing

We have gathered together to share in worship.
Gathered together from different places,
circumstances and understandings. 
Gathered together to rejoice and pray and be fed. 
 
Let us go forth to live out the Gospel message. 
Let us be empowered by our time together
to keep walking the path of discipleship. 
Let us live out the Good News in our lives.
 
We have come together, and now we part, refreshed and renewed.
And as we part, let us do so comforted by the love of God,
challenged by the teachings of Jesus,
and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
 
And let us affirm our common ground
and celebrate the joy of our faith
by sharing together the grace:
 
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all evermore. Amen.

You can join us live at 6:30pm for the URC service in the Greenbelt tent via Zoom:
Zoom Meeting ID: 965 1457 5443
Passcode: YourChurch
or click here:
 
 

inspiration in your inbox 24 August 2024   Daniel 4: 19 – 27 Then Daniel, who was called Belteshazzar, was severely distressed for a while. His thoughts terrified him. The king said, ‘Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or the interpretation terrify you.’ Belteshazzar answered, ‘My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you, and its interpretation for your enemies!  The tree that you saw, which grew great and strong, so that its top reached to heaven and was visible to the end of the whole earth,  whose foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, and which provided food for all, under which animals of the field lived, and in whose branches the birds of the air had nests —  it is you, O king! You have grown great and strong. Your greatness has increased and reaches to heaven, and your sovereignty to the ends of the earth.  And whereas the king saw a holy watcher coming down from heaven and saying, “Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave its stump and roots in the ground, with a band of iron and bronze, in the grass of the field; and let him be bathed with the dew of heaven, and let his lot be with the animals of the field, until seven times pass over him”—  this is the interpretation, O king, and it is a decree of the Most High that has come upon my lord the king:  You shall be driven away from human society, and your dwelling shall be with the wild animals. You shall be made to eat grass like oxen, you shall be bathed with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, until you have learned that the Most High has sovereignty over the kingdom of mortals, and gives it to whom he will.  As it was commanded to leave the stump and roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be re-established for you from the time that you learn that Heaven is sovereign.  Therefore, O king, may my counsel be acceptable to you: atone for your sins with righteousness, and your iniquities with mercy to the oppressed, so that your prosperity may be prolonged.’ Reflection Nebuchadnezzar seems to be a very unpredictable person. Earlier in this chapter he has been wishing everyone on earth well and in his dream, he is shown himself as a tree that is beautiful and provides food and shelter for all the animals and birds. But it (he) has to be cut down and be banished to the wilderness. He seems to change from a superficially decent person to a tyrant from one moment to the next.  Then of course we also have to remember that he has recently had Daniel and his three colleagues thrown into the fiery furnace. And he was also about to have all the wise men in Babylon killed because they couldn’t interpret his dream for him. We can just imagine how Daniel felt when he knew he was the only person who could interpret the dream and perhaps stave off this slaughter, but he was going to have to tell this unpredictable tyrant some very bad news which was unlikely to go down well! I have never been very comfortable with speaking out, especially when I knew what I had to say would be unpopular. Daniel knew he was putting himself at risk, but what was the alternative? He was quite understandably terrified. But he saw what he had to do. He began with a lot of flattery and distancing himself from the interpretation he was going to give, but then he did speak out. He gave the king the bad news, in all its detail. There are times when we know we must speak. In this country hopefully the worst we shall be risking is making ourselves unpopular. In other places, people who speak out may truly be risking death. It sometimes takes a lot of courage to speak, but sometimes, too, we know it is our duty. We know we are called to do it. Let us pray that we have the courage when that time comes. Prayer Lord, Help us to listen for your voice wherever we may hear it And help us speak when we know that it is our duty. Help us to have courage and not fear the consequences. You promised to give us words and wisdom when you wanted us to speak, So let us remember that It is not for us to worry about how our words will be received when you tell us to do so. Amen     Today’s writer Steve Dawson, lay preacher and member, Ipswich Road, Norwich New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Daniel 4: 1 – 18

King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages that live throughout the earth: May you have abundant prosperity!  The signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked for me I am pleased to recount.

How great are his signs,
    how mighty his wonders!
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
    and his sovereignty is from generation to generation.

I, Nebuchadnezzar, was living at ease in my home and prospering in my palace.  I saw a dream that frightened me; my fantasies in bed and the visions of my head terrified me.  So I made a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, in order that they might tell me the interpretation of the dream.  Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the diviners came in, and I told them the dream, but they could not tell me its interpretation.  At last Daniel came in before me — he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and who is endowed with a spirit of the holy gods — and I told him the dream:  ‘O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that you are endowed with a spirit of the holy gods and that no mystery is too difficult for you. Hear the dream that I saw; tell me its interpretation.

Upon my bed this is what I saw;
    there was a tree at the centre of the earth,
    and its height was great.
The tree grew great and strong,
    its top reached to heaven,
    and it was visible to the ends of the whole earth.
Its foliage was beautiful,
    its fruit abundant,
    and it provided food for all.
The animals of the field found shade under it,
    the birds of the air nested in its branches,
    and from it all living beings were fed.

‘I continued looking, in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and there was a holy watcher, coming down from heaven. He cried aloud and said:

“Cut down the tree and chop off its branches,
    strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit.
Let the animals flee from beneath it
    and the birds from its branches.
But leave its stump and roots in the ground,
    with a band of iron and bronze,
    in the tender grass of the field.
Let him be bathed with the dew of heaven,
    and let his lot be with the animals of the field
    in the grass of the earth.
Let his mind be changed from that of a human,
    and let the mind of an animal be given to him.
    And let seven times pass over him.
The sentence is rendered by decree of the watchers,
    the decision is given by order of the holy ones,
in order that all who live may know
    that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdom of mortals;
he gives it to whom he will
    and sets over it the lowliest of human beings.”

‘This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Now you, Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation, since all the wise men of my kingdom are unable to tell me the interpretation. You are able, however, for you are endowed with a spirit of the holy gods.’

Reflection

The world seems to revolve around Nebuchadnezzar.  Nebuchadnezzar thinks and acts as if he has absolute autonomy, that he is accountable to no-one but himself. Nebuchadnezzar is the tree, great and strong, the pinnacle of power reaching to the heavens, visible to the ends of the earth.  He is the tree that has luxurious and extravagant foliage, that provides food and shelter, and that has far-reaching sovereignty and influence.  Power, majesty, and glory are Nebuchadnezzar’s, or so he thinks. But God brings Nebuchadnezzar a new perspective.

At the end of Daniel 4, Nebuchadnezzar seemed to be converted to the reality of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego’s God. As we move into Daniel 5, we realise God has work to do in Nebuchadnezzar’s life. Nebuchadnezzar will be utterly humbled.

So often we live our lives as if we are sovereign. Like Nebuchadnezzar, we can make ourselves ‘number 1’, and we can ignore, forget or shun the reality of the Living God. Daniel 5 invites us to humble ourselves before God – a theme that runs throughout Scripture. As James writes, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble… Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you” (4:6,10).

I wonder where you and I may need to be humbled? Why not invite God to show you today?
 
Prayer

Great and glorious King,
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your sovereignty is from generation to generation.
Forgive us the times we attempt to put ourselves on your throne,
to sit in judgement over ourselves and others.
Open our eyes to our pride and help us to be humble.
May we learn from your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ,
and may we be shaped and transformed by your Holy Spirit.
Amen.