Wednesday 3 December 2014

Oldest policy ever

When I was a young man the question which dominated my beloved Tory party was Britain’s place in Europe. Indeed the first general election I can remember saw the then party leader William Hague run on a “save the pound” ticket. Now with much talked about the “rise” of UKIP and the rampant stagnation of the Euro zone Britain’s relationship with Europe is centre stage once more.
The title for this piece comes from an international diplomacy lecture I had some years ago. In this lecture the professor argued that Britain had, had one single foreign policy ever since Elizabeth the first. It was to ensure there was never a single power in Europe and to be separate from Europe. This policy he called in Europe but not of it.

Britain has since this time bled on every European battle field.  From the; war of the Spanish succession, to the wars against Napoleon, even against Russia over Crimea and finally the first and second world wars.  Britain’s eyes and soul was never focused on the continent but to the sea and trade, Britain stood always alone (which is untrue) and always involved with Europe but looking elsewhere. The fall of empire and the rise of the EU has, however, forced Britain to come to terms in some way with an end to the old idea of Europe and Britain place within.

Here dear reader I must confess a slight schizophrenia towards the current incarnation of Europe. I both hate (and hate is the right word) the idea of becoming a province within a single European nation (a national nightmare since old Liz 1) and cannot really say I believe Britain could survive as well as we do outside of Europe. So I really believe we must be part of Europe but apart from it and I want to tell you why.

Frist Britain is not European, thanks to our seaward gaze, are involvement with Europe since the fall of the Plantagenet’s has been one of suspicion not brotherly co-operation. Our culture and history is not wholly tied to the continent, even the dominate Anglo-American political thought  is opposed to the more corporatist European model. Simply being in the EU will not change this, our gaze remains more to the Atlantic then it does the channel.

Secondly the European Union is a fowl undemocratic, unfriendly, badly run, technocracy. Even if it is reformed without being burned down and stared from scratch again, we British know that the organisation will retain some of these feature. I have serious reservations that democracy can practically function at the transnational level and if it can be aggregated to majority votes amongst national leaders and still be called democratic.

I could go on for far longer about why I loath the EU so but I do not wish this piece to degenerate into a rant because whilst my heart screams an anti EU message my brain whispers another. You see I recognise that the nature of Europe has changed, whether the British like it or not a single power has emerged and that power cannot be ignored or denied. Indeed, look at aura the vast majority of our clients come from this power and we are but a microcosm of British commerce the vast majority of whom are focused upon the new Europe.

So why love the EU, well for one it does guarantee the free movement of trade and the British do love us some trade and freedom. The EU and the free trade it offers has been good for post war Britain. As I said the Empire is dead and we need someone to trade with. We tried in the 70’s turning to the common wealth but are trade links are far weaker and the governance of trade within far weaker, so we are left with the EU.

The EU is many thing but it is not the national sovereign eating monsters popular in the British nightmare. We have to accept that Europe is not trying to concur us, despite how the media portray the EU.  Yes the EU is not perfect but a great deal of her harmful effects are due to British interventions. Yes dear reader it was the UK who pushed for eastern European nations to join and for membership to expand (in an ill advise attempt to weaken the union) and now we complain that their citizens are coming over here and largely doing jobs we don’t want to do.


So where are we now, well right back where we started? In the 70’s Britain undermined the commonwealth by ending the free movement of people’s within but I don’t think we can pull that rabbit this time and even if we do we are still left with the paradox of Britain’s, nay the world’s oldest continual policy. That of Britain’s foreign policy towards Europe, we cannot remain both in it but not of it. We have to reconcile are hearts with our head, we have to be British and pragmatic about it, the empire has gone, globalisation is here and the EU is a fact; whether we like it or are a member of it or not. 

Saturday 27 September 2014

Oos For remembrance day

Order of service:


Call to worship:

Hymn: Stf 456 And are we yet alive

Prayer of adoration & thanksgiving

Reading: Psalm 25 1-7 & 16-21

All age address: being led by God’s mercy

Hymn: StF 18: Be still and know that I am God

dismissal

Reading: Acts 16 22-34

Reading: 1 Peter 2 1-2 & 9 – 25

2 min silence

Hymn Mission prays 757 When peace like a river or StF 421 Empty, broken, here I stand

Sermon:
  • WW1 is a great national scare
  • All wars scare nations
  • All of us our scared
  • Jesus Heals all wounds
  • Scare join us together
  • Let us remember our scares
  • Let us be reborn
Hymn: 705: it is God who holds the nations / StF 445 He came to earth, not to be served

Collection

Prayer of confession and forgiveness

Intersession

Lords prayer

Hymn: StF 94: To God be the glory


Dismissal 

Sunday 21 September 2014

Why can’t English MP just vote for English matters?

Why can’t English MP just vote for English matters?
Well there is nothing of course stopping it and never was anything preventing this. Even under the post Glorious Revolution settlement you could have easily had a convention (or a tradition) of other MP abstaining on such issues but then you’d have a power paradox.

You see the Prime minister must a majority of MP, so a PM could have a national majority but not an English minority. The trouble is England represents 80% of the UK.  Worse still they could have a UK majority but not a majority in any of the devolved nations. In the last election, had we had such a system, labour would have had a UK majority but not one in any region except wales, this would leave you with a lame duck PM passing national policy at odds to the polices being passed in the various nations .

Of course the reverse is currently true and a cause for nationalist pressures in our union. The current PM does not have a majority in Wales, Scotland or NI indeed the Tory party has no MP’s in Ni and only one in Scotland yet he “rules” over all of the UK. What this had led to is Tory government ignoring these areas as they don’t matter to them electorally and this situation is untenable as well.
So what can we do?

·        Go back, row back devolution: Though technically and legally possible any such move would at best lead to years of bad blood and protest and at worse to the end of the Union and the alienation of our brothers and sisters.

·         Break up the Union: This would require a mass referendum and as none of the “main” parties would support it, it would be unlikely to pass. Also the end of our country is like killing a person merely because they have a tummy ache

·         English votes for English MP and hang the oddness. Whilst this could be done without a formal constitution but would most likely lead to one and once you give politicians legal power they tend to use and expand them. Again leading to UK Vs National power struggles  and lame duck PMs

·         A formal federal UK based on the existing nations where the PM had to be elected by all 4 parts. This would lead to at best collations of the vaguely willing and at worse endless elections

A Federal UK with sub national federal regions for England but federal region at nation level for Scotland, NI wales. The biggest issue of this is that the English always vote against it and see it as another layer of bureaucracy and politicians which it is but is a workable and respectable system of governance.

·         A federal UK replacing the devolved region with a wholly sub national federal system. This is my ideal, it would greatly strengthen the Union and end the threat of nationalism, however very unlikely ever to be voted through

What we can’t do


·         Nothing

Friday 1 August 2014

Assisted dying

Genesis 22 9-10:
When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, ‘Abraham! Abraham!’

I support euthanasia; I want it made very clear. I support not only the current assisted dying bill but I would support any bill that gives people the ability to end their lives and I do not believe this to be incompatible with my Christian faith.

I can hear the howls of objections about the sanctity of life which is expounded in scripture. God after all has; counted the very hairs on our heads, he has formed our hearts, adopted us as his children and even taken to the cross to suffer and die for our redemption. How can any self-respecting Christian not rejoice in the sanctity life?

Well this view is a false one. The crucifixion did not end mortal death; it ends the separation between God and man. Christ did not end mortal death he simply ended it being forever. God’s main focus is leading his people then all people back to him. It is not to ensure that everyone eked out there existence for as long as humanly possible regardless of suffering or pain.

 But murder is a sin, yes it is and life and I mean full human life full of both pain and sorrow and trial and tabulation but also joy, relief, victory and celebration is a gift from God. It is after redemption probably the best gift from God but we have corrupted it. God set a limit of human life and through medicine and in my mind overly intensive “care” we have enabled people to live to an age where the body is crumbling around them.

They are no longer theological prisoners of the flesh but Actual prisoners. At the moment such peoples are either forced to receive this “care” until there body collapse or they themselves or those around them starve them to death. I am sorry to use such blunt words but those who oppose my view accuse us of supporting murder, whilst they themselves support the withdraw of support (aka starvation) pretending this is some natural and God ordained method of killing someone.

Yes shooting someone so full of morphine so they die is killing them but so is denying someone food or water whilst you shoot them up with slightly lower levels of the same drug. We allow this and as far as I know there are few safeguards or informed consent of the sick person. What is so very odd is we do this and consider it; one natural and two to be a kindness. Both are untrue, assisted dying and doctors are already implicit in its administration. We have in short cross the Rubicon and build a motorway bridged.

I have chosen the passage from Genesis because at least Abraham was going to kill his son quickly because that was and is the merciful thing to do. I have not got time hear for a full argument merely to contrast what is with the ideal and then contrast what is with what I would have. Yes I would have people choosing to be killed and I am sure this is far from the ideal of God but I am sure that starving people to death without their consent is also far from His ideal and to me it is simple a question of mercy and I believe deeply that assisted suicide is more merciful then making and ideal of an empty pain filled life.


Saturday 19 July 2014

A new communion service

Communion for Service 4

Bold text is spoken by the whole congregation 

17 the peace:

By the spirit of God we are all one family, we join together with Christ to share this meal, to drink from his cup of crucifixion and salvation,we do so gladly and freely

when Christ was risen he stood among the disciples and said “Peace be with you”
They were glad to see the lord and welcomed each other saying: “Christ be always with you and also with you Alleluia!

Let us as one family greet each other now by shaking of hand and saying: 

“Christ be always with you and also with you Alleluia!”

19: The preparation of the gift

When Christ met with the disciples before his crucifixion they shared a meal, during which Christ took a loaf of bread and broke it saying this is my body broken for you

Overseer takes the bread and breaks it

Christ is the bread of life, he who believes in this will not hunger
After this Christ pick up a cup full of wine saying: He who drink from my cup will never go thirsty

Overseer hold up grail

We drink happily from the cup of Christ for this us the cup of our salvation, we do this in remembrance of the blood Christ given for the forgiveness of us all

20: Thanksgiving

We have been joined together by the spirit of our heavenly father; we have been joined together by the love of his Son Jesus Christ so let us say together

The lord is with us
We lift up our hearts to you lord
We gladly give you our thanks and praise
Blessing and honour glory and love are yours our heavenly shepherd

When we wandered from you in our sin
You sought us with you steadfast love
And did not give us up.
In the fullness of time you sent your Son
To be our Saviour and Deliverer.
Made of flesh and blood, he lived our life
And died our death upon the cross.
All of this was done to save us
All of this was done to call us

Blessing and honour glory and love are yours our saviour

When Christ was at supper with his friends,
He took bread and broke and gave thanks to God
and said: Take this, all of you, and eat it.
This is my body given for you
eat this in remembrance of
me

Blessing and honour glory and love are yours our eternal host

When supper was ended,
he took the cup and gave thanks,
gave it to them saying
Drink from it all of you
This is the blood of the new covenant,
poured out for you and for everyone
It is split for the forgiveness of thins
Drink this in remembrance of me
Blessing and honour glory and love are yours great redeemer

We find ourselves sinners once more collected at that holy table
we celebrate that in Adam all people shall die
So in Christ all shall be made alive once more
We come to be forgiven, we come to bead fed and watered
We come to sit with Christ and to share his mission with him
We come to be saved and to be healed and remade
We come because you still in your glory call us
Sinners though we are


Saturday 7 June 2014

Meditation / confession

MATTHEW 11 28-30
28“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

1) We have seen others and not them brought comfort.
Let us think of those who are broken hearted.
Let us hear their crying.
Let us see their tears. (bigger pause)
Some look at an empty chair
Some bleed from wounds that none have tended. ( bigger pause)
Where have we been?

REFRAIN look at our hands Romans 7 The good that I would, I do not, the evil that I would not, those things I do. Wretched person that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death.

2) We have seen others suffer under the yoke of this world
Sometimes we have put food in the foodbank
Sometimes we give to charity
But haven't we often denied food to the hungry whilst overfeeding ourselves
Sometime we have chosen to feed our own egos with trinkets
whilst others have nothing whilst other go without (bigger pause)
What have I done?

REFRAIN look at our hands Romans 7 The good that I would, I do not, the evil that I would not, those things I do. Wretched person that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death.

3) We have seen the weary and not given them rest.
Sometimes we see victims of abuse and offer them naught but pity
Sometimes we see the weak and see only self advancement 
Sometimes we see the old and the unemployed and all we see are problems and numbers
Who am I helping?


REFRAIN look at our hands Romans 7 The good that I would, I do not, the evil that I would not, those things I do. Wretched person that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death.

Friday 30 May 2014

Prayer to the hurting

No matter how sad you are
No matter how much you weep
No matter how much your curse and swear
I shall be with you  

Even when you’re angry
Even when you’re cruel
Even when you’re not your best
I still love you

Even when you’re screaming
Even when you’re fighting
Even when you’re bleeding
I shall be with you  

For you are my family
For you have I called
For you have I adopted
And I love you

This life is full of hardship
This life is full of pain
This life is often hard and cruel
I shall be with you  

I suffered on the cross for you
I came into the world for you
There is nothing I will not do for you

Because I love you

Tuesday 22 April 2014

For forest of the image

Leviticus 26:1

Reward for obedience

26 ‘“Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves, and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the Lord your God.

We are lost, we are displaced. Once more god’s people have been displaced from their chosen land. This is the land of the image, the land of man, the land of here today gone tomorrow. We were unfaithful to the lord, so his hand crashed down upon us, scattering his chosen people. He has scattered his chosen people so we feel as distant from him as we were from his perfect law.

The land we now reside in is not blessed nor is it peaceful. We get no rest nor do we succour. It is a land of shifting sands. There is no God, just end endless parade of egos, the people only worship themselves. They have no sacred space just a market place, they have no holy places just the cardboard place of the latest fad. At least the lands of the pagans held false Gods close to their hearts but these people have no room in their hearts for anything but themselves, for the work of their own hands.

How can we find God in this godless land?

How can we see your glory and hear your saving word Lord?

The devout man spak thusly. Turn you people of faith, turn to the scripture; and he read in a clear and unashamed voice from Psalm 104

24 How many are your works, Lord!
    In wisdom you made them all;
    the earth is full of your creatures.
29 When you hide your face,
    they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
    they die and return to the dust.
30 When you send your Spirit,
    they are created,
    and you renew the face of the ground.
31 May the glory of the Lord endure for ever;
    may the Lord rejoice in his works –
32 he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,
    who touches the mountains, and they smoke.
33 I will sing to the Lord all my life;
    I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
    as I rejoice in the Lord.

The devout man speaks to the faithful and the faithless.

Turn your eyes away from the forest of images; stop trying to outdo the works of God, stop trying to be Gods. Did not God bring down the great tower of babel? Did not God cause the light to be and the sea and the land to form? No work of your hand can out do God; no work of your hand can emulate the one true God. For God is not here on day gone the next, he is not faithless nor does he seek to be popular, there is nothing shifting in him, there is nothing which is unfaithful in him.

Look at the sun brothers and sisters; can we create anything compared to its glory? Look at the globe; can we make a machine as perfect as she is? Is there any work of man so perfect as these works of God? We cannot even comprehend this great work? How then we comprehend the God who made them? No sisters and brothers turn from your understandable tat, forsake that which is simple and entertains only for a short time and turn to the one Lord who mystery and glory will keep all your days full of wonder and glory. 

Above all my foolish people do not try to conquer God and imprison him in your false ideas and cheap arts. You can no more conquer the sun then you can conquer the one who formed all things. Once you forsake the image, once you forsake the lust for your own brilliance, then God who knows all, created all and in whom all is kept will embrace you. He will show you a life of meaning a life build not on shifting stand but the very rock of the earth.  Embrace the lord and you dimly see his true glory. 

Sunday 20 April 2014

mediation on Noil me tangere

Opening statement: before I being this unfortunate task I feel forced to express my disquiet with it. I was brought up in a primitive Methodist tradition a tradition that stood foursquare against the idolisation of the works of man and man’s insane lust for the image. To demand that anyone act against their own conscience merely to become a lay preacher seems at best odd and at worse evil.

The postcard I have chosen is Roy De Maistre’s: “Noil me tangere”

Find you self-tired and thirsty. Your lost in the middle of New York, strangers rush past you, beggars beach you, there is danger and fear on every turning and it is stifling hot.

You’ve been abandon here, alone among million, a lost ant in the biggest ant hill; All that human indignity, all that man built grandeur gently mocking you, gently entombing you, suffocating you in its heartless embrace.

Above all, above the hellish din, there is the unremitting heat. Man’s great buildings offer no respite from it; man’s great wonders cannot aid you now. You’d give your arm now for just a drop of water, just a drop of human kindness.

Your tiredness over takes your weak body, right there in the flood of inhuman humanity you collapse on your knees.

You open your tired eyes and before you is Christ.

The heat Has left you, your exhaustion has left you

Show Roy De Maistre’s: “Noil me tangere”

He dwarfs the skyscrapers and towers of the city, all around you is silence.

 He is covered in the purest white cloths but his frail body is visible, his crucifixion scares still shine with God glory.

He is so vast and so powerful, yet so weak and so pitted by his experience

You rest your tried body against his leg

All creation is dwarfed by him, yet you feel like a child in his presence

In this timeless moment what does Christ whisper to you?

Look into his eyes – what is it he whispering to you?

Silence:

Prayer:
Oh great high priest – ordained sacrificial lamb, hold your son and daughter closely
Oh scared and injured Christ hold your daughters and sons closely
Come to us, people of sin and scarlet
Come to us, lost though we are
Show us your mercy
Show us your majesty
For we kneel in your weakness, in your awesome presences
We know our failings our many
We know that we held the nails that crucified you
But do not leave us, do not forsake us.

The Lord speak
My child, all this I have endure for you
These wounds where for your salvation
This mortal frame was so we could meat
This blood is for you
All for the love of you
I shall never leave you
I shall never forsake you.

*Said responsively*
Oh mighty God, source of all salvation
Oh might Christ the grand high healer of the world
We devote ourselves to you
We will walk gladly with thee
We thank thee for they kindness

We bless thee for they mercies

Sunday 13 April 2014

Funeral liturgy

A funeral service for a crematorium, or a cemetery, leading to committal
Introductory notes: This service is penned for a post Christian world and is intended for families who ever mainly culturally Christian or not wholly Christians.

Gathering:

We are gathered together to morn and weep, we are gathered together to rejoice and celebrate. For this is a day for both, it is a day to be in communion with those we love, with our farther who loves us and his son who died so that we will never die.

We are here for [Name of the deceased] to remember them, to mark their leaving and to celebrate that God will rise them to life immortal and the same God will heal our brokenness.
Amen

Silence

Blessed are those who morn, for they will be comforted. Jesus wept as we weep for Lazarus, he wept for the pain of his loved one and he rose Lazarus to life as he will raise us.
For god is our comfort, he has promised “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death” or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’

In this time of pain and hurt let us come together likes chicks to our heavenly mother, let us follow our shepherd though the valley of pain and suffering follow to the promised land where we are freed from death sting.
Amen

Hymn:

Prayer of Pain and faithfulness
Based on Job 30

Have I not wept for those in trouble?
Has not my soul grieved for the poor?
Yet when I hoped for good, evil came;
when I looked for light, then came darkness.
The churning inside me never stops;
days of suffering confront me.

In his great power God becomes like clothing to me
He has not forsaken me – though I mourn
He has not forgotten me – though my pain is great
He weeps with me
He weeps for me

My God calls me to his side
For his healing
For my comfort
So his mercy life me up

My loved one has gone one before me
God has walked with them thought the valley of death
Though the desert of sin
And now resides in the city of Gold
God walks with him, even up to dying himself on the cross to raise us all

God be with me while I walk in pain
God be with me in my brokenness
God be with me
Amen

The Ministry of the word:

Eulogy

Talk to the faithful

Talk to the doubtful

It is odd for a Christian text to command preacher talk to those who don’t believe in the resurrection but they morn just as we who believe do and they deserve comfort just as we do.

Response

Based on Psalm 34

We give thanks that the Lord is close to the broken-hearted
 and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
The righteous person may have many troubles,
 but the Lord delivers him from them all;
The Lord will rescue his servants;
 No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.
We give thanks that when we seek the Lord, and he answers us;
That God will delivered us from all my fears.
I am blessed for when this poor person called the Lord heard him;
God stays with us and comfort us through all our troubles.
We our blessed when we find our refuge in his mercy.

We know you walked with N in all their joys and sorrows
Just as you walk with us still
We know that you have taken N to be with you
You’ve taken N beyond the trials and sufferings of this world
You did all this though death and resurrection of your own son
You did all this because you love us
A love never perishes.

We thank you for the joy they brought us
For the happy memories we have of them
We thank you for the love they brought in to our lives.
We praise you our faithful father God
We give thanks Lord for the life of N
It was your abundant love that gives us life
It is your love that will give us life immortal
Amen

Silence

Response prayer for those who morn

Almighty God
Father of all mercies and giver of all comfort,
Deal graciously with those who morn,
That they may cast every care on you
And know the consolation of your love;
Through Jesus Christ. Amen

 Commendation:

We commit into your keeping, O merciful God, the soul of our beloved N.
Receive them into your perfect kingdom, and take us into your arms of mercy.
Take the soul of N into the joy of everlasting peace and let them reside with you.
Take their soul and keep them safe until we see them again on the day of resurrection.
Take from us Lord all our anger or bitterness.
Take from us lord all our hate and vileness.
We beseech thee to do all of this in your power
For your glory and through the blood of your son Jesus Christ
Amen

Intro to the Lord’s Prayer:

Death always leaves much unresolved, pain left unexpressed, anger and earthly disputes lie around like snares but what good is any of this? We are dust and to dust we will all return. Let us remember that forgiveness and rebirth is at the heat of the gospel, that love is our fathers command and that Christ lived the perfect life of forgives to forgive all sin and all people. 

Lord’s prayer

Hymn

Committal

Since the earthly life of N has come to an end, we commit their body to the elements.
Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust;
In the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life
In the sure and certain hope of your mercy God
In the sure and certain hoe that you will make them shine with your glory
We commit ourselves to your spirit of forgiveness
In the sure an certain hope you will heal our wounds
In the sure and certain knowledge that you weep and rejoice with us.
Through our saviour Jesus Christ;
To whom be glory for ever and ever.
Amen.

Prayer for the living

We stand separated from those who have gone to glory before us, until our labours on earth are done.
Lord be with me in my mourning, Lord weep with me and you wept for Lazarus
Lord cry out in despair with me as you cried upon the cross
Lord embrace me as your embraced Thomas when he saw your resurrected glory

When my earthly labour our done lord bring me home Lord
Where I shall be free from the darkness of this world,
Where I shall be freed from the dazzling of this world.
In your house there is no more fear nor struggle.
When I shall pass with you though the valley of death
You will make me whole once more
Your power shall heal the wounds of this life
Like the blind beggar I will receive new site
Through Christ I shall live anew
In the communion of your love
With all who have walked with you and dwell with you
I will follow faithful just as N has gone before me
Just as Christ when before them, to prepare the way
Glory to God for now and forever
Amen.

Silence

Hymn

Dismissal

God grant the living times and places to morn
God grant the living the spirit of forgiveness and to lay down any anger
To the departed, grant rest, healing and resurrection;
To the world grant, peace lover and healing
And to all the blessing of God,
The Father, the son and the holy Spirit,
Be with us now in our morning
Be with us in our joys
Be with us forever
Amen 

Let us go now weeping and rejoice
Believing and doubting
Let us go into a hurting world and bring forth Gods mercy
Let us go to live as N would have called us to
As God calls us to
A Christ did and does still
Let us go in communion with each other
All those who suffer or suffered
And in unity and love
Through the power of Christ,
In the company of the Holy Spirit
And to do Gods will.

Amen.