A gaudete Sunday, allegedly.

Mothering Sunday, for part of history anyway.

Mothers' Day, since the greetng card industry took it over.

So, a rare old mix of stuff to hold in mind when reading todays's passages:

Numbers 21:4-9
Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22
Ephesians 2:1-10
John 3:14-21

To be honest, whilst they are full of good stuff, they don't exactly make my heart sing!  They are not easy passages, not comfortable, not even the lovely John 3 stuff, because it links bck to the Numbers story which is all rather strange.  People grumble and God sends snakes to bite them... and they die.  That's cheery - not.

This week I heard of a book recently published about hell, that was being used as some kind of evangelism tool, I think the idea was that it would paint such a graphic and awful image of what lay ahead of the unrepentant sinner that they would be frightened into the Kingdom.  Oh dear.  Well intentioned I guess, but not consistent with the idea of a God who is love, who, at Calvary draws into God's very self all that is death-dealing and sinful.  Reading these little passages reminds us that the Bible says precious little about hell, and that the consequence of sin is not being burned for eternity or endless consumed by maggots (each based on unfortunate readings of extraneous verses), no it is death.  As the simplest statement says 'the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life".  In the Numbers story, the people looked at the bronze serpent on the pole and lived.   In the John 3 account of Nicodemus and Jesus, the same comparison is made... salvation equates to everlasting life.  it's opposite is, then, presumably, everlasting death.

This morning I am preaching on atonement theology - which is every bit as jolly as this stuff the lectionary offers!  I am employing three images of Jesus as Prophet, Priest and King and wondering just how each of these gives a glimpse onto some aspects of atonement.  I will not be setting up models as 'right' or 'wrong' since actually they can all be defended and knocked down by judicious use of scripture, instead I will be looking for the good, the truth, to which each one points.

You sent snakes, God?

Snakes to bite the people who grumbled?

That sounds a bit harsh...

And not just little grass snakes

Poisonous snakes whose venom brought death

Can't say I really understand that

You were crucified, Lord

Nailed to a cross by people who despised you:

That's more than a bit harsh...

And drew into yourself

The poison, the venom that brought death...

I can't begin to comprehend that...

Death-defeating God

Who in Christ has absorbed all hurt

Sorrow

Sin

Sickness

Dis-ease

Death

I don't need to understand

I need to believe

And -

As best I am able -

I do.

To all my Irish readers. (probably all one of you!)

And happy birthday sweet sixteen to A.

As the announcement is made that Rowan Williams is leaving his archbishopric for a return to academia, many are quick to pass judgement on his term of office and, worse in my view, on him as a person.  This little story, which has been around a few years now, once more landed in my in-box yesterday, and reminds me just why I admire this man (with the voice of golden syrup) so much...

A child had asked her father the ultimate question - who invented God.  It seems a letter was sent to various religious bigwigs, and the archbish replied thus:  

Dear Lulu,

Your dad has sent on your letter and asked if I have any answers. It’s a difficult one! But I think God might reply a bit like this –

‘Dear Lulu – Nobody invented me – but lots of people discovered me and were quite surprised. They discovered me when they looked round at the world and thought it was really beautiful or really mysterious and wondered where it came from. They discovered me when they were very very quiet on their own and felt a sort of peace and love they hadn’t expected.

Then they invented ideas about me – some of them sensible and some of them not very sensible. From time to time I sent them some hints – specially in the life of Jesus – to help them get closer to what I’m really like.

But there was nothing and nobody around before me to invent me. Rather like somebody who writes a story in a book, I started making up the story of the world and eventually invented human beings like you who could ask me awkward questions!’

And then he’d send you lots of love and sign off.

I know he doesn’t usually write letters, so I have to do the best I can on his behalf. Lots of love from me too.

+Archbishop Rowan

Today's readings grant us glimpses into the lives of two older men, Aaron and Nicodemus.  Each of them steeped in religious knowledge and entrusted with God's work.  Each of them flawed.

Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22
Numbers 20:22-29
John 3:1-13

It is the Aaron story which drew my attention today.

The Aaron story recounts the last part of his story, he and Moses go to Mount Hor, along with Aaron's son.  There, the elderly Aaron is divested of his priestly garments, which are transferred to his son, and then he dies.  The people undertake a thirty day season of mourning - this is a significant death in their community.

There is one verse that stands out, verse 24 says:

Let Aaron be gathered to his people. For he shall not enter the land that I have given to the Israelites, because you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah.

Aaron is not permitted to enter the Land of Promise (neither, is Moses, but that's a separate story), the human 'happy ending' is denied him.

Why?

The reason is the sin of the community - you rebelled, the people rebelled - not personal culpability.  He had not brought this on himself, rather this is the consequence of corporate attitudes and actions.

So what's next for Aaron?

Hell?  No.  The ancients had no such concept, Sheol was not a place of punishment, but a kind of shady underworld where vague spirits existed.  No.  Aaron is gathered to his people - to those who went before him, his blood ancestors, his community forebears.

I suppose the thing that strikes me most is the implication of the sins of the community for the one person.  It is a small jump from here to some sort of vicarious atonement view, but I'm not convinced it's one that is justified.  More, there is a reminder of the implications of my action (or inaction) as part of a community on the here-and-now experiences of others.  Would that these were 'red and blue' or 'black and white' divisions; would that it were easy to see what is sin and what is not; would that I even glimpsed (mentally anyway) the Land of Promise, humanly speaking, towards which the journey is headed.

The stories of Moses and Aaron have long served to remind me that I may not see my dreams fulfilled, even if (miraculously) they align perfectly with God's will.  But today, I almost feel a sense of relief and release... it is not all down to me whether I do or not!  Whilst I am obviously responsible for my own choices, those made by others may irrevocably impact my experiences... for good or for ill.

But, come what may, God gathers in the tired, old, flawed servant, and God hands on the mantle, the role, to a new generation.

God of Aaron

You chose this man for service

Knowing the limits of his ability

And the likelihood that he would fail

You chose him,

And you did not reject him

Though he failed

And was caught up in the failures of others

God of [my name]

You have chosen me for service

Knowing the limits of my ability

And the inevitability that I will fail

You chose me

And you do not reject

Though I fail

And am complicit in the failures of others

God of Nicodemus

God of all who come by night

Longing for knowledge

Seeking for truth

Open our minds

Open our hearts

Breath new life into our being

That we all may live always for you

And, when life is past,

Be gathered by you

To eternal rest

Amen

Today the latest issue of BMS Mission Catalyst landed on my doormat.  It is one of umpteen Christian publications that do so.  It is one of the few I read cover to cover; one of the few that I can say I make time for.

This one is about the Bible and about attitudes to its inspiration, purpose and reliability, to name but three.  Now rocket science it is not, but it does have a level of honesty which some will find discomfiting, especially if they have managed to evade any proper Biblical studies, church history - or even failed to read the stuff that is printed in the back of the Good News Bible I've had since my teens or the beginning of the Lion Handbook.

Trouble is, I suppose, very few people will actually read it.  Those who have a more fundamentalist view will dismiss it as 'liberal' and those who accept probably already know what it says.  It needs to get past ministers (at whom it is aimed) to 'people in the pew'.

Anyway, if you are interested and don't have direct access to a paper copy, you can always read it on line here (though having just looked it hasn't appeared there yet!  It is issue 2/12.  Plenty of other interesting issues to look at in the meantime)