God's Reign is for the Birds

Matthew 13:31-35

The meaning of the parable of the mustard seed seems apparent. What begins as the tiniest of seeds grows into a tree large enough to house ...the birds. 

The reign of God is like that. Small beginning. Big ending. A handful of disciples become a worldwide church. A few fishermen and women grow into a Christian empire. We are the world! Kind of makes your chest swell, doesn't it? 

Makes you feel important to be at the centre of such a glorious, expanding kingdom. Well, that kind of triumphant kingdom is a world away from what this parable is all about. If we scratch beneath the surface of this parable, we will discover that God's 
reign is for the birds. Keep on reading, click on the link!

A Different Drummer: God's Reign is for the Birds: a sermon on Matthew ...:

Celestina Mba sues over Sunday shifts

In my inbox, I received a Prayer Alert: Sunday working case from Christian Concern. You may have heard of the case already. Here are the facts if you haven't. Christian children’s worker Celestina Mba is taking The Mayor and the London Borough of Merton to the Court of Appeal tomorrow (Wednesday 23 October) over their refusal to provide Reasonable Accommodation for her devoutly held Christian beliefs. Before Celestina began working for Brightwell Children’s Home in London, she agreed with her employers that she would not work on Sundays in accordance with her Christian beliefs. But the Council changed the arrangement soon after she started the job, saying that the arrangement was temporary, forcing her to choose between her job and her Christian observance. If successful, the case could be a benchmark for thousands of Christians in England now ‘forced’ to work on Sundays if they are to keep their jobs. Join Christian Concern team and us in ours prayers :
For a successful and just outcome
For wisdom for the judges
For barrister Paul Diamond who will be arguing in court on behalf of Celestina
That Celestina and her legal team would experience “the peace of God which transcends all understanding” during the proceedings
For fair and accurate news coverage

Pick of the week!

Christians in Britain and the US who claim that they are persecuted should "grow up" and not exaggerate what amounts to feeling "mildly uncomfortable", according to Rowan Williams..."When you've had any contact with real persecuted minorities you learn to use the word very chastely," he said. "Persecution is not being made to feel mildly uncomfortable. 'For goodness sake, grow up,' I want to say." True persecution was "systematic brutality and often murderous hostility that means that every morning you wonder if you and your children are going to live through the day". He cited the experience of a woman he met in India "who had seen her husband butchered by a mob".

.Sharing a platform at the Edinburgh international book festival with Julia Neuberger, senior rabbi at the West London Synagogue, Williams launched a withering critique of popular ideas about spirituality. "The last thing it is about is the placid hum of a well-conducted meditation," he said.

To read more, click here please as Rowan and Julia discussed other issues in this interview reported in the Guardian.

Classic or antique?

 The other day, I was driving through Weston and 'stumbled' upon an exhibition of 'antique' cars. It was fun to go round and take a few photos and have a chat. I was told it is a monthly event. I am looking forward to go round the Open Gardens in Weston (see Compass magazine for more details). Have a blessed week-end!

Our Queen, defender of the Christian faith

Your Grace, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Prince Philip and I are delighted to be with you today to pay tribute to the particular mission of Christianity and the general value of faith in this country.This gathering is a reminder of how much we owe the nine major religious traditions represented here. They are sources of a rich cultural heritage and have given rise to beautiful sacred objects and holy texts, as we have seen today.Yet these traditions are also contemporary families of faith. Our religions provide critical guidance for the way we live our lives, and for the way in which we treat each other. Many of the values and ideas we take for granted in this and other countries originate in the ancient wisdom of our traditions. Even the concept of a Jubilee is rooted in the Bible.
Here at Lambeth Palace we should remind ourselves of the significant position of the Church of England in our nation’s life. The concept of our established Church is occasionally misunderstood and, I believe, commonly under-appreciated. Its role is not to defend Anglicanism to the exclusion of other religions. Instead, the Church has a duty to protect the free practice of all faiths in this country. It certainly provides an identity and spiritual dimension for its own many adherents. But also, gently and assuredly, the Church of England has created an environment for other faith communities and indeed people of no faith to live freely. Woven into the fabric of this country, the Church has helped to build a better society – more and more in active co-operation for the common good with those of other faiths.

This occasion is thus an opportunity to reflect on the importance of faith in creating and sustaining communities all over the United Kingdom. Faith plays a key role in the identity of many millions of people, providing not only a system of belief but also a sense of belonging. It can act as a spur for social action. Indeed, religious groups have a proud track record of helping those in the greatest need, including the sick, the elderly, the lonely and the disadvantaged. They remind us of the responsibilities we have beyond ourselves...

Source: http://www.royal.gov.uk

The Queen’s comments will be welcomed by many Christians after a week where secularists have challenged the place of Christianity in the nation. The High Court passed a ruling on 10 February that it was “unlawful” for local town councils to begin their formal meetings with prayer, breaking from hundreds of years of tradition. On the same day, two Christian guesthouse owners, Peter and Hazelmary Bull, lost their appeal against last year’s ruling that they had discriminated unlawfully against a non-married same-sex couple by only allowing married couples to rent double rooms in their guesthouse. Yesterday, Baroness Warsi, chairman of the Conservative Party, said that British society was under threat from a rising tide of "militant secularisation" reminiscent of "totalitarian regimes."
 Source: http://www.christianconcern.com

Thou shall not steal!

This is part of an article published in the Yorshire Evening Post.
Published Date: 21 December 2009
I don't have much time to read papers so I was surprised to read this story in an american blog...

Father Xxxxx, parish priest of St Lawrence and St Hilda in York, said stealing from large national chains was sometimes the best option many vulnerable people had. He told the congregation on Sunday: "My advice, as a Christian priest, is to shoplift. I do not offer such advice because I think that stealing is a good thing, or because I think it is harmless, for it is neither.
"I would ask that they do not steal from small, family businesses, but from large national businesses, knowing that the costs are ultimately passed on to the rest of us in the form of higher prices. "I would ask them not to take any more than they need, for any longer than they need."
He said society had failed many needy people and said it was far better that they shoplift than turn to more degrading or violent options such as prostitution, mugging or burglary.
"Rather, this is a call for our society no longer to treat its most vulnerable people with indifference and contempt."When people are released from prison, or find themselves suddenly without work or family support, then to leave them for weeks and weeks with inadequate or clumsy social support is monumental, catastrophic folly. We create a situation which leaves some people little option but crime."
The Venerable Richard Seed, Archdeacon of York said: "The Church of England does not advise anyone to shoplift, or break the law in any way. Father Xxxxx is raising important issues about the difficulties people face when benefits are not forthcoming, but shoplifting is not the way to overcome these difficulties."