 My Daily Prayer Walk through Forrester Hill and Cornhill praying for those in our Hospitals was delayed today as I wanted to carry the Sacraments with me as a sign of God’s presence among God’s people. This daily ritual is like touching the five wounds of the Lord and claiming the promise, ‘by His wounds we are healed.’ (Isaiah 53.5) I am glad it was nearly the midday by the time I commenced my walk.
The last leg of the walk through Victoria Park and the Westburn Park is normally quiet apart from the tweets of a bird or two. Today it was different. The parks were like Carnival in the winter wonderland. People of all ages and colours were celebrating life in this natural phenomenon. The atmosphere was a joy to behold. I could feel a spring in my steps thanking God for this wonderous gift of joy in the most simple and profound gift of God in Creation. The Christmas Festive period somehow carried a shadow. There were people in our hospitals, care homes, prisons and some lost their loved ones. These realities are inevitable. But the burden of Christmas with expensive gifts and the expectation of joy at everything somehow casts a shadow that most of us dread quietly. However, I saw no shadow today in the sunshine and snow because it cost nothing to enjoy this experience. The joy is brought home to us in Aberdeen. It made me thank God for the goodness in life which costs me nothing. The joy of Family and friends. The blessings of the People of God coming together for prayer and the sharing in the tokens of love. Our wellbeing and the delight of serving those in our communities, especially those in the margins for any reason. The free gifts of God are the ones that we enjoy most. Greed for power and position can rob us of this joy. By the grace of God we shall recover all.
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The first lesson at the Morning Prayer today has an extraordinary exchange between YHWH and Abram. God appears to a 99 year old man and asks him to walk before him and be perfect. There is very little reality about this whole ‘appearance’ event. Appearance has a greater status in the context of the Jewish faith than prophesy.
The core of the ‘Appearance’ is the Covenant of Abram where impossibilities and uncertainties dominate the deal and Abram has no other choice but trust. The only comfort is that the covenant is between two unequal parties with God holding all the cards. Abram is bound to be worse off in this covenant. Yet his trust in YHWH is beyond reproach that trust and obedience was greater than Abram’s hopes and dreams. There ‘appears’ to be something greater in the Covenant than the circumcision. God’s compassion for Abram had greater purpose than Abrams immediate reality of a barren life. Trust in God appears to be the watchword in this encounter as we embark on year 2025. Quarter of a century is past since our last existential crisis at the Millennium. We have faced and conquered an epidemic and at least two financial crisis in the first quarter of this century. Two wars continue but none in the scale of the first half of the last century. We may not know what lies ahead of us but we do know that the one who promised to be with us will be. We shall go forward with confidence and joy into the second quarter of this century. Today the Church gives thanks for the life and witness of John Wycliff. It would be right to call him a Saint although the Church of his time rejected him and his reforms as heretical. The derogatory term used in reference to those who supported the teachings of John as Lollards would carry a very different meaning if the social media language of today is applied – Lol-erd the one who laughs out loud. However, John’s associated were called Lollards to mean heretics or uneducated. Lollards were anything but uneducated heretics. The vision of John to make the Scriptures accessible to every human being with little or no learning so that they too can discover the love of God recorded in the Scriptures through reading the Saints in their own language. There is no doubt that the impact of the life and witness of Wycliff remains alive and well to this day.
John was a realist. It meant that reality exists independent of human mind and human understanding. The virtual reality and the artificial intelligence of today is possible, thanks to John courage to challenge the evil and corruption in the Church of his time. John laid the foundation and Martin Luther and his associates built on this solid foundation. The core dispute between the Church and the Reformers is the acceptance or the rejection of the corruption of power. Church’s desire to control wealth and the commercialisation of sin and salvation seem to have been at the heart of dispute and conflict between the two sides. The issue remains to this day albeit in a difference form. The Self Regulatory process in the Church fails to serve the purpose it is designed to. Safeguarding has become a major issue for the Church today, as the Church has deliberately or carelessly created a two tier system of governance which gives immunity to one level while being punitive with the other. Reform in our Church today is inevitable and very urgent because the society and the law has moved forward with standards of conduct in high office expected to be linked to the Office. The higher people aspire to in authority and power and expected to their conduct to be aligned. When this becomes incompatible, people are put at risk. We pray the coming year and the coming quarter of the century will impact the church in ways it had not prepared for so the Kingdom of God can flourish the world God loves finds healing and Peace. He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God. Colossians 1.15
St Paul’s vision of God in Christ Jesus must have disturbed the Pharisee to the core that he was more confident as a prosecutor of the church than accepting the love of Jesus. In the Church, the most disturbing experience is to witness people reject the love of God and choose either the security of traditions and rituals or the glamour of power and position. The core remains empty and corrupt and we remain susceptible to temptations deceptions and violence. However, when Paul was met with the overwhelming love of God in the deep encounter of “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He was faced with his ultimate vulnerability because he saw the profound mystery in great splendour and beauty and could say with boldness, ‘He is the image of the invisible God.’ Jesus was not made in the image of God but He was the Image of God, give us a blueprint to see our ultimate image in Jesus. The concept of God taking human form, as seen in the Christian belief of the Incarnation, involves several profound risks and challenges: By becoming human, God in Jesus experienced the full range of human vulnerabilities, including physical pain, hunger, fatigue, and ultimately, death. This is a significant risk because it involves the Creator subjecting Himself to the limitations and sufferings of His creation. Jesus faced misunderstanding, rejection, and hostility from many people, including religious leaders and even His own followers at times. This risk highlights the potential for God's message to be misinterpreted or outright rejected. As a human, Jesus was subject to temptation. Although He did not sin, the risk of facing temptation was real and part of the human experience (Hebrews 4:15). The ultimate risk was Jesus' suffering and crucifixion. This was not just a physical ordeal but also a profound spiritual and emotional burden, as He bore the sins of humanity (Philippians 2:8). The success of God's plan of salvation through Jesus depended on human response. People had to accept and believe in Jesus for the plan to be fulfilled. This introduces the risk of human free will and the possibility of rejection. Despite these risks, the Incarnation is seen as a profound act of love and humility, demonstrating God's willingness to go to great lengths to reconcile with humanity. It is for this reason, St Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit could say with absolute confidence and boldness, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” O what a mystery?  He was twelve years old. He chose to be in the temple listening and asking questions. It would be wrong to imagine this most common human experience as anything other than that. Yet Luke registers this event as if it is something significant. The secret of deeper relationship may be the pattern of Listening and questioning?
The concern Mary raised and the response by Jesus are of the highest significance. The natural exchange carries a great importance in the context. We shall dwell on this now.  The Cathedral @ Concert today was called Hornflakes. Four French Horns played in the Cathedral by four eminent players was in itself the most exquisite celebration of good music. However, what impacted most was the less known work of Wolgang Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus for French Horn composed in 1791. It was written in the last year of his life which meant he was both deeply aware of the significance of the death of Christ for the life of the whole world, and especially his own impending departure.
The words of Ave Verum Corpus carried greater significance today as we observe the Slaughter of the Innocents i.e. the genocide recorded by Matthew (2.16-18). These are the words of the Mass: Hail, true Body, born of the Virgin Mary, having truly suffered, sacrificed on the cross for mankind, from whose pierced side water and blood flowed: Be for us a sweet foretaste in the trial of death! O sweet Jesus, O holy Jesus, O Jesus, son of Mary, have mercy on me. Amen. Holding in my heart the suffering innocent young women of our Church this Christmas, I have none to turn but to ONE sacrificed on the cross for humanity, whose pierced side water and blood flow. How long O Lord? How long? What have we done to deserve this evil? O Jesu, have mercy on us. Free us from this burden of evil. The evil tyrant mocks your beloved. Set us free to worship you without FEAR. In Holiness and Righteousness, all the days of our lives. We offered our prayers this day in the song of the French Horns today. Come, Lord Jesus and answer our prayers. You are invited to hear Ave Verum Corpus played today in the Cathedral here: Hornflakes Ave Very Corpus ‘My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’ Exodus 33.14
It is hard to see and know the real nature of our Communion with God and the objective of God’s promise. Moses was called by God to lead the People of Israel from slavery in Egypt to Freedom in the Promised Land. Divine encounter that Moses experienced was meant to reassure him. The first test of freedom was to worship the golden calf, a worst rebellion possible against the one who set them free. Moses who was the präe̯ˈpɔs̠ɪt̪ʊs̠ the one placed in the front. He was called not only to lead but to defend the People of God when they were exposed to the evil one. However, he was placed in between God and the rebellious People. He wanted to renegotiate his terms präe̯ˈpɔs̠ɪt̪ʊs̠ . He negotiated with God who refused to GO with the rebellious People. Moses interceded on behalf of the people, pleading for God's presence to continue with them. God’s response to Moses’ Intercession was this statement reassuring Moses that YEWH will indeed accompany them, providing guidance and protection. The "rest" mentioned here signifies more than physical rest. It encompasses peace, security, and the fulfilment of God's promises. It assures Moses that despite the challenges ahead, God's presence will bring them to a place of peace and fulfilment. The promise also highlights the unique relationship between God and Moses. God spoke to Moses "face to face, as a man speaks to his friend" (Exodus 33:11). This close relationship is a model of the deep, personal connection God desires with His people. The relationship that was lost in the Garden of Eden is being restored here, symbolically and in the Garden of Gethsemane, ultimately. For Moses, leading the People of God was a daunting task. This assurance from God provided the strength and confidence he needed to fulfil his leadership role. Knowing that he was not alone was a great comfort and inspiration. Faced with leading a rebellious people, Moses was blessed with deep Communion with God and a humble spirit. It is written, ‘Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.’ (Numbers 12.3). The common misconception of ‘meekness’ is being naïve and weak. However, William Barclay considers the root meaning of the word as, ‘having power under control, and being able to direct it in a righteous way.’ Meek people know how to control their righteous indignation. They are motivated by a vision of what true justice looks like, rather than a personal vendetta against those who have harmed them. They are not intoxicated by power. The tragedy in the Church today is, that those called to leadership in the Church have lost the vision of this peculiar nature of power found in Moses and Jesus and found the power of corruption found in our Corporate world today. We remain in Prayer for the removal of corruption and revival of the Church anchored by the Cross of Christ. Today we celebrate St Stephen’s Day. Stephen was one of the Seven Deacons elected by the Apostles, (the Disciples of Jesus Christ) to be Administrators in the Early Church. He was known deep faith in Jesus Christ that was manifested in the working of miracles, full of wisdom with a great gift in speech that the religious establishment of the day could not resist his power of persuasion that Jesus is the fulfilment of the Law. He was falsely accused and was taken beyond the gates of the city and was stoned to death. He prayed for forgiveness for his persecutors. Saul of Tarsus, who became St Paul and was chosen to lay the foundation for the Church oversaw this cruel death. The striking similarity between our Lord and Stephen is their singular grace to pray for their enemies at the point of death. It must be noted that they did not pronounce forgiveness but simply prayed for their forgiveness, there by commending them to God’s judgement.  The Stoning of Saint Stephen ca. 1100 (Medieval), ivory (Medieval Europe ) St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr (ca. AD 35), kneels with his arms raised in prayer, blessed by the Hand of God. He seeks a pardon for the three men shown at the right who are about to stone him to death under the orders of Saul of Tarsus, who is seated at the left (Acts 7:58-60). This plaque, broken and worn smooth over time, was most likely made for a reliquary box or casket. In Walters Art Museum. It is worth noting the difference between the early church and the contemporary Anglican/Episcopalian norms in church governance. In the Primitive Church the Apostles were committed to teaching, preaching, prayer and pastoral care of the community. They elected Deacons to the Administration of the Church in gathering of alms distribution of aid, care of the widows and orphans and enable the great commission. Today, the Apostolic role appears to be delegated to the People of God with natural gift for leadership recognised by the Christian Community and the city, while the Diaconal role has been made the Episcopal function. The current high profile challenges in the Governance of the Church is the direct result of confusion of roles against those found in the early church, exercised by prayer and discernment, a gift of the Holy Spirit. It is hoped that the current difficulties in Safeguarding which are linked to week governance and ill defined roles and responsibilities, distinct lack of accountability and poor leadership will be reformed. If it means that St Stephen of our day is unjustly targeted with the threat of stones of ambush and exclusion for resisting the poor governance and weak leadership, we join St Stephen in praying for the persecutors. May God raise St Paul of our day to bring about Revival of the Church and to rebuild the Kingdom of God that it may once again call a new generation of women and men to God’s unfailing love.
 The Breakfast after the Feast of the Christ Mass last night was sumptuous. It was tempting to staying in bed a bit longer than the daily rising at 6am for the Homewards Daily Prayer Walk around our Four Royal Hospitals in our NHS Grampian. I must confess I am glad I managed to resist the temptation and persevered with my Daily Prayer Walk, greeting everyone I met with, ‘Merry Christmas. Nine out of Ten responded with a smile and a ‘Merry Christmas.’ There was one who responded, ‘Happy Holidays’. It made me wonder and I looked up to confirm what I thought was the case. Here is what my companion St AI said.
The word "holiday" comes from the Old English word hāligdæg, which is a combination of hālig ("holy") and dæg ("day"). Holidays originated as religious festivals, or "holy days", and were opportunities for people to gather and celebrate. If my friendly encounter responded with a ‘Secular Response’ he could not have been more true about today. Today is a Holy Day and the Twelve Days of Christmas which end with the Feast of Epiphany, the arrival of the Magi to the Manger is part of our Holy Days. This year, the Kings Speech, I believe, will focus on our National Health Service. It is a blessing that our Royal Family has been most mindful of our rich heritage with the blessings of our NHS. Homewards is a core part of the Royal Foundation which we are honoured to be part of. The Homewards Daily Prayer Walk is an honour and privilege to pray for those who offer care and receive cure. The Letter read out at the Civic Carol Service on the 10th of December carried the echoes of the message of Christmas. The real healing is of God to whom we commend all who are in our hearts and thoughts this day. This is our Prayer tonight and for the Christmastide.
Almighty God, you make us glad with the yearly remembrance of the birth of your Son Jesus Christ: grant that, as we joyfully receive him as our redeemer, so we may with sure confidence behold him when he shall come to be our judge; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. The final of the Four Last Things of Advent is Heaven. This is our Homewards journey to the Manger. We shall be joined by the Shepherds and the Angels. The Magi will join us in due course. However, our eyes are focused on the ONE laid in the Manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes. We shall Feast on HIM tonight as we gather for the Festival of Festivals, the Christ Mass. In Him was LIFE. The taste of the New Life will not be held hostage by the venom of the Serpent. The Prophesy of Eden will taste sweet in our mouth tonight, as we REMEMBER in DOING what He commanded. 'Do this in Remembrance of Me.' (Luke 22.19). This was the Prophesy and the this was the Promise. The Prophet cannot be wrong, not once. God said to the Serpent, 'I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” 'He shall bruise your head' indeed. Deep darkness surrounds the Manger and the shadows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Her Spouse most holy Joseph is cast into the business of the town of Bethlehem, because of the the Christ Light in the manger. The enmity between the Serpent and the Beloved, lingers on to this night while the sting of the Serpent is removed for eternity in the Garden of Gethsemane and Golgotha. We therefore celebrate the triumph of the Promise over the Pride of the Angel of Light. We shall with sure confidence behold Him this Most Holy Night for He makes us glad with the yearly remembrance of the Birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ as we receive him as our Redeemer. Come, Let us Celebrate. |
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