Second Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 11:1 - 10
A shoot springs from the stock of Jesse,
a scion thrusts from his roots:
on him the spirit of the Lord rests,
a spirit of wisdom and insight,
a spirit of counsel and power,
a spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
(The fear of the Lord is his breath.)
He does not judge by appearances,
he gives no verdict on hearsay,
but judges the wretched with integrity,
and with equity gives a verdict for the poor of the land.
His word is a rod that strikes the ruthless,
his sentences bring death to the wicked.

Integrity is the loincloth round his waist,
faithfulness the belt about his hips.

The wolf lives with the lamb,
the panther lies down with the kid,
calf and lion feed together,
with a little boy to lead them.
The cow and the bear make friends,
their young lie down together.
The lion eats straw like the ox.
The infant plays over the cobra’s hole;
into the viper’s lair
the young child puts his hand.
They do no hurt, no harm,
on all my holy mountain,
for the country is filled with the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters swell the sea.

That day, the root of Jesse
shall stand as a signal to the peoples.
It will be sought out by the nations
and its home will be glorious.

Psalm 71:1-2,7-8,12-13,17
O God, give your judgement to the king,
to a king's son your justice,
that he may judge your people in justice
and your poor in right judgement.

In his days justice shall flourish
and peace till the moon fails.
He shall rule from sea to sea,
from the Great River to earth's bounds.

For he shall save the poor when they cry
and the needy who are helpless.
He will have pity on the weak
and save the lives of the poor.

May his name be blessed for ever
and endure like the sun.
Every tribe shall be blessed in him,
all nations bless his name.

Romans 15:4 - 9
And indeed everything that was written long ago in the scriptures was meant to teach us something about hope from the examples scripture gives of how people who did not give up were helped by God. And may he who helps us when we refuse to give up, help you all to be tolerant with each other, following the example of Christ Jesus, so that united in mind and voice you may give glory to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It can only be to God’s glory, then, for you to treat each other in the same friendly way as Christ treated you. The reason Christ became the servant of circumcised Jews was not only so that God could faithfully carry out the promises made to the patriarchs, it was also to get the pagans to give glory to God for his mercy, as scripture says in one place: For this I shall praise you among the pagans and sing to your name.

Matthew 3:1 - 12
In due course John the Baptist appeared; he preached in the wilderness of Judaea and this was his message: ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand’. This was the man the prophet Isaiah spoke of when he said:
A voice cries in the wilderness:
Prepare a way for the Lord,
make his paths straight.
This man John wore a garment made of camel-hair with a leather belt round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judaea and the whole Jordan district made their way to him, and as they were baptised by him in the river Jordan they confessed their sins. But when he saw a number of Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism he said to them, ‘Brood of vipers, who warned you to fly from the retribution that is coming? But if you are repentant, produce the appropriate fruit, and do not presume to tell yourselves, “We have Abraham for our father”, because, I tell you, God can raise children for Abraham from these stones. Even now the axe is laid to the roots of the trees, so that any tree which fails to produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown on the fire. I baptise you in water for repentance, but the one who follows me is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to carry his sandals; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fan is in his hand; he will clear his threshing-floor and gather his wheat into the barn; but the chaff he will burn in a fire that will never go out.’

This week we continue with the theme begun last Sunday.

We have another excerpt from Isaiah describing the future. Here he speaks about a 'shoot from the stock of Jesse'. The rest of the reading clearly describes this new world to come, but the Jesse part probably needs some explanation. Jesse was the father of King David. The stock refers to the state of the family line that survives the exile. The shoot refers to the messiah: Jesus.

The psalm sings about the kingdom of God being just and kind to those in need.

The gospel now takes us back to before Jesus began his ministry. It gives us another way of looking forward to his coming at Christmas. Here we have John the Baptist telling everyone that Jesus is nearly here. Not only that, but he gets really quite tough with the Pharisees and Sadducees, calling them a 'brood of vipers'.

• What do you make of Isaiah's description?
• What does John mean about the children of Abraham?
• What about the axe and the fruitless trees?
• And what is the winnowing, threshing and burning about?

Get the road ready for the Lord?

• Do you have relationships which need putting right?
• What about being lazy/selfish/thoughtless?
• What about criticising/grumbling?
• Are you always honest?
• Are you praying every day?

I think I need to:

First Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 2: 1-5
The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In the days to come
the mountain of the Temple of the Lord
shall tower above the mountains
and be lifted higher than the hills.
All the nations will stream to it,
peoples without number will come to it; and they will say:

‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the Temple of the God of Jacob
that he may teach us his ways
so that we may walk in his paths;
since the Law will go out from Zion,
and the oracle of the Lord from Jerusalem’.

He will wield authority over the nations
and adjudicate between many peoples;
these will hammer their swords into ploughshares,
their spears into sickles.
Nation will not lift sword against nation,
there will be no more training for war.

O House of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the Lord.

Psalm 121
I rejoiced when I heard them say:
“Let us go to God's house.”
And now our feet are standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is built as a city
strongly compact.
It is there that the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord.
For Israel's law it is,
there to praise the Lord's name.
There were set the thrones of judgement
of the house of David.
For the peace of Jerusalem pray:
“Peace be to your homes!
May peace reign in your walls,
in your palaces, peace!”
For love of my brethren and friends
I say: “Peace upon you.”
For love of the house of the Lord
I will ask for your good.

Romans 13: 11-14
Besides, you know ‘the time’ has come: you must wake up now: our salvation is even nearer than it was when we were converted. The night is almost over, it will be daylight soon – let us give up all the things we prefer to do under cover of the dark; let us arm ourselves and appear in the light. Let us live decently as people do in the daytime: no drunken orgies, no promiscuity or licentiousness, and no wrangling or jealousy. Let your armour be the Lord Jesus Christ; forget about satisfying your bodies with all their cravings.

Matthew 24: 37-44
Jesus said, ‘As it was in Noah’s day, so will it be when the Son of Man comes. For in those days before the Flood people were eating, drinking, taking wives, taking husbands, right up to the day Noah went into the ark, and they suspected nothing till the Flood came and swept all away. It will be like this when the Son of Man comes. Then of two men in the fields one is taken, one left; of two women at the millstone grinding, one is taken, one left.
‘So stay awake, because you do not know the day when your master is coming. You may be quite sure of this that if the householder had known at what time of the night the burglar would come, he would have stayed awake and would not have allowed anyone to break through the wall of his house. Therefore, you too must stand ready because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’

This is the first day of the liturgical year. It marks the start of the season of Advent. In Advent we look forward to and prepare for the coming of our saviour: Jesus.

Today all of the readings have something to tell us about this coming and how we can go about preparing for it.

Isaiah here gives us a poetic description of the kingdom of God.

The psalm sings about the ideal city of Jerusalem (not the temporal Jerusalem we hear about in the news so much these days, but the spiritual Jerusalem we sing of in William Blake's poem).

St. Paul in his letter to the church in Rome gives instructions about how best to ensure we are prepared for the coming of Jesus. Here we get only a snippet of advice and as you can guess we'll get some more in the weeks to come.

In the gospel, Jesus himself explains not what is to come but the manner of its coming. He likens it to the well-known story of Noah: nobody expected the great flood, but it came all of a sudden taking people unawares. He tells us that this is how the Son of Man (i.e. Jesus) will return.

• What kind of world is Isaiah describing?
• Is the world we live in today like it?

• What do you think about Jesus's description of the great flood?
• What about his description of his coming?

• Can you think of examples where we ignore his advice?
• in the world in general?
• in our family?

• How can we put his advice into practice?
• over the next few weeks until Christmas?
• in our church
• in our family?
• generally in our lives?

Thirty-First Sunday of the Year

Wisdom 11:22 - 12:2
In your sight the whole world is like a grain of dust that tips the scales,
like a drop of morning dew falling on the ground.
Yet you are merciful to all, because you can do all things
and overlook men’s sins so that they can repent.
Yes, you love all that exists, you hold nothing of what you have made in abhorrence,
for had you hated anything, you would not have formed it.
And how, had you not willed it, could a thing persist,
how be conserved if not called forth by you?
You spare all things because all things are yours, Lord, lover of life,
you whose imperishable spirit is in all.
Little by little, therefore, you correct those who offend,
you admonish and remind them of how they have sinned,
so that they may abstain from evil and trust in you, Lord.

Psalm 144
I will give you glóry, O Gód my Kíng,
I will bléss your náme for éver.

I will bléss you dáy after dáy
and práise your náme for éver.
The Lord is gréat, híghly to be práised,
his gréatness cánnot be méasured.

Age to áge shall procláim your wórks,
shall decláre your míghty déeds,
shall spéak of your spléndour and glóry,
tell the tále of your wónderful wórks.
They will spéak of your térrible déeds,
recóunt your gréatness and míght.
They will recáll your abúndant góodness;
age to áge shall ríng out your jústice.

The Lord is kínd and fúll of compássion,
slow to ánger, abóunding in lóve.
How góod is the Lórd to áll,
compássionate to áll his créatures.

All your créatures shall thánk you, O Lórd,
and your fríends shall repéat their bléssing.
They shall spéak of the glóry of your réign
and decláre your míght, O Gód,


to make knówn to mén your mighty déeds
and the glórious spléndour of your réign.
Yóurs is an éverlasting kíngdom;
your rúle lasts from áge to áge.

The Lord is fáithful in áll his wórds
and lóving in áll his déeds.
The Lórd suppórts all who fáll
and ráises áll who are bowed dówn.

The éyes of all créatures look to yóu
and you gíve them their fóod in due tíme.
You ópen wíde your hánd,
grant the desíres of áll who líve.

The Lord is júst in áll his wáys
and lóving in áll his déeds.
He is clóse to áll who cáll him,
who cáll on hím from their héarts.

He gránts the desíres of those who féar him,
he héars their crý and he sáves them.
The Lórd protécts all who lóve him;
but the wícked he will útterly destróy.

Let me spéak the práise of the Lórd,
let all mankínd bléss his holy náme
for éver, for áges unénding.

2 Thessalonians 1:11 - 2:2
Knowing this, we pray continually that our God will make you worthy of his call, and by his power fulfil all your desires for goodness and complete all that you have been doing through faith; because in this way the name of our Lord Jesus Christ will be glorified in you and you in him, by the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
To turn now, brothers, to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we shall all be gathered round him: please do not get excited too soon or alarmed by any prediction or rumour or any letter claiming to come from us, implying that the Day of the Lord has already arrived.

Luke 19:1 - 10
Jesus entered Jericho and was going through the town when a man whose name was Zacchaeus made his appearance; he was one of the senior tax collectors and a wealthy man. He was anxious to see what kind of man Jesus was, but he was too short and could not see him for the crowd; So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus who was to pass that way. When Jesus reached the spot he looked up and spoke to him: ‘Zacchaeus, come down. Hurry, because I must stay at your house today.’ And he hurried down and welcomed him joyfully. They all complained when they saw what was happening. ‘He has gone to stay at a sinner’s house’ they said. But Zacchaeus stood his ground and said to the Lord, ‘Look, sir, I am going to give half my property to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the amount’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek out and save what was lost’.

This week we have an extract from the book of Wisdom from a section about God being all powerful, but at the same time merciful to his creatures because he loves them. And in the gospel we have this mercy and love demonstrated in the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus. We also have the psalm singing about the same mercy and love.

• What do you know about Zacchaeus?
• What do you know about tax collectors like Zacchaeus?
• Were they like the inland revenue today?
• Was the tax used in the same way our taxes are used today?
• Why do you think Jesus decided to stay at Zacchaeus's house?
• Why do you think the other people complained?
• Who nowadays do you think might be like the 1st century tax collectors?
• How can we follow Zacchaeus's example?

Zacchaeus promises to give back four times what he cheated out of people because this is what it says in Exodus that thieves must return if they've stolen a sheep.

Twenty Sixth Sunday of the Year

Amos 6:1 - 7
Woe to those ensconced so snugly in Zion
and to those who feel so safe on the mountain of Samaria,
those famous men of this first of nations
to whom the House of Israel goes as client.
Lying on ivory beds
and sprawling on their divans,
they dine on lambs from the flock,
and stall-fattened veal;
they bawl to the sound of the harp,
they invent new instruments of music like David,
they drink wine by the bowlful,
and use the finest oil for anointing themselves,
but about the ruin of Joseph they do not care at all.
That is why they will be the first to be exiled;
the sprawlers’ revelry is over.

Psalm 145
Alleluia!
My sóul, give práise to the Lórd;
I will práise the Lórd all my dáys,
make músic to my Gód while I líve.
Pút no trúst in prínces,
In mortal mén in whóm there is no hélp.
Take their bréath, they retúrn to cláy
and their pláns that dáy come to nóthing.
He is háppy who is hélped by Jacob's Gód,
whose hópe is in the Lórd his Gód,
who alóne made héaven and éarth,
the séas and áll they cóntain.
It is hé who keeps fáith for éver,
who is júst to thóse who are oppréssed.
It is hé who gives bréad to the húngry,
the Lórd, who sets prísoners frée,
the Lórd who gives síght to the blínd,
who ráises up thóse who are bowed dówn,
the Lórd, who protécts the stránger
and uphólds the wídow and órphan.
It is the Lórd who lóves the júst
but thwárts the páth of the wícked.
The Lórd will réign for éver,
Zion's Gód, from áge to áge.
Alleluia!

1 Timothy 6:11 - 16
As a man dedicated to God, you must aim to be saintly and religious, filled with faith and love, patient and gentle. Fight the good fight of the faith and win for yourself the eternal life to which you were called when you made your profession and spoke up for the truth in front of many witnesses. Now, before God the source of all life and before Christ, who spoke up as a witness for the truth in front of Pontius Pilate, I put to you the duty of doing all that you have been told, with no faults or failures, until the Appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who at the due time will be revealed by God, the blessed and only Ruler of all, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, who alone is immortal, whose home is in inaccessible light, whom no man has seen and no man is able to see: to him be honour and everlasting power. Amen.

Luke 16:19 - 31
Jesus said to his disciples, ‘There was a rich man who used to dress in purple and fine linen and feast magnificently every day. And at his gate there lay a poor man called Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to fill himself with the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even came and licked his sores. Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.
‘In his torment in Hades he looked up and saw Abraham a long way off with Lazarus in his bosom. So he cried out, “Father Abraham, pity me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in agony in these flames”. “My son,” Abraham replied “remember that during your life good things came your way, just as bad things came the way of Lazarus. Now he is being comforted here while you are in agony. But that is not all: between us and you a great gulf has been fixed, to stop anyone, if he wanted to, crossing from our side to yours, and to stop any crossing from your side to ours.”
‘The rich man replied, “Father, I beg you then to send Lazarus to my father’s house, since I have five brothers, to give them warning so that they do not come to this place of torment too”. “They have Moses and the prophets,” said Abraham “let them listen to them.”. “Ah no, father Abraham,” said the rich man “but if someone comes to them from the dead, they will repent.” Then Abraham said to him, “If they will not listen either to Moses or to the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone should rise from the dead”.’

This week the readings are about the way we should behave towards others less fortunate than ourselves. Unlike some of the readings we've had before it's quite obvious what we're being told today!

• What do you think Amos is talking about in the first reading?
• Who is Joseph supposed to be?
• Who are the people eating and drinking, and generally living it up?
  

• What do you think of the difference between the way Lazarus and the rich man lived?
• Do you know why the rich man wears purple?
• What kind of dogs do you think Jesus is talking about?
• What do you think Luke is telling us when he only gives Lazarus a name and not the rich man?
• What does Abraham mean when he talks to the rich man?
• What do you think Abraham means when he says “If they will not listen either to Moses or to the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone should rise from the dead”?
• What is the message of this parable?

Twenty Fifth Sunday of the Year

Amos 8:4 - 7
Listen to this, you who trample on the needy
and try to suppress the poor people of the country,
you who say, ‘When will New Moon be over
so that we can sell our corn,
and Sabbath, so that we can market our wheat?
Then by lowering the bushel, raising the shekel,
by swindling and tampering with the scales,
we can buy up the poor for money,
and the needy for a pair of sandals,
and get a price even for the sweepings of the wheat.’
The Lord swears it by the pride of Jacob,
‘Never will I forget a single thing you have done’.

Psalm 112
Alleluia!
Práise, O sérvants of the Lórd,
práise the náme of the Lórd!
May the náme of the Lórd be bléssed
both nów and for évermóre!
From the rísing of the sún to its sétting
práised be the náme of the Lórd!

Hígh above all nátions is the Lórd,
abóve the héavens his glóry.
Whó is like the Lórd, our Gód,
who has rísen on hígh to his thróne
yet stóops from the héights to look dówn,
to look dówn upon héaven and éarth?

From the dúst he lífts up the lówly,
from the dúngheap he ráises the póor
to sét them in the cómpany of prínces,
yés, with the prínces of his péople.
To the chíldless wífe he gives a hóme
and gláddens her héart with chíldren.

1 Timothy 2:1 - 8
My advice is that, first of all, there should be prayers offered for everyone – petitions, intercessions and thanksgiving – and especially for kings and others in authority, so that we may be able to live religious and reverent lives in peace and quiet. To do this is right, and will please God our saviour: he wants everyone to be saved and reach full knowledge of the truth. For there is only one God, and there is only one mediator between God and mankind, himself a man, Christ Jesus, who sacrificed himself as a ransom for them all. He is the evidence of this, sent at the appointed time, and I have been named a herald and apostle of it and – I am telling the truth and no lie – a teacher of the faith and the truth to the pagans.
In every place, then, I want the men to lift their hands up reverently in prayer, with no anger or argument.

Luke 16:1 - 13
Jesus said to his disciples, ‘There was a rich man and he had a steward denounced to him for being wasteful with his property. He called for the man and said, “What is this I hear about you? Draw me up an account of your stewardship because you are not to be my steward any longer.” Then the steward said to himself, “Now that my master is taking the stewardship from me, what am I to do? Dig? I am not strong enough. Go begging? I should be too ashamed. Ah, I know what I will do to make sure that when I am dismissed from office there will be some to welcome me into their homes.”
Then he called his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, “How much do you owe my master?” “One hundred measures of oil” was the reply. The steward said, “Here, take your bond; sit down straight away and write fifty”. To another he said, “And you, sir, how much do you owe?” “One hundred measures of wheat” was the reply. The steward said, “Here, take your bond and write eighty”.
‘The master praised the dishonest steward for his astuteness. For the children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light.
‘And so I tell you this: use money, tainted as it is, to win you friends, and thus make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into the tents of eternity. The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great; the man who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in great. If then you cannot be trusted with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches? And if you cannot be trusted with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own?
‘No servant can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.’

This week the readings are about money.

In the first reading we hear that God will remember when we cheated people. In the gospel we hear a parable about riches entrusted to us.

• What is a bushel?
• What is a shekel?

• What are your first impressions of the parable?
• Who do you think is the good guy of this story?
• the rich man
• the steward
• the debtors
• Why do you think the master praised the steward?
• What do you think Jesus means at the end?
• What are the little things?
• What are the great things?
• How do you think you can apply Jesus' teaching?

Thirteenth Sunday of the year

1 Kings 19: 16 – 21
The Lord said to Elijah, ‘You are to anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king of Israel, and to anoint Elisha son of Shaphat, of Abel Meholah, as prophet to succeed you’.
Leaving there, Elijah came on Elisha son of Shaphat as he was ploughing behind twelve yoke of oxen, he himself being with the twelfth. Elijah passed near to him and threw his cloak over him. Elisha left his oxen and ran after Elijah. ‘Let me kiss my father and mother, then I will follow you’ he said. Elijah answered, ‘Go, go back; for have I done anything to you?’ Elisha turned away, took the pair of oxen and slaughtered them. He used the plough for cooking the oxen, then gave to his men, who ate. He then rose, and followed Elijah and became his servant.

Psalm 15
Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you.
I say to the Lord: “You are my God.
My happiness lies in you alone.”

He has put into my heart a marvellous love
for the faithful ones who dwell in his land.
Those who choose other gods increase their sorrows.
Never will I offer their offerings of blood.
Never will I take their name upon my lips.

O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup;
it is you yourself who are my prize.
The lot marked out for me is my delight:
welcome indeed the heritage that falls to me!

I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel,
who even at night directs my heart.
I keep the Lord ever in my sight:
since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm.

And so my heart rejoices, my soul is glad;
even my body shall rest in safety.
For you will not leave my soul among the dead,
nor let your beloved know decay.

You will show me the path of life,
the fullness of joy in your presence,
at your right hand happiness for ever.

Galatians 5: 1 – 18
When Christ freed us, he meant us to remain free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.
My brothers, you were called, as you know, to liberty; but be careful, or this liberty will provide an opening for self-indulgence. Serve one another, rather, in works of love, since the whole of the Law is summarised in a single command: Love your neighbour as yourself. If you go snapping at each other and tearing each other to pieces, you had better watch or you will destroy the whole community.
Let me put it like this: if you are guided by the Spirit you will be in no danger of yielding to self-indulgence, since self-indulgence is the opposite of the Spirit, the Spirit is totally against such a thing, and it is precisely because the two are so opposed that you do not always carry out your good intentions. If you are led by the Spirit, no law can touch you.

Luke 9: 51 – 62
As the time drew near for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely took the road for Jerusalem and sent messengers ahead of him. These set out, and they went into a Samaritan village to make preparations for him, but the people would not receive him because he was making for Jerusalem. Seeing this, the disciples James and John said, ‘Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to burn them up?’ But he turned and rebuked them, and they went off to another village.
As they travelled along they met a man on the road who said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go’. Jesus answered, ‘Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head’.
Another to whom he said, ‘Follow me’, replied, ‘Let me go and bury my father first’. But he answered, ‘Leave the dead to bury their dead; your duty is to go and spread the news of the kingdom of God’.
Another said, ‘I will follow you, sir, but first let me go and say good-bye to my people at home’. Jesus said to him, ‘Once the hand is laid on the plough, no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God’.

This week we have two stories of disciples being called. In the first reading we hear how the prophet Elijah called Elisha to follow him. In the gospel we hear how Jesus, on his way to Jerusalem, calls people to follow him.
When Elijah meets Elisha in the field he asks to be allowed to say goodbye to his parents before leaving with Elijah.

• What does Elijah say to this?
• Why does Elisha kill his oxen and cook them?

We hear Jesus asking for similar commitments from his disciples as he calls them on his way to Jerusalem, and his impending death.

• Why do you think the Samaritans wouldn't want to follow Jesus?
• What do you think Jesus means when he speaks about the foxes and birds?
• Why do you think Jesus says to let the dead bury the dead?
• And what about the problem with touching ploughs?

So we can see the sort of commitment that Jesus expects of us.

• See if you can think of ways that we can put this into practice in our own lives.

Fifth Sunday of Lent

Isaiah 43: 16-21
Thus says the Lord,
who made a way through the sea,
a path in the great waters;
who put chariots and horse in the field
and a powerful army,
which lay there never to rise again,
snuffed out, put out like a wick.

No need to recall the past,
no need to think about what was done before.
See, I am doing a new deed,
even now it comes to light; can you not see it?
Yes, I am making a road in the wilderness,
paths in the wilds.

The wild beasts will honour me,
jackals and ostriches,
because I am putting water in the wilderness
(rivers in the wild)
to give my chosen people drink.
The people I have formed for myself
will sing my praises.

Psalm 125
When the Lórd delivered Zíon from bóndage,
it séemed like a dréam.
Thén was our móuth filled with láughter,
on our líps there were sóngs.

The héathens themsélves said: "What márvels
the Lórd worked for thém!"
What márvels the Lórd worked for ús!
Indéed we were glád.

Delíver us, O Lórd, from our bóndage
as stréams in dry lánd.
Thóse who are sówing in téars
will síng when they réap.

They go óut, they go óut, full of téars,
carrying séed for the sówing:
they come báck, they come báck, full of sóng,
cárrying their shéaves.

Philippians 3: 8-14
I believe nothing can happen that will outweigh the supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For him I have accepted the loss of everything, and I look on everything as so much rubbish if only I can have Christ and be given a place in him. I am no longer trying for perfection by my own efforts, the perfection that comes from the Law, but I want only the perfection that comes through faith in Christ, and is from God and based on faith. All I want to know is Christ and the power of his resurrection and to share in his sufferings by reproducing the pattern of his death. That is the way I can hope to take my place in the resurrection of the dead. Not that I have become perfect yet: I have not yet won, but I am still running, trying to capture the prize for which Christ Jesus captured me. I can assure you my brothers, I am far from thinking that I have already won. All I can say is that I forget the past and I strain ahead for what is still to come; I am racing for the finish, for the prize to which God calls us upwards to receive in Christ Jesus.

John 8: 1-11
Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At daybreak he appeared in the Temple again; and as all the people came to him, he sat down and began to teach them.

The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman along who had been caught committing adultery; and making her stand there in full view of everybody, they said to Jesus, “Master, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery, and Moses has ordered us in the Law to condemn women like this to death by stoning. What have you to say?” They asked him this as a test, looking for something to use against him. But Jesus bent down and started writing on the ground with his finger. As they persisted with their question, he looked up and said, “If there is one of you who has not sinned let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Then he bent down and wrote on the ground again. When they heard this they went away one by one, beginning with the eldest, until Jesus was left alone with the woman who remained standing there. He looked up and said, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she replied. “Neither do I condemn you,” said Jesus, “go away, and don't sin any more.”

This week we have Isaiah telling us about the things God has done for his people in the past and that he is doing things for his people now. In the gospel we hear about how Jesus makes real the things God does for his people; just in a new and different way from before.

Split into two groups to discuss these offences and how you think they might best be punished depending on your point of view. Maybe you know how they are punished in this country and others around the world.

• Shoplifting
• From the point of view of the store manager
• From the point of view of the shoplifter's friend
• Murder
• From the victim's parents' point of view
• From the murderer's parents' point of view

Compare your answers.

From the readings we've heard today, how do you think God sees these crimes? How would Jesus respond to them?

What do you think about applying Jesus's approach in this country today?

Second Sunday of Lent

Genesis 15: 5-12, 17-18
Taking Abram outside the Lord said, “Look up to heaven and count the stars if you can. Such will be your descendants,” he told him. Abram put his faith in the Lord, who counted this as making him justified.
“I am the Lord”, he said to him, “who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to make you heir to this land.” “My Lord, the Lord,” Abram replied, “how am I to know that I shall inherit it?” He said to him, “Get me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove and a young pigeon.” He brought him all these, cut them in half and put half on one side and half facing it on the other; but the birds he did not cut in half. Birds of prey came down on the carcases but Abram drove them away.
Now as the sun was setting Abram fell into a deep sleep, and terror seized him. When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, there appeared a smoking furnace and a firebrand that went between the halves. That day the Lord made a Covenant with Abram in these terms: “To your descendants I give this land, from the wadi of Egypt to the Great River.”

Psalm 26: 1, 7-9, 13-14
The Lórd is my líght and my hélp;
whóm shall I féar?
The Lórd is the strónghold of my lífe;
before whóm shall I shrínk?

O Lórd, hear my vóice when I cáll;
have mércy and ánswer.
Of yóu my héart has spóken:
“Séek his fáce.”

It is your fáce, O Lórd, that I séek;
híde not your fáce.
Dismíss not your sérvant in ánger;
yóu have been my hélp.

I am súre I shall sée the Lord's góodness
in the lánd of the líving.
Hope in hím, hold fírm and take héart.
Hópe in the Lórd!

Philippians 3: 17- 4:1
My brothers, be united in following my rule of life. Take as your models everybody who is already doing this and study them as you used to study us. I have told you often, and I repeat it today with tears, there are many who are behaving as the enemies of the cross of Christ. They are destined to be lost. They make foods into their god and they are proudest of something they ought to think shameful; the things they think important are earthly things. For us, our homeland is in heaven, and from heaven comes the saviour we are waiting for, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he will transfigure these wretched bodies of ours into copies of his glorious body. He will do that by the same power with which he can subdue the whole universe.
So then, my brothers and dear friends, do not give way but remain faithful to the Lord. I miss you very much, dear friends; you are my joy and my crown.

Luke 9: 28-36
Jesus took with him Peter and John and James and went up the mountain to pray. As he prayed, the aspect of his face was changed and his clothing became brilliant as lightning. Suddenly there were two men there talking to him; they were Moses and Elijah appearing in glory, and they were speaking of his passing which he was to accomplish in Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were heavy with sleep, but they kept awake and saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As these were leaving, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” - He did not know what he was saying. As he spoke, a cloud came and covered them with shadow; and when they went into the cloud the disciples were afraid. And a voice came from the cloud saying, “This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him.” And after the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. The disciples kept silence and, at that time, told no one what they had seen.

In the first reading, God has just promised Abram a great reward. Abram asks what this could be and points out that since he has no children any gift would be inherited by his head servant. God promises Abram a vast number of descendants; still Abram would quite like some sort of proof.

Unlike nowadays when we sign contracts to make agreements legally binding, in ancient times the practice was to cut a dead animal in half and for both people to walk between the two halves. The idea was that should one break the agreement they end up like the animal. Here Abram is told to cut three really good animals in half. God then walks between the two halves in the form of a burning stick. Unlike normal contracts, God is the only one in this one who has any obligation.

• Can you think of any contracts?
  • parents and children
  • teachers and pupils
  • ...
    
• What kind of relationship do you think Abram had with God?
• What do you think this tells us about the relationship God wants with us?

In the gospel Jesus has already started to tell his disciples about his impending suffering and death. Here Moses and Elijah appear and talk with him and he is transfigured.

• Why do you think Jesus became so bright?
• What do you think the fact that Moses and Elijah were there means?
• Why would Peter not have known what he was saying?
• Why do you think the disciples kept quiet?

Sixth Sunday of the Year

Jeremiah 17: 5-8
The Lord says this:

“A curse on the man who puts his trust in man, who relies on things of flesh, whose heart turns from the Lord. He is like dry scrub in the wastelands; if good comes, he has no eyes for it, he settles in the parched places of the wilderness, a salt land, uninhabited.

“A blessing on the man who puts his trust in the Lord, with the Lord for his hope. He is like a tree by the waterside that thrusts its roots to the stream; when the heat comes it feels no alarm, its foliage stays green; it has no worries in a year of drought, and never ceases to bear fruit.”

Psalm 1: 1-4, 6
Háppy indéed is the mán
who fóllows not the cóunsel of the wícked;
nor língers in the wáy of sínners
nor síts in the cómpany of scórners,
but whose délight is the láw of the Lórd
and who pónders his láw day and níght.

Hé is like a trée that is plánted
besíde the flówing wáters,
that yíelds its frúit in due séason
and whose léaves shall néver fáde;
and áll that he dóes shall prósper.

Not só are the wícked, not só!
For théy like wínnowed cháff
shall be dríven awáy by the wínd.
When the wícked are júdged they shall not stánd,
nor find róom among thóse who are júst;
for the Lórd guards the wáy of the júst
but the wáy of the wícked leads to dóom.

1 Corinthians 15: 12, 16-20
If Christ raised from the dead is what has been preached, how can some of you be saying that there is no resurrection of the dead? For if the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, you are still in your sins. And what is more serious, all who have died in Christ have perished. If our hope in Christ has been for this life only, we are the most unfortunate of all people.

But Christ has in fact been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep.

Luke 6: 17, 20-26
Jesus came down with the Twelve and stopped at a piece of level ground where there was a large gathering of his disciples with a great crowd of people from all parts of Judaea and from Jerusalem and from the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon who had come to hear him and to be cured of their diseases.
Then fixing his eyes on his disciples he said:
“How happy are you who are poor: yours is the kingdom of God.
Happy you who are hungry now: you shall be satisfied. Happy you who weep now: you shall laugh.
“Happy are you when people hate you, drive you out, abuse you, denounce your name as criminal, on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice when that day comes and dance for joy, for then your reward will be great in heaven. This was the way their ancestors treated the prophets.
“But alas for you who are rich: you are having your consolation now.
Alas for you who have your fill now: you shall go hungry. Alas for you who laugh now: you shall mourn and weep.
“Alas for you when the world speaks well of you! This was the way their ancestors treated the false prophets.”

As we've seen in previous weeks, the second reading isn't really connected with the other readings, but consists of St. Paul arguing for the resurrection of the body.

The first reading and psalm are about who to put your trust in: other people, or God.
The gospel is from early on in Luke's gospel; Jesus has just called his disciples, performed a few miracles and has built up quite a crowd of followers. He now starts to teach them.

Who or what do you trust?

• your parents?
• science?
• your teachers?
• your group leaders for today?
• ...

We trust all sorts of things in our everyday lives from the obvious to things we take completely for granted:

• car drivers (that they'll stop at red lights)
• bus drivers (that they'll take us to where they say they will)
• dinner ladies (that the food is edible)
• gravity (we don't fly off into space)
• the future (there will be a tomorrow)

What do you think is different about the way we can trust God?

What do you think Jesus means by these pairs?

• 'poor' and 'rich'
• 'hungry' and 'full'
• 'those who weep' and 'you who laugh'
• those who are hated and abused, and those of whom the world speaks well

What can you do to make sure you fit into the right side of Jesus' pairs?

Why do you think Paul is telling us all this about resurrection?
What do you think of his argument? Does it help you to believe?

Third Sunday of the Year

Nehemiah 8:2-10
On the first day of the seventh month, therefore, Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, which consisted of men, women, and those children old enough to understand.

Standing at one end of the open place that was before the Water Gate, he read out of the book from daybreak till midday, in the presence of the men, the women, and those children old enough to understand; and all the people listened attentively to the book of the law.

Ezra opened the scroll so that all the people might see it (for he was standing higher up than any of the people); and, as he opened it, all the people rose.

Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people, their hands raised high, answered, "Amen, amen!" Then they bowed down and prostrated themselves before the LORD, their faces to the ground.

Ezra read plainly from the book of the law of God, interpreting it so that all could understand what was read.

Then (Nehemiah, that is, His Excellency, and) Ezra the priest-scribe (and the Levites who were instructing the people) said to all the people: "Today is holy to the LORD your God. Do not be sad, and do not weep"-for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.

He said further: "Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks, and allot portions to those who had nothing prepared; for today is holy to our LORD. Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength!"

Psalm 19:7-14
From one end of the heavens it comes forth; its course runs through to the other; nothing escapes its heat.
The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart. The command of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eye.
But from wilful sins keep your servant; let them never control me. Then shall I be blameless, innocent of grave sin.

1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 27
As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ.

For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

Now the body is not a single part, but many.
Now you are Christ's body, and individually parts of it.

Luke 1:1-4,4:14-21
Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning and ministers of the word have handed them down to us, I too have decided, after investigating everything accurately anew, to write it down in an orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings you have received.

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news of him spread throughout the whole region. He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all. He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord."

Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them, "Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."

For our human happiness we need teaching by God’s revelation to supplement what we learn by our own powers of reasoning.

God is so good that it would be out of character to keep his knowledge of himself to himself and never to give himself intimately, for goodness of itself is generous

Why have scripture?

Without it

What we would know would be full of mistakes!

Very few people would know about God because we are lazy, don’t like study and in any event have to earn a living!

Only old people would know about God because it would take so long.

The historical and literal sense, the bodily union of a man and woman.	The allegorical sense: the union of Christ with his church.
Holy Scripture speaks of four marriages
The moral sense: the union of God with the soul.	The eschatological sense: the union of God with the Church Triumphant

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Let's think for a couple of minutes about the past week. Lets say sorry for the things that didn’t go so well. Lets thank God for the things that went well.

This week’s readings are really long. So we’re going to look at the Old Testament reading and the Gospel.

Read them.

So, what is the topic of these readings?

Why do you think we have these readings about readings?

Why do we have the bible?

Why do we need it?

How do you find out what it means?

[Work through one of the other readings looking for the four ways of looking at the text. Don’t forget to point out that not all the meanings are in all the passages every time!]

Second Sunday of the Year

Isaiah 62: 1-5
About Zion I will not be silent,
about Jerusalem I will not grow weary,
until her integrity shines out like the dawn
and her salvation flames like a torch.

The nations will then see your integrity,
all the kings your glory,
and you will be called by a new name,
one which the mouth of the Lord will confer.
You are to be a crown of splendour in the hand of the Lord,
a princely diadem in the hand of your God;
no longer are you to be named “Forsaken,”
nor your land “Abandoned,”
but you shall be called “My Delight,”
and your land “The Wedded”;
for the Lord takes delight in you
and your land will have its wedding.

Like a young man marrying a virgin,
so will the one who built you wed you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices in his bride,
so will your God rejoice in you.

Psalm 95: 1-3, 7-10, r3
O síng a new sóng to the Lórd,
síng to the Lórd all the éarth.
O síng to the Lórd, bless his náme.

Procláim his hélp day by dáy,
téll among the nátions his glóry
and his wónders amóng all the péoples.

Give the Lórd, you fámilies of péoples,
give the Lórd glóry and pówer;
give the Lórd the glóry of his náme.

Bring an óffering and énter his cóurts,
wórship the Lórd in his témple.
O éarth, trémble befóre him.

Procláim to the nátions: “God is kíng.”
The wórld he made fírm in its pláce;
he will júdge the péople in fáirness.

1 Corinthians 12: 4-11
There is a variety of gifts but always the same Spirit; there are all sorts of service to be done, but always to the same Lord; working in all sorts of different ways in different people, it is the same God who is working in all of them. The particular way in which the Spirit is given to each person is for a good purpose. One may have the gift of preaching with wisdom given him by the Spirit; another may have the gift of preaching instruction given him by the same Spirit; another the gift of faith given by the same Spirit; another again the gift of healing, through this one Spirit; one, the power of miracles; another, prophecy; another the gift of recognising spirits; another the gift of tongues and another the ability to interpret them. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, who distributes different gifts to different people just as he chooses.

John 2: 1-12
Three days later there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. The mother of Jesus was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited. When they ran out of wine, since the wine provided for the wedding was all finished, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” Jesus said, “Woman, why turn to me? My hour has not come yet.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” There were six stone water jars standing there, meant for the ablutions that are customary among the Jews: each could hold twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water,” and they filled them to the brim. “Draw some out now”, he told them, “and take it to the steward”. They did this; the steward tasted the water, and it had turned into wine. Having no idea where it came from – only the servants who had drawn the water knew – the steward called the bridegroom and said, “People generally serve the best wine first, and keep the cheaper sort till the guests have had plenty to drink; but you have kept the best wine till now.”

This was the first of the signs given by Jesus: it was given at Cana in Galilee. He let his glory be seen, and his disciples believed in him. After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and the brothers, but they stayed there only a few days.

In the first reading we are given a poetic description of the relationship between God and the people of Israel: like that of a married couple.

The psalm is about singing a new song to the lord.

The second reading is not quite linked with the others, and is about the gifts that God gives to each of us.

The gospel is right at the beginning of John's gospel and shows Jesus immediately giving a real example of the new relationship between God and his people.

• In the gospel, Jesus has just called his disciples. Can you think of anything significant about this being on the third day?
• Can you think of a reason why the fact that there are 6 stone jars might be significant?
• Do you think there is a reason that the water used for washing instead of drinking water is turned into wine?
• What do you think this gospel tells us about the relationship between God and mankind? How does Jesus make this different from before?