“We should daily renew our resolve and commit ourselves as if we had just received Christ for the first time and say” Help me oh Lord my God, to live well, and as a servant of God Most High, may I begin this day with my sins washed away and the sins of the past forgotten.”
{Thomas a’Kempis [translation (from old English) mine}.
Firstly, I’d like to thank you, the people of God, for making it possible for me to spend some time “on the Mountain.” My prayer now, is that, that which I have received from God, I will be able to impart more effectually to you, so that, that which Christ has won in me may be for your benefit.
Every Eucharist we acknowledge that we live in the Peace of Christ – we in our conservative shows of affection – walk around the church hugging people and saying – “peace be with you – and also with you!” We receive the blessing “The peace of God which surpasses all understanding…” and yet we are not embracing this peace – Jesus said “not as the world gives, I give to you, my peace I give to you!” Jesus says it does not have to be well with the world for it to be well with your soul! It has to be well with your soul for you to be at peace in the world, in all its tragedy and challenge.
We need to live in gratitude for what Christ has done in us! For the Hope He has won for us in the Resurrection. A hope that this world cannot rob us of. We need to reorder our lives and delight in the things of God. We need to reorder our lives and pride ourselves in doing things God’s way and not the world’s way.
Provincial Synod has brought some new direction to the Church in South Africa and we will need to deal with the “good and the bad” that these changes bring. We will be dealing with this at Parish and at Regional Council (which we are hosting) this month.
For me the commitment to Caring for Creation is a major positive step and affirms what I have been doing for the last 13 years as a Cleric in the Church. It is now a Canonical duty for Clergy to address Creation Care – (one can almost say it is in our job description). I was semi officially appointed as the Chair of the Creation Care Network of the Diocese of Natal this week. I have prepared a Motion to Synod in this regard.
I look forward to our combined service next week and encourage you all to make an extra effort to attend. This is to be a celebration of our life together “for we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” In this celebration we recommit to being the Church of God, and His people.
Let me conclude this week by saying how grateful I am to the living God for His great mercies and for the privilege that I have in sharing life with you. Together we experience God’s grace every day, as He sanctifies places for us to receive healing, as we receive that healing and that hope and that joy even in our sorrows. I urge you to be faithful in prayer remembering that Hope is believing in that which you cannot see and faith is having the “foolishness to believe. ” and our “foolishness” in the world’s eyes is of far more value than the Wisdom of this age (St Paul).
And now,
May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and Peace (which is beyond our understanding)
As you trust in Him.
And the blessing of God the Father – Creator of the World
God the Son – Redeemer of the World
And God the Holy Spirit who is with us in the world
Be upon you and fill you, today and always.
Rector.
