Encounter

My brother, a Methodist minister, gave me ‘The Lectionary 2018’  for Christmas.  Having never followed it, except for main Sunday services, I am amazed at how it connects, builds and illuminates the message.

For instance, Sunday, the 4th Sunday of Epiphany, the message was the authority of Jesus.  Monday’s reading showed Jesus exorcising a demon from Legion, shocking and scaring everyone who observed a man who was like a wild animal, transformed to a completely sane and peace loving state.  Today Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead and healed a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years.   Both of these passages, revealing who Jesus is, build on the theme of the authority of Jesus.

At the same time, there is another theme being played out in 2nd Samuel.  King David has been in exile as his son Absalom launches a power play against his father.  Here we see David responding in a puzzling way.  When a man comes by to curse him (yesterday’s reading) he believes that perhaps it is God’s will and allows the man to follow and throw stones.  In his humbled state, he asks that all who wish to join him in exile turn back, he has no destination.  Of course these groups stay with him.

In today’s reading we see Absalom killed by a party of David’s men even though David asked that no harm would come to him.  The response of David is great woe.  He is inconsolable.  Absalom, O Absalom, why you and not me? 

In David’s response we see the love of God.  Though Absalom was a rebel, he was the son of David and David loved him.  In Jesus, we see the love of the Father for his children.  Lost causes, hopeless situations, life put on hold all changed by the power of love.  Jesus has the authority of the Father to pour out the love of the Father on His children.

And what about us?  How do we, if we have received this most awesome love, pass it on?

Perhaps I was having an overly emotional day having been flattened by a particularly nasty case of the flu since Sunday eve.  I walked into the church yesterday in advance of Roger and Yu Zhu’s wedding, just to take a quick peek and leave some treasures behind, but what I saw instead was love and beauty beyond measure.

You see, here in rural England, everything we do is a voluntary act.  We have a house for duty Priest who came out of retirement, along with his wife June, to lead us, a full year after the departure of the previous full time Priest.  We are part of a deanery which is having to make do with fewer paid full time priests and part of the suffering for the deanery means that we, the tiny communities of Coniston and Torver, are not considered large enough to require their own full time priest.

Being small does not diminish the work load at all.  In fact we hold a range of services each and every Sunday, weddings, baptisms (one a month in Coniston), home groups, celebrations, festivals and minister to all who come our way, including the 300,000+ people who come into our community every year through tourism.  We have an active Fair Trade coffee morning each and every Wednesday a.m. which reaches out to people travelling through as well as to locals in the heart of the community.  A mid-day prayer service allows for quiet meditation while all the chatter in the coffee morning is going on.

It takes a lot to support these activities and the on the ground ministry.  We have two lay ministers, two church wardens, several voluntary musicians, several deanery synod members, a Mother’s Union, a full PCC, and each and every person on the electoral roll, fully signed up and committed to the community.

Knowing all of this, what I saw yesterday made me realise what a beautiful church family I am part of.  The day of Roger and Yu Zhu’s wedding the weather was horrendous.  Tears of joy were falling from the heavens.  Earlier, all hands would have been inside the church, cleaning, beautifying, laying flowers on each of the candle sticks made by Peter, setting tables, preparing food, making it beautiful and perfect for the wedding.

Before I entered the church, I ran into June, having spent the morning beautifying with flowers, she now on her way to change clothes.  As I coughed away, she mentioned that Linda too is ill and suggested we were going to have to stop meeting on Sundays as I thought to myself wryly and Saturday and Tuesday and Wednesday too.  I do hate being ill.

I walked into the sound of beautiful music and a scene of total calm and serenity.  Pat, the church Secretary was wearing a very smart grey pin striped suit.  Both Peter and Tim were dressed in dark handsome suits wearing big smiles.  All work and preparation done, nothing missing, everything ready and waiting in eager anticipation for The Wedding.

I walked across the street to deliver a package to Anne and looked back to see Nick, the church Warden, walking into the church, wearing full rain gear on top, morning dress below and carrying a big cooler loaded with the best drink, as only Nick is able to do.  My heart melted as I saw him enter the church carrying his bag of goodies.  Nothing is too much trouble for Nick.  He is always there.  Always on duty.  Nick misses nothing and expects nothing in return for his service and commitment.  He may be one of many, but there are none like him.

Each and every person is involved in other work throughout the community, much of it voluntary.  Lives of living daily sacrifice.  Only today I don’t see anything but love.  Complete selfless acts of love and generosity.  I stand in wonder and awe as I look upon my big (in spirit) beautiful church family.