Rev elations

The Mayor has given himself a challenging theme for his Mayoral year that of peace and unity.  In our current national context where fears around religious fundamentalism, or fundamentalism of any kind are rightly feared, it is so important to articulate a hospitable and generous account of what it means for people of different faiths and none to work together for the common good.  This is something that the new Mayor, Ramesh Srivastava has committed himself to, which is a truly noble task. This year provides a great opportunity for the people of Rugby to be further united and to work for peace; we have come together today to witness to what it means to be people of difference who work for peace and unity. Thich Nhat Hanh, an internationally known Vietnamese Zen Buddhist Monk, writes that: 'The practice of peace and reconciliation is one of the most vital and artistic of human actions.' Jesus says in the Bible reading we have just heard: 'Blessed...

As Christians we all the time stand in the presence of the one who is glorified; we always have God as our background, as our strength. We look elsewhere for the ultimate means of knowledge, for the ultimate means of consolation. This marks us out in a secular world, for a secular mindset rejects the idea of there being something greater and better than us who teaches us who we really are and what our real end is. Everything is reduced to what humanity can see, understand, categorise. The Vision that Isaiah* has of God, sums up in many ways the story of God that is told from the start of the Old Testament to the close of the New – God alone is worthy of honour and praise – a true encounter with God brings us to our knees in recognition of our own unworthiness – God forgives us and calls us and sends us to do his work. This Vision of God is a Trinitarian vision as God is seen to work in the ways that we understand God to work as Christians – The Mighty Creator and King worthy of ho...

At the Feast of Pentecost we remember the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. To help us enter into that story afresh,  I wonder if you will imagine with me that you are visiting a house that hasn’t been lived in for some time which, however, you know it really well. Perhaps it’s a summer house that has been left empty all winter; you are travelling down to re-open this house for the summer. Imagine approaching this house, what do you see? Perhaps the grass is very overgrown at the front, too many shrubs that need cutting back. All the curtains are drawn. As you turn the key in the lock and push the door you are at first halted by the amount of mail that has piled up behind the door. As you start to move through the house opening curtains and doors, light starts to filter back into the house, so that you see the furniture and the dust. Your presence starts to bring light with warmth a human touch. You pat down sofas, move some things around. Start to open and sort throu...

My children love the story of the three little pigs, which is a great narrative about how to build a secure life, how to protect ourselves, how to prevent our selves from being victims. A similar parable is found in the Bible of course, the parable about building a house on sand or on rock. ‘Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!’ Matthew 7:23-29 The Gospel reading for the Sunday after Ascension* gives us a very clear expression of how to build a house on rock, for we listen into a conversation between Jesus and His Father. Jesus’ pr...

Each of us is waiting for the dove (Noah and the ark cf. Genesis 8:1-9) the sign of the dove bringing the good news that the water has abated, that the flood is over and that new life can return. We are people, most of the time of the flood; people drowning and floundering in the world, fighting hard to remain faithful, but often being absorbed by the wrong things.  Where in your life are you obsessing about the wrong things? What does God want you to focus on? Jesus comes into the midst of our flood, whatever it may be to reassure us with words of peace: Peace be with you. The presence of God in our lives can lead us to fear, rather than to be full of joy. Why? Because we are secular people, concerned with the things of this world. Fear and doubt mount an attack on our faith, our hope and our peace. Where is comfort to be found? In the words of our Saviour: 'The Messiah had to suffer and to rise from the dead' (Luke 24: 46). New life comes ...

Vocation as Participation Women priests at Coventry Cathedral celebrating each year of ordinations since 1994.  They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-end The church of England has been celebrating and marking 20 years of women’s priestly ministry. Today I went to a service of celebration at Coventry Cathedral.  When I was in the cathedral I thought again about why women’s priesth...

Then Jesus cried aloud:  'Whoever believes in me believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me'. This reading presents to us the inter-dependence of the Father and the Son. Glory as I reflected in my last post, is what God does for us in love and here Jesus tells us what he does for us is on behalf of the Father: they work together, not alone. Jesus is a reflection of the Father, if we see Him we see the Father. Devotion to Jesus – looking upon Him through icons, through reading Scripture, in worship, in sharing in the Eucharist draws us into relationship with the Father, because through Jesus we see the Father. Sacraments exist because Jesus tells us that if we look on Him we see the Father ––sacraments always refer to Christ – to his action in the world, and they enable us to enter fully into the relationship that exists between the Father and the Son. I do not judge anyone who hears my words and does not keep them,  for...