transforming discontinuity

I share below a response to my sermon last week, from a friend I haven't seen in 30 years, on a far continent. An audio copy of the sermon Transforming Discontinuity is available at http://bit.ly/ad9QlP - please have a listen!

My friend's response:

Markus

Well. That was quite the most extraordinary experience!! I recognized your voice from 30 years ago. But I remember a shy, uncertain little fellow behind the voice. Now I hear a mature man speaking out with conviction and confidence. Are you aware of how you have changed?? Apropos your sermon. Just incredible. I would never have believed it.

The content of your sermon was also really thought provoking and inspiring. Inspiring because it made me think of discontinuous change. i.e. that change I experience today is not necessarily linked to what happened yesterday. As a psychologist I know that predictability is of key importance in our lives. And therefore your words make me wonder what affect unpredictable and discontinuous change has on us. I see this at work and your words make me aware of the needs of my colleagues. Their vulnerability and anxiousness about what tomorrow will bring.

Also, your words brought a memory back to me of a particular event I experienced while working in the UN. I was helping 3 children who had lost 4 of their siblings and their parents during the war. We had to extract these three young people because the oldest son was going to testify for the prosecution and their lives were threatened because of that. I took part in the extraction and we fetched them with one hours notice in a UN helicopter. They will never return to their home country and now have new identities living “elsewhere” as we say in the UN.

While I was in contact with them, I was notified by a UN inspector that the remains of their family had been identified in a mass grave through DNA samples. The UN DNA tested the whole of the respective nation for this purpose. Since they were not able to return home, I volunteered on their behalf to visit the mass grave, fetch their family and ensure that they received a proper burial according to the Muslim faith.

While standing in this grave with the remains of a small 4 year old boy in my arms his body wrapped in a blue UN packet, I felt so incredibly alone and bereft. So this is the “end station” of war I thought. Suddenly I was aware of a presence by my side. Saw no one. But the intense feeling that Jesus was standing at my side with me. His support for me and his care for me enabled me to do what I had come to do.

In the UN, every day is full of discontinuous change. And trauma. You mention both repeatedly in your sermon. And I can testify to the fact that the certainty that the Lord in whom I believe is with me always.

Thank you Mark!!

holy week meditations

Palm Sunday

Eternal Father, your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, fulfilled your will by taking our nature and giving his life for us: help us to follow the example of his humility by walking in the way of the cross; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen (An Anglican Prayer Book 1989 pg 174)

Today marks the beginning of Holy Week: our annual pilgrimage with Christ on the final journey to the cross. This is a journey Jesus embraced knowingly, as we will remember on Maundy Thursday. Today’s collect (above) draws the alpha towards the omega: Jesus birth at Christmas now enfolded in his death, the beginning at an end, yet not. We will celebrate another new beginning, a resurrection on Easter Sunday. But this week we walk with Jesus towards his death, we journey together as we have before in our Baptism into the death – and life – of Christ!

And we begin the journey at Jerusalem’s gate, on a donkey, with a crowd pressing in, a joyful crowd, palms waving and strewn before us on the ground, cloaks tossed down to carpet our path. A humble donkey for us, no conqueror’s war-horse, just a donkey. No army, just disciples. And a crowd. A crowd that responds to Scripture, to a knowledge, to an expectation of freedom. And we are that picture. As the rabble responds, so the authorities take note and begin to plot our downfall, our death. And we walk on towards a death this same rabble will cry out for, stirred by those who seek our demise.

But today is a day of celebration. And hope. This Jesus, a Galilean with roots in Judah, takes possession of Jerusalem, and becomes a symbol of our desire for freedom: freedom from Rome, from Greece, from Syria, from all who have oppressed us over centuries, from all that holds us back from experiencing life in abundance.

What do you celebrate today? How is Jesus a sign of hope to you, now? What freedom do you look for and see in this Saviour on a donkey, powerful enough not to need the war-horse for show? What constricts you? What hurts you?

See the sign of God: see Jesus. See that God is present and has already begun to act, has already begun the process of setting you free. And rejoice!

Make us true followers of Jesus, each day of this coming Holy Week, that as we walk the way of his cross, we may commit ourselves all over again to the fashioning of his Kingdom in Jerusalem, in our own communities and across your world. Amen

(Prayer by Maxwell Craig in “Lent & Easter Readings from IONA” pg 49)

Canon Mark Long

Lent 2010

Monday in Holy Week

The Servant of the Lord (Isaiah 42:1-7)

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. … I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness” (Isaiah 42:1, 6-7 TNIV).

As Jesus contemplates his death, we contemplate today his purpose: that which God is doing through him in our world, and continues to do today. The above words spoken by Isaiah centuries earlier speak directly into Jesus’ experience as we reflect on what God was doing, and continues to do today, no longer in Jesus, but now in us through Jesus, and through the Spirit of God.  Isaiah speaks of God’s delight, God’s absolute pleasure in Jesus … and in me … and also in you. We, too, have been chosen; we, too, delight the heart of God. What a thought!

Isaiah speaks of hope, and it is a hope that we as God’s people, as those who have discovered new life through Jesus Christ, are called to live out. Can you imagine being blind, maybe from birth, and suddenly being able to see? Or a prisoner, and suddenly free?  Jesus death and subsequent resurrection is this covenant of which Isaiah speaks, a covenant that resources us to make this image, this vision, real in practical ways: to bring others into relationship with this God who gives sight, who brings light into the deepest darkness, who brings hope into situations seemingly lost and beyond control. The chaos of our lives, of our society is not beyond the ability of God, and not beyond the ability of us who draw on the resource of God’s love.

How is your life an image of hope to others: to family, friends, colleagues, even strangers? When last did your smile rekindle light in someone else’s eyes?

O God, our maker, open our eyes to new possibilities and perspectives, organisations and projects, structures and outlooks …

Help us to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem:

to break down the barriers in ourselves that prevent us from reaching out to neighbours and making peace; to rebuild communities based on understanding and justice, illuminated with the true light of Christ. Amen

(Prayer by Neil Paynter in “Lent & Easter Readings from IONA” pg 62)

Canon Mark Long

Lent 2010

Tuesday in Holy Week

The second Servant Song (Isaiah 49:1-6)

“Before I was born the LORD called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name.” … [God said] “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:1b, 6 TNIV).

Predestination is one of those “Biblical concepts” that leaves us a little lost on occasion. The above passage is one that the Church has long understood to refer to Jesus, the long awaited Messiah, who would step in and be God’s answer to the need of his people. To be called by God is not to “boxed” by God, but rather set free to fulfil our purpose as human beings and as children of God. God has not predestined our every action, or even the manner in which we will live our lives, but we will be used towards his greater purpose if we are willing to make ourselves available. There is a bigger plan, a bigger purpose that God calls us to. If we seek to serve God we will often find that our decisions made out of our own free will lead us towards this greater purpose. We find we are steered by the Spirit of God, never coerced.

Leadership often places us beyond the boundaries where we feel comfortable and competent (“It is too smaller thing …”) but never beyond God’s grace. As God’s children we are all called to leadership, particularly in living lives that are good on a moral and ethical level. This is part of our calling as Christians. Additionally, we give leadership as parents, as members of our peer group, as interactors in our society. Leadership does not always have to be recognised to be real: it is about setting an example and allowing our beliefs to inform our actions.

You are called. You have purpose. Start living it, and you will discover it!

Jesus, help us to create churches with your passion and light planted at the heart; Churches where we are prepared to address injustice and where “in a gesture a thousand words are spoken”; challenging, prophetic churches possessing a generous, rich fund of warmth and love and welcome and real celebration.

Christ, light and life of the world, bless your Church with the grace and power to flourish and bear fruit; the courage and faith to grow rooted in your gospel and in the grassroots of community. Amen

(Prayer by Neil Paynter in “Lent & Easter Readings from IONA” pg 68)

Canon Mark Long

Lent 2010

Wednesday in Holy Week

The third Servant Song (Isaiah 50:4-9a)

“The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. … It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me.
Who will condemn me?”  (Isaiah 50:4, 9a TNIV)

There is purpose in God’s instruction: Isaiah says that it is to sustain the weary. Living life is not easy, living life well – morally, ethically – is hard. Being loving, compassionate, caring in a sustained manner is almost impossible (just ask your spouse, child or a good friend, if you think I’m wrong!). Life is tough – in many and varied ways. My wife, Dawn, says life would be much easier if we were informed of this at birth, then when life is truly good and abundant we would celebrate, and when it is tough (which it is most of the time) we would accept this as normal and get on with it, and live it well. Scripture is a very powerful reminder: God’s word does sustain us, encourage us, give us the strength to stand up and walk again, journey again.

What sort of time do you give God to speak to you: does he wake you morning by morning? Whose is the instructed tongue that sustains you – Isaiah, the Psalmist, a Gospel writer? We know that in our physical lives we need food and liquid; the same is true of our spiritual lives – they are less tangible, but there none-the-less. What feeds you spiritually? – because if it is not Scripture then it will be something else: perhaps the media, and what kind of ethics does Hollywood purvey? In interacting with young people I often point out that what “Soapies” and “Movies” say about relationships is have sex, and if the sex is good begin a friendship; Scripture says, build a friendship, and if the friendship is good get married and celebrate the joy of your friendship sexually. Quite a difference? What feeds your soul?

Pray for the grace to take risks, … to trust God’s promise. Pray for the humility to know that one person’s extravagance may be another’s sacrificial gift, another’s wisdom. Pray for the grace to believe that security lies not in stocks and bonds and bank balances, but in the God who responds to a generous spirit. Amen

(Prayer by Anna Briggs in “Lent & Easter Readings from IONA” pg 71)

Canon Mark Long

Lent 2010

Maundy Thursday

The ministry given by the Spirit of the Lord (Isaiah 61:1-9)

“They will be called mighty oaks, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendour. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God” (Isaiah 61:3b-6a TNIV).

As God’s children we are all gifted by God for ministry. Isaiah reminds us that an important part of our ministry is to rebuild and to restore that which has been devastated. It is a call to serve a broken and hurting society. Serving is not something most of us find easy – mostly we prefer to be served, especially if we are South African and male. But ministry is a call to serve, to humble ourselves and see to the needs of others before we see to our own. This does not require us to be door-mats, and to ignore our own needs; it is rather a call to compassionate and caring living.

To truly be able to serve we need be confident – confident in our calling, in our identity; we need to know where we have come from; we need to know where we are going. We need to have vision, we need to be clear about our mission, we need to know who we are, we need to understand our context. What gives Jesus, in the garden of Gethsemane, the ability to put aside the powerful call of his humanity to run from the suffering that lies ahead, and submit to the call of the Father on his life? At this point he is clear on the call that lies burdensomely on his shoulders, he knows who is, he knows where he has come from and where he is going, and he has the strength to say to the Father, “Your will be done!”

Do you have a vision for your life? Do you know God’s purpose for you? And are you journeying in relationship with God through the Scriptures? Are you in relationship with others on this same journey, or do you journey alone?

Jesus, our brother, once you knelt sleepless in the darkness of a garden, alone, and wept and prayed, sweating, bleeding, with the pain of powerlessness, with the strain of waiting. An angel offered you strength – but it was a bitter cup.

We pray for all who wake tonight, waiting, agonising, anxious and afraid, while others sleep: for those who sweat and bleed, and weep alone. If it is not possible for their cup to be taken away – then may they know your presence kneeling at their side. Amen

(Prayer by Jan Sutch Pickard in “Lent & Easter Readings from IONA” pg 81)

Canon Mark Long

Lent 2010

Good Friday

The Suffering Servant (Isaiah 52:13-53:12)

“See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted” (Isaiah 52:13 TNIV).

The above verse from Isaiah is in many senses “Glorious”. Who would not want to be wise, to be acknowledged and exalted by others? Many of us long for this kind of recognition. However, as we read on into Isaiah 53 we understand fast that there is another meaning, another sort of “lifting up” meant here. Jesus’ wisdom has led him, on a civil level, into conflict with the Jewish authorities of his day, and on a spiritual level into conflict with all that stands against goodness and holiness. At our Baptism we reject spiritual, material and personal evil – it is evil in this multiple form that raises Jesus up, lifts him high on the cross of pain, suffering and death.

For the disciples there is a hopelessness to this picture, and last night they have run, fearing for their lives, their hopes and dreams battered and almost broken. As some creep back today, join the crowd at Pilate’s Palace, quietly follow at a distance as Jesus, with help, carries a part of the cross to Golgotha, and watch Jesus – already scourged – nailed painfully to the cross and “lifted up”, their hopes and dreams are shattered. Where is the goodness of Good Friday in this image?

Today we journey with Jesus through his final suffering, through the political expedience of his trial and condemnation. We experience – together with his mother Mary, some of the women who followed him, and John – the pain of watching him suffer the final agony of suffocation. As he breathes his last and dies, we are crushed and overcome with grief: for his death and for our broken dreams. But we are also struck, as we reflect, that he held no bitterness, no need for revenge; that he thought of others, of his mother whom he gave into John’s care, of his executioners and asked the Father to forgive them. This is different. What have we seen? What have we experienced? What does it mean for our lives?

God who knows my frailties, forgive my self-doubt and uncertainty when I am content from a distance to watch others’ pain. God who calls my name, even when I am reluctant, forgive my resistance and my fear of being overwhelmed by the task you compel me to take on. God who offers me the cross, a burden too great for me to carry, help me be a willing participant on a journey I can neither understand nor change. God who believes in me, help me to go on believing that you take the little I have offered and use it to make a difference. God who knows me and calls me, who burdens me and believes in me, help me to hear your voice of thanks, and be ready to serve again. Amen

(Prayer by Tom Gordon in “Lent & Easter Readings from IONA” pg 93)

Canon Mark Long

Lent 2010

Holy Saturday

The Easter Proclamation (An Anglican Prayer Book 1989 pg 204-206)

“Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing, choirs of angels! Exult, all creation around God’s throne! Jesus Christ, our King, is risen! Sound the trumpet of salvation!” (APB pg 205)

Holy Saturday is a day of waiting and preparation. Traditionally, our worship space is cleaned and scrubbed, flowers are arranged, the altar is draped in glorious gold, new candles are brought out and an Easter Fire is prepared. We are waiting and preparing for resurrection. Sometime between sunset tonight and sunrise tomorrow this great event will take place, and we will be called to rejoice, sing, and exalt.

At the time of Jesus death, Holy Saturday was a day of grief and loss and separation, and Easter Sunday a day of chaos and uncertainty, all focused around the Sabbath: a day that calls for rest, for recreation, for reflection. And so today is an opportunity in the midst of our preparations to reflect. How has this Lent been for you? What have you experienced? How have you grown? What have you heard God saying? What is God calling you to? What dreams have been crushed? What hopes have been renewed?

Do you see Jesus differently now that you have walked this journey? Do you see yourself differently; the people around you differently? And if so, why? And if not, why? What resurrection in the breadth of your life and your relationships will you celebrate tomorrow?

Yesterday, our hopes and dreams were shattered; tomorrow they will be renewed!  Let us rest today, and prepare …

God of all creation – who cannot be contained by our boundaries or our definitions – light from beyond galaxies, sea without a farther shore; you are present in every distinct place, in every moment in history. You are here and now. Help us to understand that those from whom we are separated in life by distance, by sea and land; those from whom we are separated by difference, by prejudice, by language, by lack of communication; and those from whom we are separated in death. By its long silence, its aching absence – are each of them in your presence; that beyond our horizons, beyond our boundaries, beyond our understanding, they are in your embrace. Amen.

(Prayer by Jan Sutch Pickard in “Lent & Easter Readings from IONA” pg 104)

Canon Mark Long

Lent 2010

A Lent Course

of the Diocese of Pretoria

Anglican Church of Southern Africa

Equipping and Strengthening Families

Turning Houses into Homes

When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, "Woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. – John 19:26 TNIV

Prepared by the Rev'd Canon Mark R D Long

February 2010

based on the Bishop's Charge, Synod 2008, Diocese of Pretoria

and on ideas presented at a workshop on Family Life in the

Archdeaconries of Hennop's River and Tshwane-Bokone

Week One – Introduction

Opening Prayer:

Introductions:

Read:    "Life is no longer about family values but money and material gains. All what we do is more about self. We have adopted the "Western" attitude and culture of individualism and materialism. It is my wish that we change this mind set and think broadly about family – its importance and value. … In the context of African tradition and culture, family is the whole community where each person is not only responsible for his/her family but [for] any other member of the community [as well]. Adults are parents of every child whose upbringing is everyone's responsibility." – Bishop Jo Seoka: The Bishop's Charge, Synod 2008, Diocese of Pretoria.


Discussion:

1. In "Buzz Groups" of two's or three's share your response to the above statement.
   
2. In the large group share one thought out of each "Buzz Group".
   
3. Try and sum up the group discussion in one sentence.
   

Scripture:

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind' (Deut 6:5). This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbour as yourself' (Lev 19:18). All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." – Matthew 22:36-40 TNIV


This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. – 1 John 4:10-12 TNIV

Discussion:

1. 1 John 4:16 says: God is love. What is "Love" in the context of the above two Scripture quotes? Try and provide a working definition.
   
2. Compare your working definition to what the media, especially movies and "TV Soapies", represents love as. Do you see a difference?
   
3. The reading from 1 John, above, refers to sacrifice. What does "sacrifice" mean to you?
   
4. The reading from Matthew defines relationship as focused love, on God and others. How does love impact your relationship with God, with family, with others? Share specific examples.
   
5. Where do you experience love? And where do you share love?
   

Closing Prayer:

Week Two – The Blessing of Family

Opening Prayer:

Sharing:

Read:    "Family time of prayer is today a rare commodity. In fact there is hardly time and space for family togetherness. Very few of us spend quality time with each other as family, eat together, share memories and plan for the future. We have become such busy bees that family values have gone out of the window leaving our children confused and spiritually empty" – Bishop Jo Seoka: The Bishop's Charge, Synod 2008, Diocese of Pretoria.

Discussion:

1. What "Blessings" have you experienced personally by being a part of your family?
2. Do you agree/disagree with the above quote? Why?
3. Transformation is never instantaneous: what one "Blessing" is missing from your experience that you can make a priority to build in? Share this with the group.
4. Bishop Jo speaks above of our children being left "confused and spiritually empty" – this is one of the "Woes" of family life today. How can the Church family help us in this regard?

Scripture:

"Look," said Naomi, "your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her." But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me." When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her. – Ruth 1:15-18 TNIV

Discussion:

1. Remembering that Naomi's husband and two sons have died (Ruth is Naomi's daughter-in-law), what "Family" does Ruth commit herself to?
2. Why is Ruth so determined to stay with Naomi? What "Blessings" do you think Ruth was expecting?
3. Naomi tries hard to send Ruth back to her own family of origin. Reflect on the emotions Naomi must have experienced at Ruth's refusal.
4. Do you think Naomi felt affirmed by Ruth's response? Why, or why not?
5. Who in your family circle needs to be affirmed? Plan to write them a note this week to thank them for being a 'Blessing" to you.

Closing Prayer:

Week Three – Belonging to Family

Opening Prayer:

Sharing:

Read:    "Individuals are held within the life of a family from birth to death. Anglicans affirm the place and goal of family life for all, in terms of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. Families are part of the family of God as well as part of a larger community" – Lambeth Conference 2008.

"The gospel is all about inclusion, otherwise Jesus would not have asked his followers, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" Here we learn about a new kind of family … Jesus turned the family structure into the wider community – connecting the family unit into a network of relations. … It is such relationships that will build the Church instituted by Christ to which all of God's people belong. Families are a given and are not something one chooses, … Each person belongs and is connected to the family … we are part of family at all times and in all places of our lives" – Bishop Jo Seoka: The Bishop's Charge, Synod 2008, Diocese of Pretoria.

Discussion:

1. What does it mean to belong? What does it mean to be family?
   
2. What is it that draws you to the Anglican Church? What is it about this community that helps you feel you belong? Do you feel excluded in any way? Why?
   
3. In today's world how can our families be more meaningfully part of the "larger community"? Who/what is our "wider community"?
   

Scripture:

So God created human beings in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. – Genesis 1:27 TNIV


Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family, and do not go to your relative's house when disaster strikes you—better a neighbour nearby than a relative far away. – Proverbs 27:10 TNIV

Discussion:

1. What does it mean to be "created in God's image"?
   
2. How do you respond to the fact that you are made in God's image? And that so are others?
   
3. How do you celebrate this "image of God" in your family life?
   
4. Are you able to ask others (family, friends, and colleagues) for help? Share a situation where you did, and why the other person or group's response was helpful/unhelpful?
   
5. Which relationships in your life need to be strengthened to help you feel more included?
   

Closing Prayer:

Week Four – Believing in Family

Opening Prayer:

Sharing:

Read:     "I am … putting a challenge before you to seek God's guidance … as to how we can be involved in 'Equipping and Strengthening Families: Turning Houses into Homes'. … we can make a profound contribution as a faith community in rebuilding and transforming family life and responsible citizenship. … Our homes must be turned to worship spaces, meals into Eucharistic experiences and conversation to means of bonding and renewal of family love and nurturing" – Bishop Jo Seoka: The Bishop's Charge, Synod 2008, Diocese of Pretoria.

Discussion:

1. Describe your picture of a "Home". What makes it different from a "House"?
   
2. Belief has to do with principles, those things we believe to be true. What principles are important for family life?
   
3. A house is a place without principle or relationship. How can we implement these principles to help our own houses become homes?
   
4. Choose a principle that you believe is missing from your family life: share how you plan to implement it? Who will you need to negotiate with? What will you need to change?
   

Scripture:

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, "Woman, [The Greek for Woman does not denote any disrespect] here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. – John 19:25-27 TNIV

Discussion:

1. Share your response to the above reading from the Gospel of John.
   
2. What does Jesus believe about family? Why?
   
3. Share what you value about your own family and experience of family life.
   
4. How do we share this with others? Our own family? Fellow Church members? Society?
   

Closing Prayer:

Week Five – Family Behaviour

Opening Prayer:

Sharing:

Read:     "The need today is much more than ever 'for families to have a rule of life that focuses the family on the centrality of Jesus Christ, with respect for each other as children, the brothers and sisters of Jesus' (Bishop's Charge 2005, pg 5)" – Bishop Jo Seoka: The Bishop's Charge, Synod 2008, Diocese of Pretoria.

Discussion:

1. A "Rule of Life" is a covenant that guides the behaviour of a community, and helps individuals know how to behave in relationship to others in the community. It is more than a set of rules; it is a way of living. What two principles (above) are key to a rule for Family Life?
   
2. Are these two principles evident in your family? If so, how do they impact on the behaviour of family members?
   
3. "What would Jesus do?" Is this a question your family asks? If not, how do you think it would change family and individual behaviour if you begin asking it?
   
4. We are all created in God's image: how does this (or could this) impact on family behaviour?

Scripture:

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 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. – Ephesians 3:14-21 TNIV

Discussion:

1. Paul (above) shares the principles he believes should be core to family and community relationships in this wonderful prayer for the Ephesians. Share your response.
   
2. Often we wait for others before we are willing to transform our own behaviour. Commit yourself to a specific positive behaviour change in your family life that you will implement and continue to live out even if no-one else in the family responds. If you have the courage, share this with the group.
   
3. Share what has been valuable to you over the last five weeks in this course.

Closing Prayer:     Pray Paul's prayer for the Ephesians (above) together for your own family, for your local Church family, and for your community.

six characteristics of christ

I came across the following in a web blog by Jeff Elkins, and thought it may be a useful personal or group statement of purpose for those seeking to take Christ to the world, as we seek ways to move away from expecting the world to come to Christ (a default response most institutionalised Christians have).

“We will share Jesus with others by loving God and loving people through lives defined by…

Humility – understanding our need for God, we will be defined by our transparent, sincere brokenness.

Forgiveness – with an attitude of brokenness, considering others to be better than ourselves, we will seek to offer forgiveness, restoring others to right relationship with God and one another.

Service – longing to see people restored, we will love them with reckless and messy abandon.

Worship – as we encounter God through loving others, we will proclaim Jesus as Lord with uninhibited authenticity.

Wonder – in reverent stillness we will appreciate God’s glory without fear.

Surrender – knowing that Jesus is God and we are not, we will daily humble ourselves, deny our selfish ambition, and seek the Spirit’s guidance.”

…and then we ask each other where we have succeeded and where we have failed.

a call to anglican priesthood

an exploration of "The Charge to Priests"

An Anglican Prayer Book 1989, page 587-588

by Canon Mark R D Long, Diocese of Pretoria, Anglican Church of Southern Africa

Introduction

Invited to preach by my friend and colleague at the 20^th Anniversary Eucharist of his ordination to the Priesthood I returned to the Scripture readings and "The Charge to Priests" (The Charge) found in An Anglican Prayer Book 1989's Ordination Service. Ordained to the Priesthood myself 20 years ago on 12 November 1989 alongside my friend, the sermon became a reflection on my own ministry and journey. The following reflects the direction of my sermon but is also a journey in itself.

In re-reading "The Charge to Priests" I was amazed on what a wonderful discourse it is on ministry, not only for clergy but for laity as well, and how focused it is on Jesus.

I found the themes of The Charge highlighted in the readings: Micah 2:5-7, Psalm 145:1-7, 2 Corinthians 5:14-19, and John 20:19-23. It may be worth referring to these and "The Charge to Priests" before you journey further.

Called through Baptism

The Charge begins by reminding all listening that the Priest will always remain a part of the Body of Christ, of the community of all believers; and that all believers – members of God's Church – have a wonderful call. This call, like the Trinity, is three-fold:

1. to witness to Jesus Christ as Lord of life;
   
2. to proclaim Jesus to the world; and
   
3. to walk in the footsteps of Christ.
   

If we link these three statements above to the Trinity then we discover, excitingly, that "to witness to Jesus as Lord of life" is to be involved as God's people in the creative work of God; "to proclaim Jesus to the world" is to be involved in the redeeming work of God; "to walk in the footsteps of Christ" is to be involved in the sustaining work of God. The call to witness and proclaim is in the broadest terms: to life and to the world. And we are called to do this primarily through example and action.

Both life and the world are our play-ground: we are called as God's people to a holistic embrace of all aspects and areas of life; there is no area we should not be. And we are not called to talk, we are called to act: "Go into all the world and proclaim the Good News, and if necessary use words" (attributed to St Francis of Assisi).

Made Deacon

The call to be made Deacon is one to which the Priest has already responded, and the Diaconate will always define the foundation on which the call to Priesthood is received. This is a call to service. The Charge reminds us that there are two aspects to this call:

1. to be a servant of God; and
   
2. to be a servant to God's people.
   

"The Charge to Deacons" (An Anglican Prayer Book 1989, page 583) gives greater clarity to these two statements: it is a special ministry of "humble service" and a call to serve "all people". The Diaconate finds its focus in seeking out the poor, the weak, the sick and the lonely, and thereby demonstrates that in serving those in need we serve Christ himself. The ministry of the Diaconate is for the Deacon to be immersed in the world to such an extent that the Deacon is able to interpret to the Church the needs, concerns, and hopes of the world.

While acknowledging the above, "The Charge to Priests" subtly redefines the role of service for the Priest: it is no longer to "all people" but to "God's people". It may be argued that in terms of all humanity carrying the "image of God" these two phrases are synonymous. However, "The Charge to Priests" is attempting here to give some definition to the two roles, that of Deacon and that of Priest. The Deacon now to be ordained Priest will have other priorities, primarily that of making disciples. Service for the Priest will find its purpose in nurturing God's people as disciples, equipping them to witness to Jesus Christ as Lord of life, to proclaim Jesus to the world, and to walk in the footsteps of Christ.

Ordained Priest

"The Charge to Priests" focuses, for obvious reasons, on what it is to be called to ordination to the Priesthood. The calling to the Priesthood has many aspects, but is directed by the threefold description of the Anglican Priest as

1. priest,
   
2. pastor, and
   
3. teacher.
   

If we apply the image of the Trinity, then the "priest" is the creative role, the "pastor" the redemptive role, and "teacher" the sustaining role. Thus Priesthood in the Anglican context is not just about being "priest" – it is far more inclusive, holistic and abundant. Core to Anglican Christianity is balance, finding the via media, the middle way. The challenge for the Anglican Priest is to find the balance in being priest, pastor and teacher. It is a broad and challenging ministry to which we are called. Trinitarian imagery also gives focus to the different roles: to be priest is to build, to be pastor is to heal, to be teacher is to nourish.

The ministry of the Priest as "priest, pastor and teacher" is described as a lifetime of ministry in the following of Christ, sustained through an ever deepening practise of prayer, and enriched by daily reading and study of Scripture. The Priesthood requires a living relationship with Christ, and this relationship is nurtured in prayer and in immersion in Scripture. Prayer and study impel us into action: our relationship with Christ is the driving force of ministry.

The primary focus of the Priesthood, while directed by the roles of priest, pastor and teacher, is on making disciples. The Charge addresses the "How?" of making disciples with thirteen action words: bring, lead, proclaim, preside, intercede, help, share, rebuke, pronounce, care, bring back, guide, prepare. The detail describing these actions can be found by reading The Charge, but suffice it to say, the making of disciples begins with bringing people into relationship with Christ and ends with preparing them to embrace death and the fullness of eternal life. In addressing the "Why?" of making disciples The Charge states that the purpose is "that they may be saved through Christ for ever. " Anglican Priesthood is focused in the present, but embraces the eternal.

Conclusion

The Charge ends with the observation to the Priest that "This ministry will be your great joy and privilege", that it is a "weighty responsibility" that should not be undertaken lightly nor without a clear call from God; and that those whom God calls God will also strengthen. The weight of responsibility can be overwhelming, self-doubt can be destabilising, the expectation of others disheartening. But we have chosen obedience to the call of God, we are volunteers, there is no contract, just a license from the Diocesan Bishop empowering us to serve. We acknowledge this privilege, and we take joy from the fact that we minister not out of compulsion, but voluntarily in obedient response to God's call and in relationship with Anglican Church structures.

And on occasion we are paid.

9 December 2009

Mark R D Long

and when i stamped my feet

And when I stamped my feet on the grave

The thumping soon became a dance

And I felt both the sadness and the joy

Well up in my heart

And I knew then

That life and death

Are so close

And in that space

Sacredness arises

And the tears that ran down my face

Released me to the great mystery of it all.

Anonymous

transformation

Transformation: one definition is "qualitative change" – I like this. This definition moves us on from numbers to value. Our consumerist orientated society discounts value, and is in conflict with our faith which discounts a quantitative approach to life.

wisdom

I came across this wonderful list of words describing Wisdom (The Wisdom of Solomon 7:22-23 NRSV):


The Nature of Wisdom

There is in her a spirit that is intelligent, holy,

unique, manifold, subtle,

mobile, clear, unpolluted,

distinct, invulnerable, loving the good, keen,

irresistible, beneficent, humane,

steadfast, sure, free from anxiety,

all-powerful, overseeing all,

and penetrating through all spirits

that are intelligent, pure, and altogether subtle.

remembrance sunday - lest we forget

I found this wonderful poem which I used as the focus for our Remembrance at Church this morning:

Lest We Forget

What do we forget when we remember
What are the stories left untold
What do we think each November
As we march down that glory road
As we march down that gory road

One hundred million
Don’t come home from war
Another eight hundred million
Who lived to bear its scar
Who lived to bear its scar

Lest we forget
What they were dying for
Lest we forget
What they were killing for
Lest we forget
What the hell it was for

What do we forget when we remember…

Owen Griffiths

neglect

Realised I have been rather ignoring my blog page. Somehow life gets full, and with recording my sermons these days, I reflect in writing less. I have new energy having come across http://ow.ly/15ZKzM where Chris Brogan says:

The secret to blogging every day is a blend of three things: discipline, practice, and ideas.

racism, classism & tribalism

The following is a letter I wrote to the Pretoria News (published 5 June 2009) in response to an article titled "It is the church's duty to preach racial harmony" by Rich Mkhondo (published on 1 June 2009) in the Comment section. The Pretoria News titled my response "Roots of racism lie in SA's colonial history":

I read with interest Rich Mkhondo's opinion (Comment 1 June 2009) on the church's duty to preach racial harmony. There can be no doubt that racism remains a key issue in our society: its roots lie in our colonial history, and can be traced back to attitudes in Europe well before van Reebeck ever set foot in the Cape. It is also true that the church is often, sadly, no more than a microcosm of wider society. However, as Mkhondo points out, the church has both the responsibility and the resources to engender new attitudes and more whole relationships.

I am aware that I write as a so-called "White" South African, and so struggle to fully comprehend the level of pain inflicted on so many fellow South Africans during the apartheid era. As part of my training as an Anglican Priest I was immersed in the township life of GaRankuwa in the mid 1980's, and was substantially conscientised to the realities of southern Africa and the devastating impact of racial discrimination as experienced by those who suffered under it. I realised, too, how I - as an oppressor by default of my heritage - was damaged as a person.

In our new democratic dispensation the word "racism" tends to be used to cover a broad perspective of negative and hurtful attitudes. For many so-called "Whites" racism is very specifically aligned to apartheid, and when the declaration is made "I am not a racist" it is often perceived by fellow South Africans to be a somewhat hypocritical statement, when in reality it is a heartfelt cry that rejects apartheid and embraces the new South Africa. What many of us so-called "Whites" struggle with is often classist attitudes - that during apartheid strongly underlay racial ones - and it is often (agreed, not always!) this classism that fellow South Africans experience as racism in today's society.

As the Anglican Church in Pretoria we have raised the issue of racism, together with classism and tribalism, as ones that must be addressed in all our communities. Key to the process is building relationships, creating awareness of different cultural perspectives, and creating a broader and more inclusive ownership of church life and worship.

MARK R D LONG, Garsfontein

an advent/Christmas journey

Advent this last year came alive for me in my sermon preparation: a sense of expectation, a call to prepare, an opportunity to seek God's direction and then to accept God's call and purpose for our lives. Christmas is a culmination of this Advent journey requiring us to become accountable as human beings made in God's image, to take up God's purpose for us - as expressed in Genesis 1 - to work alongside him in creating order out of darkness and chaos, and to continually embrace our role in helping constrain chaos in our lives and communities.

rennie D

3 January 2009

redefining church/Church

Phyllis Tickle, on the Emergent Village Weblog has opened a discussion on the nature of church/Church, which may be worth a visit. Joan Chittister, in her wonderful book In Search of Belief says: "... we have to forget one kind of church and recommit ourselves to the creation of the other one, the one created by the Holy Spirit, rather than the one created by centuries of political accretions and clerical control." My personal sense is that we need to acknowledge that there will always be church in terms of the Christian human collective expressing faith in word and action. The key, I suspect, is for the Christian human collective to maintain our relationship with God in such a vital and abundant manner that Church, the creation of the Spirit, continually informs and transforms church.

rennie D
3 January 2009

being church

For some brief comments on this topic - quoting Archbishop Rowan Williams - please see my article at http://therectorsdesk.blogspot.com/2008/07/august-2008.html . I think it is instructive!

Rennie D
1 August 2008

a god of possibility

My sermon for the 17th Sunday of "Year A" is availalbe on OVI. I focus on God's name (Exodus 3) being a name of possibility and mystery, an invitation to a journey of continuing discovery and action.

Rennie D
28 July 2008

a benedictine approach to sunday

Joan Chittister, in her daily commentary on the rule of Benedict, shares the following thoughts on the importance of Sunday and Sunday Worship in the life of the Christian community:

It is a day full of tradition and rhythm and rememberings of the simple but important concepts of existence. It is a return to basic truths that are never to be sacrificed for variety and always reinforced through repetition [The Rule of Benedict - insight for the ages; pg 80].

Joan makes these comments in the light of Western culture where "The idea of sabbaths that are fixed and solemn is for most part gone ..." replaced by "... Sundays ... spent in hectic activity designed to make us relax by drowning out the pressures of the rest of the week with the inane uselessness of the weekends" [ibid.]. She compares this with the Benedictine spirituality, where:

... the sabbath is the moment for returning to the surety and solemnity of life, for setting our sights above the daily, for restating the basics, for giving meaning to the rest of the week so that the mundane and the immediate do not become the level of our existence [ibid.].

Rennie D
25 June 2008

identity

My sermon for Corpus Christi is now available online at OVI. This sermon begins an exploration on identity, taking into account our Modern heritage and the impact of Postmodernism on our lives and faith, specifically the "Us/Them" dichotomy of Modernism and the implications of a Postmodern approach to faith.

Rennie D
31 May 2008

transformation, identity & xenophobia

You will find my thoughts on the relationship between transformation, identity & xenophobia at The Rector's Desk. Have a look!

Rennie D
27 May 2008

fullness of life

Unconditional love, fullness of life: what impossible concepts! According to the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures only Jesus gets this right ... it's a characteristic of the Divine. But it is something that humanity is called to live out, to express in our relationships, to transform our lives. I reflect on this in today's sermon.

Rennie D
13 April 2008

encounter with Christ

My sermon for today is available. I have focused on the nature of encounter in the post-Resurrection experience of early Christians, and the means it becomes for transforming our daily lives and our very selves into activists for the Gospel.

Rennie D
6 April 2008

palm sunday

My sermon for Palm Sunday is available at http://www.twango.com/media/markrdlong.sermons/markrdlong.10096. Other recent sermons are available at http://www.twango.com/channel/markrdlong.sermons. Today's sermon focuses on Jesus response to his accusers (in Matthew): "They are your words". I focus on the role Scripture plays in Matthew in terms of this response, and the call that it is to us as Anglicans to immerse ourselves in Scripture beyond our times of formal worship.

Rennie D
16 March 2008

the creed for a new age

For some time I have searched for a revised version of the Creed that makes sense in the 21st centuary world in which I live. Joan Chittister, in her book In Search of Belief published by Liguori/Triumph (1999; pg 205-209), provides such a Creedal statement. In her book she explores the Apostles' Creed, and expands it in such a way that, in her words, "life speaks to the heart with new timbre for a new age" (pg 205):

I believe in one God
who made us all
and whose divinity infuses all of life
with the sacred.

I believe in the multiple revelations
of that God
alive in every human heart,
expressed in every human culture,
and found in all the wisdoms
of the world.

I believe
that Jesus Christ,
the unique son of God,
is the face of God
on earth
in whom we see best
the divine justice,
divine mercy,
and divine compassion
to which we are all called.

I believe in the Christ
who is One in being with the Creator
and who shows us the presence of God
in everything that is
and calls out the sacred in ourselves.

I believe in Jesus, the Christ
who leads us to the fullness
of human stature,
to what we were meant to become
before all time
and for all other things that were made.

Through Christ
we become new people,
called beyond the consequences
of our brokenness
and lifted to the fullness of life.

By the power of the Holy Spirit
he was born of the woman Mary,
pure in soul
and single-hearted –
a sign to the ages
of the exalted place
of womankind
in the divine plan
of human salvation.

He grew as we grow
through all the stages of life.
He lived as we live
prey to the pressures of evil
and intent on the good.
He broke no bonds with the world
to which he was bound,
He sinned not.
He never strayed from the mind of God.
He showed us the Way,
lived it for us
suffered from it,
and died because of it
so that we might live
with new heart,
new mind,
and new strength
despite all death
to which we are daily subjected.

For our sake
and for the sake of eternal Truth
he was hounded
harassed
and executed
by those
who were their own gods
and who valued the sacred
in no other.

He suffered so that we might realise
that the spirit in us
can never be killed
whatever price we have to pay
for staying true to the mind of God.

He died
but did not die
because he lives in us
still.

“On the third day” in the tomb
he rose again
in those he left behind
and in each of us as well
to live in hearts
that will not succumb
to the enemies of life.

He changed all life
for all of us thereafter.
he ascended into the life of God
and waits there
for our own ascension
to the life beyond.

He waits there,
judging what has gone before
and what is yet to come
against unending values
and, in behalf of eternal virtue,
for the time when all of life
will be gathered into God,
full of life and light,
steeped in truth.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the breath of God
on earth,
who keeps the Christ vision present
to souls yet in darkness,
gives life
even to hearts now blind.
Infuses energy
into spirits yet weary, isolated,
searching and confused.

The spirit has spoken
to the human heart
through the prophets
and gives new meaning
to the Word
throughout time.

I believe in one
holy and universal church.
Bound together by the holiness of creation
and the holiness of hearts forever true.

I acknowledge the need
to be freed from the compulsions
of my disordered life
and my need for forgiveness
in face of frailty.

I look for life eternal
in ways I cannot dream
and trust
that creation goes on creating
in this world
and in us
forever.

Amen.

Rennie D
6 March 2008

annual report

I haven't blogged for sometime - Christmas Holidays and all! My Annual Report to our Parish Vestry, presented this morning in the sermon slot at both services is available: the script at http://therectorsdesk.blogspot.com/2008/01/rectors-report-to-annual-vestry-2008.html
and an audio file at http://www.twango.com/media/markrdlong.sermons/markrdlong.10090. It created some emotionally charged discussion at the meeting around the issue of the eurocentric focus of our worship. "Inclusive" and "Flexible" are clearly in the area of VERY UNCOMFORTABLE when used in this context of a growingly diverse cultural congregation!!

Rennie D
27 January 2008

recent rantings

My sermon for Christ the King is available at http://www.twango.com/media/markrdlong.sermons/markrdlong.10087. A sermon preached at a Memorial for a young man of 19, Olly Tucker, who died of HCM (hypertrophic cardio myopathy) is availalble at http://www.twango.com/media/markrdlong.other/markrdlong.10088.

Rennie D
29 November 2007

a new language for a new era

In my latest article for our parish magazine I have commented on the need for a new language, a new way of communicating the Gospel, that makes sense in our 21st century world. This can be found at http://therectorsdesk.blogspot.com/2007/11/december-2007.html.

Rennie D
29 November 2007

towards defining a postmodern faith

I continue my theme from All Saints in today's sermon, which you can find at http://www.twango.com/media/markrdlong.sermons/markrdlong.10086. In it I reflect on the need to redefine the Christian Faith from a 21st Century worldview if Christianity is going to survive. Quite how one does this will probably be the debate of the century, and cannot be defined overnight or even "overdecade". But it needs to happen.

Rennie D
11 November 2007

towards a postmodern faith

We celebrated All Saints this last Sunday. I used the reading from Jeremiah 31:31-34 as my central theme, that we are called by God to an adult faith and relationship. This is increasingly critical in a postmodern environment where God viewed through the primitive cultural lens of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures often leaves us doubtful of a deeper spiritual reality in an environment where scientific, medical, sociological and psychological perspectives give seemingly more reasonable explanations. This sermon is available at http://www.twango.com/media/markrdlong.sermons/markrdlong.10085

Rennie D
6 November 2007

leadership and justice

I focused in today's sermon on leadership, issues of justice, gifting, perseverance and ministry. I do this within the context of our parish election of leadership for 2008, and focus on the nature of leadership being primarily a communal responsibility. An audio copy is available at http://www.twango.com/media/markrdlong.sermons/markrdlong.10084.

Rennie D
21 October 2007

recent sermons

Due to a malfunctioning PDA I have recorded few sermons during September and early October. I didn't preach today as my wife, Dawn, returned from an international adventure. Two recent sermons are available at http://www.twango.com/media/markrdlong.sermons/markrdlong.10082 (audio) and http://www.twango.com/media/markrdlong.sermons/markrdlong.10083 (Mind Map). Double click on the image for an enlarged version.

Rennie D
14 October 2007

mountain of god

My sermon for this last Sunday is available at http://www.twango.com/media/markrdlong.sermons/markrdlong.10081

Rennie D
27 August 2007

faith

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1). My sermon for today is based around this theme.

Rennie D
12 August 2007

what do you require of god?

I haven't uploaded sermons for sometime - largely because I have been on leave and so haven't preached many! My sermon for last week and today are now available. Last week I focused on the question, "What do we require of God?" and this week on "How do we respond to God's response?" Essentially, we are largely aware of what God requires of us, at least in general terms - the Scriptures paint God's requirements in broad strokes. However, what are our expectations of God, and can we dare to think in such terms? When God responds to our expectations, our requirements, do we recognise his response, and how do we react? Click on the highlighted words above and they will direct you to the related sermon.

Rennie D
29 July 2007

port & poetry

It's time once again for Port and Poetry @ Rivermeade. Last year's theme was "Rugby", this year's is "Cricket"... but this is South Africa (Southern Hemisphere) and time for everything other than Cricket. Cricket in July? Perhaps in the cold reaches of the Great North? I have reflected on this theme:

Poetry and Port

an engagement of friends
sharing words head-scratched
borrowed and acknowledged
funny serious rude and prude
laughter Port-enhanced and real
a theme both comical and surreal

Cricket – in July!? when Tennis, Rugby
even Cycling does entrance
with Venus on the rise
and Hunter on the stage
Super XIV won and Tri-Nations lost
a World engagement immanent
our theme: Cricket – in July!?

Yes, Cricket! that game
of gentlemen and rogues
one team in and one team out
eleven men in until they’re out
a ball a bat an umpire or two
bowling batting fielding catching
Yes, Cricket! that mark of Empire!
our theme – in July!

In "researching" this poem I came across the following explanation of the game, one I saw years ago:

The Clear & Understandable Rules of Cricket

You have two sides, one out in the field and one in. Each man that's in the side that's in goes out, and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out. When they are all out, the side that's out comes in and the side that's been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out. Sometimes you get men still in and not out. When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in. There are two men called umpires who stay out all the time and they decide when the men who are in are out. When both sides have been in and all the men have been given out, and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game!

Rennie D
21 July 2007