Sunday 22 May

1 Samuel 10:9-12:25

Cranky.  That’s what Samuel sounds like to me.  I imagine his gnarled old hand bashing his staff down on a rock as he lambasts the Israelites for their catalogue of sins.  But, despite his obvious frustration with the people it is clear that he still feels a very strong commitment to them - to pray for them and to teach them the way that is good and right (12:23).  Indeed, Samuel says it would be a sin for him to neglect to pray for the people.  Surely this is the way of the Lord.  Surely God calls us to faithfulness in relationships despite their tendency to put you in a rage or leave you broken and confused.  If God has put people in our lives, especially if he has put people under our leadership then I don’t think it is for us to turn our back on them without prior permission for him.  We are called to love one another and go on loving one another even when we want to shove a cabbage down their throat.  And one sure way of showing love is to pray.  To pray for people’s growth and health and intimacy with the Father.  And, all being well, hopefully somebody will be doing the same for us.  For if we do that, the Spirit may well come on all of us and make us all into different, more holy people.  

John 12:37-13:17

We should not be pessimists, for He came to save the world.  He did not come to point out error and to judge and to condemn.  Sadly that seems to be the reputation that we as His followers have won for ourselves but that is not why he came.  He came to bring positives, to bring life, to bring hope.  He came to spot potential and to bring it about.  He saw what could be brilliant and wonderful and beautiful.  He went beyond pure analysis and sought to instill within creation a fresh taste of joy.  Like a sprinkler flicking water on parched grass turning it from brown to green before your very eyes.  Any old bloke can say that their neighbour’s grass is brown.  It takes a rare generosity of spirit to  walk across the boundary markers and water their grass, to take the time and effort to nurture their property into health.  That is what he has done in our lives; He has changed things for the better.  He has marinaded us in goodness.  He has leveraged us some hope.  And that is what he invites us into.  To be bringers of hope and life, to be spotters of good and encouragers of men.  Not in a naff “everything’s alright Jack” kind of way but in a real Jesus way - of taking off our outer clothing, wrapping a towel around our waist, pouring some water into a basin and washing some feet.  Of helping people become all that they can be through the cleansing and restoring water of the Spirit.

Psalm 66:1-12

He has brought us into a place of abundance.  Let’s not leave this abundance to get dusty on the shelves.