College Chapel service 9 November 2007
Psalm 90
Philippians 4:6-9
So has it been a good year? Or a pretty bad one? Excellent year? Meritorious? Achieved? Or not? If it’s been perfect, then maybe you’ve been asleep most of the time. Or ignoring the opportunities you have to help others. Someone once said: When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
There are different ways of dealing with the good and bad in life. Some people are quite philosophical. They say these kinds of things in order to cope with the ups and downs of life: Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue. That may not be the best approach…. Maybe we should teach people to fly, or clean statues!
We’ve heard a few stories of successes this year. I think there are lots of things to celebrate! There will be more before the year is out.
So what does the Bible say?
The Psalm we read today is a bit gloomy in parts. We are like weeds that sprout in the morning – and are dead by night. Things like that – and the bit about us going back to dust. It speaks of the inevitability of our life coming to an end!
But there are some glimpses of celebration. There are these prayers:
Satisfy us in the morning with your constant love, so that we may sing and be glad all our days!
Lord our God, may your blessings be with us! Give us success in all we do!
Success in all we do is not always being first. Sometimes it is being faithful. Not giving up.
For some it’s having courage to try new things.
For some success is simply making a new friend – and keeping the new friend!
One person wrote of a particular student: It may be that his sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others. Well we do learn from things that go wrong.
What we really need to do is to celebrate every success! All the time! With an attitude of gratitude. And with a song in our hearts!
And following our second reading:
Instead of worrying, pray!
And then Paul goes on to say that we should fill our minds with good things!
In addition it helps to fill our minds with the work we need to remember for our exams.
Prayer doesn’t work when you haven’t done the work. Like the boy who prayed a prayer that God could not answer after his exam: “God, please make Paris the capital of Germany”.
May you find strength as you celebrate this year – discipline as you focus on these next weeks and finish the year well – and true happiness. Remember what Abraham Lincoln said: Most people are about as happy as they choose to be.
The choice of faith makes a difference:
Satisfy us in the morning with your constant love, so that we may sing and be glad all our days!
Lord our God, may your blessings be with us! Give us success in all we do!
Friday, 9 November 2007
Friday, 2 November 2007
Death and the fires
Psalm 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; I will fear no one. The LORD protects me from all danger; I will never be afraid.
Mat 5:16 In the same way your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.
We had this interesting discussion in an RE class this week. About cremation. It actually started with the topic of relics – how many bits of bone fragment could be retrieved from a cremated religious leader. That led to a discussion of how people dispose of the cremated remains of people. Some are kept. Some are scattered. Some are scattered at sea, or out of plane windows. Some have been scattered over the edge of hills or cliffs, only to land on unsuspecting tourists below.
It all depends hot the flame are – I guess – as to what you have left.
It sounds bizarre. A bit gross. Some people get all stressed by those conversations.
It’s about death of course. A probability of one. We all face it. Eventually.
Perhaps we’d all be better off if we talked about that eventuality more. It would help us to come to terms with our humanity. Perhaps to respect life more. And others.
Possibly the worst thing about death is that people are left with regrets – about things that they’ve done and said – especially when a person dies very suddenly. More than once I’ve had to deal with people banging on coffins and yelling at the dead body. Or visiting the grave a lot and talking. At least one young man shared beers with his dead brother at the grave. Pouring them onto the young man’s burial mound. What a waste, some might say. It’s just what grief does. It was quite helpful really. He didn't do it for ever.
Perhaps the fact that people die should make us treat them better when they’re alive.
* Make more time to spend with good friends.
* Fix the messed up relationships – say sorry more.
* Be kinder and tolerant of others who we might not always like.
* Forgive. They could be hit by a bus any time. So could we.
The reading today had something to say about being the light of the world. About letting our light shine.
I’d like to ask you – students and staff – this question today.
What kind of light are you?
* A pumpkin like the Jack-o-lanterns at Halloween? A hollow head with a light inside that creates a strange and quirky image from the outside?
* A guy Fawkes light – short fuse and loud noise – that really has no lasting influence for good. Full of sound and fury. And perhaps a bit idiotic.
* A torch – guiding others and showing the way – real peer support – mentoring and sharing of the right path for others.
* A lighthouse – a helpful beacon showing a safer way – sturdy and constant.
* A useful fire – cooking and feeding others – nurturing and encouraging them
* Or a horrible fire – the kind of person who brings the flames of hell into other’s lives.
Our first reading today began with this:
The LORD is my light and my salvation
Real direction is found in a relationship with a God who himself guides, protects, nurtures and directs.
The stories of great men and women of faith through the ages reflect lives that shine – and many shine beyond their generation – they shine through the pages of history.
That kind of light needs to shine in this school. We have a shot at behavioural change. We talk about responsibility. We hold people accountable for what they do. We punish and attempt to correct behaviour.
The real change – from the Bible’s point of view – comes from a change of heart. It’s the burning fire within when God speaks to us – and we really know that we have missed the mark. That we have hurt others. That what we do is not just unhelpful, but also sometimes plain evil. It is an offense to God and others. It’s called sin.
The remedy is not in the laws of the land. Not in the Parliament, or in the courts. Those things create the boundaries – as do rules and codes of conduct.
The remedy is in the transformation needed on the inside.
The light of Christ needs to shine.
The change comes in you and me when we believe and allow God to change us.
So what will you do with this light? It’s up to you really…
There’s more than just forgiveness when we put our faith in God.
There’s the promise of eternal life – which puts death into its proper place.
AND there is a whole new way so seeing the world and treating others.
We need this change in this place. Amen.
Mat 5:16 In the same way your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.
We had this interesting discussion in an RE class this week. About cremation. It actually started with the topic of relics – how many bits of bone fragment could be retrieved from a cremated religious leader. That led to a discussion of how people dispose of the cremated remains of people. Some are kept. Some are scattered. Some are scattered at sea, or out of plane windows. Some have been scattered over the edge of hills or cliffs, only to land on unsuspecting tourists below.
It all depends hot the flame are – I guess – as to what you have left.
It sounds bizarre. A bit gross. Some people get all stressed by those conversations.
It’s about death of course. A probability of one. We all face it. Eventually.
Perhaps we’d all be better off if we talked about that eventuality more. It would help us to come to terms with our humanity. Perhaps to respect life more. And others.
Possibly the worst thing about death is that people are left with regrets – about things that they’ve done and said – especially when a person dies very suddenly. More than once I’ve had to deal with people banging on coffins and yelling at the dead body. Or visiting the grave a lot and talking. At least one young man shared beers with his dead brother at the grave. Pouring them onto the young man’s burial mound. What a waste, some might say. It’s just what grief does. It was quite helpful really. He didn't do it for ever.
Perhaps the fact that people die should make us treat them better when they’re alive.
* Make more time to spend with good friends.
* Fix the messed up relationships – say sorry more.
* Be kinder and tolerant of others who we might not always like.
* Forgive. They could be hit by a bus any time. So could we.
The reading today had something to say about being the light of the world. About letting our light shine.
I’d like to ask you – students and staff – this question today.
What kind of light are you?
* A pumpkin like the Jack-o-lanterns at Halloween? A hollow head with a light inside that creates a strange and quirky image from the outside?
* A guy Fawkes light – short fuse and loud noise – that really has no lasting influence for good. Full of sound and fury. And perhaps a bit idiotic.
* A torch – guiding others and showing the way – real peer support – mentoring and sharing of the right path for others.
* A lighthouse – a helpful beacon showing a safer way – sturdy and constant.
* A useful fire – cooking and feeding others – nurturing and encouraging them
* Or a horrible fire – the kind of person who brings the flames of hell into other’s lives.
Our first reading today began with this:
The LORD is my light and my salvation
Real direction is found in a relationship with a God who himself guides, protects, nurtures and directs.
The stories of great men and women of faith through the ages reflect lives that shine – and many shine beyond their generation – they shine through the pages of history.
That kind of light needs to shine in this school. We have a shot at behavioural change. We talk about responsibility. We hold people accountable for what they do. We punish and attempt to correct behaviour.
The real change – from the Bible’s point of view – comes from a change of heart. It’s the burning fire within when God speaks to us – and we really know that we have missed the mark. That we have hurt others. That what we do is not just unhelpful, but also sometimes plain evil. It is an offense to God and others. It’s called sin.
The remedy is not in the laws of the land. Not in the Parliament, or in the courts. Those things create the boundaries – as do rules and codes of conduct.
The remedy is in the transformation needed on the inside.
The light of Christ needs to shine.
The change comes in you and me when we believe and allow God to change us.
So what will you do with this light? It’s up to you really…
There’s more than just forgiveness when we put our faith in God.
There’s the promise of eternal life – which puts death into its proper place.
AND there is a whole new way so seeing the world and treating others.
We need this change in this place. Amen.
Let your light shine.
Shine for good. Or burn....
Shine for good. Or burn....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)