Context

Despite occasional brighter moments, such as the Royal wedding a fortnight ago, we live in deeply uncertain times. The Grenfell inquiry has begun to hear many harrowing personal stories about the events a year ago this month.

Both the climate and the weather seem to keep changing. This week has seen flash floods in Birmingham and Maryland. The volcano in Hawaii is still erupting.

Terrorism is still around, as demonstrated by events this week in Liège.

The political environment seems more uncertain than most of us have ever known. Across the Atlantic they may, or may not (as I write, it is not clear), be preparing for a summit with North Korea. In Italy there is deep political uncertainty. In Britain, the path to Brexit remains as confused as it has been since the referendum two years ago this month.

Against this backdrop where is our treasure? Are we hiding it whether in clay pots or elsewhere? And should we be looking to reveal it more often and more openly?

 

Reflection

For subscribers: read background information on Paul and Paul’s world. 

According to Paul our treasure is ‘the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ’ (2 Corinthians 4.6). Since the Royal wedding an amazing number of people, including many who have rarely heard a sermon in church, have commented on that extraordinary sermon preached by Bishop Michael Curry. Even The Sun newspaper has provided both a recording and the full text.

‘Imagine this tired, old world where love is the way’ and hunger and poverty become history and justice and peace prevail. Is this the treasure we are keeping hidden behind the closed doors of our churches and our homes? Bishop Michael’s preaching style may not be ours; but surely his message needs to be more clearly heard from everyday pulpits.

The treasure which Mamoudou Gassama, the Malian asylum seeker in Paris had was the ability to climb quickly and fearlessly up the outside of a block of flats to rescue a child! Most of us will not have quite such an offering. But surely we all have abilities which we can offer in the cause of the gospel of love. We can all befriend people. We can all open our hearts to those in need. We can all become channels of the extraordinary power which comes from God (2 Corinthians 4.7-9), and make the life of Jesus visible in our lives (2 Corinthians 4.11).

Part of the problem that Paul seems to be dealing with in his letter is a cult of celebrity in the church in Corinth, with the consequence that ‘the ordinary’ was easily overlooked. Celebrity culture is all around us – in sport, in fashion, in popular music and sometimes, it seems, even among politicians. Does this celebrity culture tend to get in the way of care for all people?

This Sunday the RCL calendar reverts to ‘Ordinary Time’. But we are still called to proclaim the extraordinary power which comes from God (2 Corinthians 4.7).

 

Prayer

A prayer based on the reading from 2 Corinthians.

Father, help us always to proclaim Christ Jesus as Lord,
and to make his life visible in our everyday lives,
as we reveal the light which has shone in our hearts,
the light of the knowledge of your glory in the face of Jesus Christ.
Amen.

 

In your intercessions, remember those affected by tragedy – such as those at the inquiry reliving the night of the fire in Grenfell Tower; and those affected by floods and the Hawaiian volcano.

 

Questions

• Who is Paul for you?
  Subscribers could read one or more of the answers given in the Paul’s world materials.
• How can we best make clear in this generation the extraordinary power which comes from God (2 Corinthians 4.7)?
• In what ways can we best demonstrate the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4.6) to this generation?

 

All-age activity

Do something extraordinary! Form small buzz groups. Ask each group to suggest and discuss ideas for a local ‘act of service’ they could do in the coming week or so. Invite feedback and choose one idea to organise and do. Choose something that will involve as many people who want to take part, and does not require endless planning meetings –something real, practical and achievable!

 

Young people

Remind each other of the story of Mamoudou Gassama, the Malian asylum seeker in Paris who scaled the block of flats to rescue a boy clinging to a balcony. Have you ever done something extraordinary? Do you think that the offer of French citizenship is a fair response to what he did? Or is that unfair to others with an equally good case who did not happen to be in the right place at the right time?

 

Dudley Coates is a Local Preacher in the Yeovil and Blackmore Vale Methodist Circuit and a former Vice President of the Methodist Conference.

 

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