WHAT GRACE CAN DO FOR YOU

To see the current week's readings, click here

In our OT reading, we hear about David scheming to take another mans wife…and a man of God being brave enough to challenge him, and he repents, saved by the GRACE of God

Paul’s letter to the Galatians, points out that as repentant sinners- we are put right with God by our faith in Christ –saved by the GRACE of God in Christ

One of my most favourite incidents in the life of Jesus, is this story about Mary, a so-called fallen women-who had the courage to approach him in a very public act of contrition and love, and tend his undoubtedly hot, tired and dusty feet; She is told that her faith has saved her-another saved by Gods GRACE shown through Jesus

Whatever we have done-however bad we think we are-whatever terrible anguish we may have caused - if we have the courage to turn around and say sorry-it is as if we had never sinned, by Gods GRACE we have a fresh start

There is however, a terrible danger in all of this, it is the danger of becoming complacent, thinking we are OK because we will always be forgiven…this is a most subtle trap set by the king of all deceivers-I don’t know how many have read CS Lewis’ Screwtape Letters-a correspondence between a young probationary tempter, Wormwood, and his more experienced uncle Screwtape. He recommends encouraging a ‘False spirituality,’ which can lure young Christians into direct disobedience to the Enemy, (God) by making them too heavenly minded and therefore no earthly good!! ie using the doing of Holy Things like praying, to avoid actions which might be difficult and/or inconvenient, but would in fact be helpful and productive. There is nothing wrong with praying of course, so long as we are willing to put legs on our prayers, and are absolutely ready to do what we can to work alongside God…because sometimes He uses our prayers to prompt us into the needed action.

So bearing that danger in mind, how can we best relate to God, without falling into all sorts of other difficulties? Like being pleased with ourselves? When I was at school-we were encouraged to use the Chapel before breakfast-I was also learning piano, and did my practising at that time-so imagine how pleased I was with myself for getting up early enough to do both! It was only when we were being prepared for Confirmation, that I realised how I had succumbed to the temptation of very unholy pride!!! BOTHER! I had to keep saying sorry for being pleased with myself!

I am at last beginning to realise that Paul, in his somewhat muddled and roundabout way, had the right idea-we must first take note of the injunction to be ‘put to death with Christ on his cross, so that it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me…’ what on earth does that mean? This is what I understand. It is no longer MY life when I totally accept the truth of Jesus Christ, as for instance, in confirmation- I too must ‘die’ in a manner of speaking, to the life hitherto lived without him; but, and this is a very big but- I need to remember Jesus resurrection, his coming back to life- so as I accept his death and mine-I accept that resurrected life as well; to quote Paul again ‘this life that I live now, I live by faith in the Son of God’ This gets scarier and scarier…and the question that arises then, for me anyway, is can I keep that faith? and the answer? In the words of an old, favourite Beatles number of mine ‘With a little help from my friends-I can try with a little help from my friends-I’ll get by with a little help from my friends…

OK a few words about that then! It may not have entirely escaped your attention that about 30 members of this Church were absent last Sunday, getting a little -no! getting a whole lot of help from their friends…Imagine St Johns, and all that we find together in this place magnified and then transported to a place of great beauty, Aylesford; Add to that a sensitive, gently provocative, humorous and wise teacher, in Bishop Laurie Green; and also give everyone the opportunity to loosen up and amaze us all with their many and varied gifts; mix these ingredients together with some really quite tasty food, and plenty of wine to wash it all down, topped up with some very fine weather-and what do you get? (Answers on a PC please, winner to be announced…) for me, a little taste of what Heaven might be like-in fact the Bishop told us a story, ‘there was a young man who was looking for God. After a long and fruitless search, one day, towards evening, this young man came to a village in the middle of woodland. Feeling tired and weary he knocked on the door of the first little house he came to and asked his usual question, “where can I find God?” instead of the usual blank stare, he was invited in, and offered food and drink, and a bed for the night by his most congenial hosts. As it was getting late, he gladly accepted. In the morning after a hearty breakfast, he was directed to a house on the far side of the village, where lived an old wise woman. He told her about his quest-she smiled at him and suggested that he stay with them in the village for a while...Bishop Laurie gave us the whole story…I wonder if you can imagine how it ended?

As I wrote this, I wondered how I would come to a close! Then I remembered that we were to consider the exciting future of St Johns, as our focus for the Parish wk/nd so we were challenged to decide what was the nature of the church worldwide? So I will leave you to ponder the implications of 4 of the posters that we produced together-hoping and praying that all who enter St Johns, on the quest to find God, will indeed find Him here.

...and all the People said, AMEN

Elaine Noonan
St John the Evangelist, Pevensey Rd, St Leonards on Sea