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The Gospel passage for 7th Sunday after Epiphany came from Matthew 5: 38-48.
In it, JESUS teaches us about revenge. GOD’s purpose behind this law was an expression of mercy. The law was given to the judges and said, in effect, “Make the punishment fit the crime.”
It was not a guide for personal revenge – such as might be thought of in terms of the “like-for-like” in Exodus 21 23-25:

If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

These laws were given to LIMIT vengeance and to help the court administer punishment that was neither too strict nor too lenient. Some people, however, were using this phrase to justify their vendettas against others. People still try to excuse their acts of revenge by saying: “I was just doing to him what he did to me.”

The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 12. 19:
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of  God; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’

GOD originally gave this instruction in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy 32. 35: Vengeance is mine.

When we are wronged, often our first reaction is to get even. JESUS said that we should do GOOD to those who wrong us. In the passion translation of the Bible under the heading of TRANSFORMED RELATIONSHIPS the Apostle Paul in Romans 12 tells us:
Let the inner movement of your heart always be to love one another
Our desire should NOT be to keep score; but to love and forgive. This is not natural to us as humans – it is SUPER-natural. Only GOD can give us the strength to love as He does. So, instead of planning vengeance, pray for those who hurt you.
By telling us not to retaliate, JESUS keeps us from taking the law into our own hands. By loving and praying for our enemies, we can overcome evil with GOOD.
If we love our enemies and treat them well, we will truly show that JESUS is the LORD of our lives. This is possible only for those who give themselves fully to GOD, because only He can deliver people from natural selfishness. We must trust the Holy Spirit to help us SHOW love for those whom we may not feel love.
JESUS tells us in the final verse of our Gospel for today to:  Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
How can we do that? We can try to be perfect in:
CHARACTER. In this life we cannot be flawless, but we can aspire to be as much like CHRIST as possible.
HOLINESS. Like the Pharisees, we are to separate ourselves rom the world’s sinful values. But unlike the Pharisees, we are to be devoted to GOD’s desires rather than our own; and carry His love and mercy into the world.
The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 12. 19:
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of  God; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’

MATURITY. We cannot achieve CHRISTLIKE character and holy iving all at once; but we must endeavour to grow toward maturity and wholeness. Just as we expect different behaviour from a baby, a child, a teenager, and an adult, so GOD expects different behaviour from us, depending on our stage of spiritual development.

LOVE. We can seek to love others as completely as GOD loves us.
We can be as perfect as possible if our behaviour is appropriate for our maturity level. There will always be much room in which to grow. Our tendency to sin must never deter us from striving to be more like JESUS. JESUS calls all His disciples to excel, to rise above mediocrity, and to mature in as many ways as possible to become more like Him.
De Colores
Fr Steve

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Psalm 46 is a wonderful psalm. I looked it up in the
Passion Translation of the Bible and it was headed up
as ‘GOD ON OUR SIDE’. That’s always a good start.
Allow me to share the first 3 verses from this translation:
1 God, you’re such a safe and powerful place to find refuge! You’re a proven
help in time of trouble—more than enough and always available whenever I
need you. 2 So we will never fear even if every structure of support were to
crumble away. We will not fear even when the earth quakes and shakes,
moving mountains and casting them into the sea. 3 For the raging roar of
stormy winds and crashing waves cannot erode our faith in you.
Then we are told to ‘Pause in his presence.’
How comforting and re-assuring are these words? Words that have led you,
Gary into a deeper relationship with our LORD and Saviour. When your kidneys
began to fail it was your faith that pulled you through – it was one of those
times in your life that is described in no better way than in the Footprints
prayer.
The Lord replied, “My precious, precious child. I love you, and I would never,
never leave you during your times of trial and suffering. When you saw only
one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”
You trusted GOD to find you a new kidney and He did. You needed to touch
the hem of JESUS’ garment in the same way as the woman in Matthew 9:20
did: Again, from the Passion Translation:
20 Suddenly, a woman came from behind Jesus and touched the tassel of
his prayer shawl for healing. She had been suffering from continual bleeding
for twelve years (and here’s the important bit) but had faith that Jesus
could heal her. 21 For she kept saying to herself, “If I could only touch his
prayer shawl I would be healed.” 22 Just then Jesus turned around and
looked at her and said, “My daughter, be encouraged. Your faith has
healed you.” And instantly she was healed!

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The Coming of the Holy Spirit
The account of the Holy Spirit coming on the day of Pentecost in the Acts of the Apostles is a very familiar one. When the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples a few days later, their transformation was immediate and lasting – changing from a cowering, frightened group of men hiding in the upper room into a band of confident evangelists, telling everyone the good news about JESUS. JESUS had promised them that the Spirit was coming. The Spirit, unlike JESUS, would always be with
them – and by extension, with us.
But the Spirit also brought the inward effects of helping, teaching, convicting of sin and peace-bringing. This outpouring was not just for a select few disciples – it was for all people of every language and race. In the book of Genesis, for example, we are told how people of the world were scattered and confused after trying to become like GOD. At Pentecost,
we see people coming back together again in GOD’s way and in GOD’s timing.

The Spirit – who was involved in the creation of the earth – now returns to renew the face of the earth. In doing so He gives courage to JESUS’ followers to ‘declare the wonders of GOD.
JESUS’ work on earth was complete; but the Spirit came, not as a replacement for JESUS, but to perform a parallel role as guide, comforter and counsellor – so that all of us down the centuries could have the benefit of GOD’s presence in our lives. The Spirit is given equally to everyone – all of us are filled. The Holy Spirit is a gift of love to everyone who calls on the name of the LORD.
This year’s Gospel for Pentecost – from John 14: 8-17 – provides us with a toolbox of reminders of how the Holy Spirit helps us:
• The first item in our toolbox is a pair of working boots – they help us to be strong and protect us from harm. They help us to walk boldly. The Holy Spirit gives us the strength to do whatever GOD requires.
• The next item is a wedding ring – when a couple get married, the exchanging of rings signifies a promise made to be always faithful to each other. JESUS promised that the Holy Spirit wouldn’t just come and visit occasionally to see how we are getting on. Instead, He promised that the Holy Spirit would always be with us.
• The third item in our toolbox is a map and a compass. Like a map and a compass, the Holy Spirit shows us the right way to go; and helps us to know the truth about GOD.
• The next item is a heart – that lives in us. JESUS lived on the earth as a human; so, it wasn’t physically possible for Him to be with everybody all at the same time. By the Holy Spirit, JESUS is always inside us – prompting us to do things GOD’s way and to follow His example.
• The fifth item is a textbook – that can teach what we seek to learn. The Holy Spirit teaches us everything we need to know to follow GOD. He helps us understand what we read in the Bible. He helps us to be obedient. Without the Holy Spirit, we would struggle to do things GOD’s way; but He teaches us everything.
• The final item is a diary – to remind us of what JESUS said. The Holy Spirit reminded the disciples of what JESUS taught them and He reminds us of the things we’ve learnt. I think most, if not, all of us would have experienced this at some time during our lives. The Holy Spirit also reminds us of GOD’s love at times when life is tough; and He encourages us to do the right thing when we’re tempted to go wrong.

This is what the Spirit does for us.

This is why GOD gives us His Spirit. But what effect should the Holy Spirit have upon us?

On the day of Pentecost, the disciples couldn’t help but talk about GOD. They told others of the wonderful things GOD had done. In fact, they couldn’t keep all this amazing news inside them. It was a case of it just bursting out of them. The Holy Spirit helps us respond excitedly to the wonderful things GOD has done. He will help us tell others the news – just like the first disciples.
The presence of the HOLY SPIRIT was heralded by the breath of JESUS, the sound of a mighty wind and the appearance of tongues of fire. Like fire, the Spirit both destroys and creates. Being the Spirit of Christ, which is a Spirit of love coming from the Father, it burns the sins of humanity through forgiveness. From Pentecost, the Church took on its missionary role. The timid and frightened Apostles, transformed by the Spirit, burst forth onto the streets and fearlessly preached the Good News about the mighty acts of
God. Ever since, the Holy Spirit has been a permanent presence and a tower of strength in guiding, guarding and directing the Church.

The Holy Spirit is a gift of the Father and of the Son to us this Pentecost.
De Colores
Fr Steve

I think we’ve all seen someone’s face light up – usually when they see someone they love and that someone loves them.

Consider Moses who has just come back through the “I’ve been to Mount Sinai” door. Moses’ face was radiant after He had spent time with GOD.

The people could clearly see GOD’s presence in Him. How often do we spend time alone with GOD? Although our faces may not light up a room, time spent in prayer, reading the Bible and meditating should have such an effect on our lives that people will recognise that we have been with GOD.
If we claim GOD as our Father, we need to live worthy of this family name – respecting GOD’s name and giving Him praise by both our words and our lives.
GOD’s holiness is terribly frightening for non-believers; but a wonderful comfort for believers.

GOD is morally perfect and is set apart from people and sin. He has no weaknesses or shortcomings. For sinners this is frightening because all their inadequacies and evil are exposed by the light of GOD’s holiness. GOD cannot tolerate, ignore, or excuse sin.

For believers, GOD’s holiness gives comfort because, as we worship Him, we are lifted from the mire of sin. As we believe in Him and humble ourselves before Him, we are made holy.

When anyone becomes a Christian, Christ removes the veil – giving eternal life, and freedom from trying to be saved by keeping laws. And without the veil, we can be like mirrors reflecting GOD’s glory.

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the 10 Commandments, his face glowed from being in GOD’s presence. Moses had to put on a veil to keep the people being terrified by the brightness of his face. In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul adds that this veil kept them from seeing the radiance fade away. Moses and his veil illustrate the fading of the old system and the veiling of the people’s minds and understanding by their pride, hardness of heart and refusal to repent. The veil kept them from understanding the references to CHRIST in the Scriptures.

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Dancing with JESUS – the idea is simply wonderful – and to do it when life seems to be throwing plenty of curve-balls is even more appealing. In the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 3:4 it says:  
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
In Psalm 149:3 Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!
And in Psalm 30:11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness.

AB Facey has certainly inspired many with his book “A Fortunate Life”. As Lyn suggested: do we dance or sit it out? She also said that While Facey was not a religious man, he did have a strong faith. How richer are we who believe in GOD our heavenly Father, and call JESUS our friend; and can feel the strength of the Holy Spirit working in and through us.

Whether we have a good day or a bad day, we still need to give thanks to GOD for it. We need to continue to trust GOD that, everything that happens, happens for our good. As Christians we need to spend time with GOD and pray daily, read our bibles daily, listen to Him; and give thanks to Him for our faith and His love that we can share with others.

Lyn also spoke of the trust she has in GOD and how it has seen her through many difficult experiences – and will do so in the future. Like Lyn, we can all listen to GOD better, stick to the path GOD would have us take and accept that His guidance is 100% correct. Thankfully He loves us and when we look at the footprints in the sand and see only one set, acknowledge that He carries us through many more situations than we realise.

Martha and Mary provide us with a great example of how we should prioritise our lives. We need to keep things in balance as best as we can. There are times when we need to sit at the feet of JESUS and soak up all He has to offer; and, of course, there are times when things have to be done.
The 3 passages Lyn mentioned from Paul’s letter to the Romans are significant here today:
Chapter 8:5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh; but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

The Apostle Paul divides people into 2 categories – those who are dominated by their sinful nature; and those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit. All of us would be in the first category if JESUS hadn’t offered us a way out. Once we have said YES to JESUS, we will want to continue to follow Him – because His way brings life and peace.
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Open Lines of Communication – For any relationship to prosper, the lines of communication must be clearly open. Although GOD had spoken directly and audibly with Moses and Joshua, His spoken word became rare during the 3 centuries of rule by the judges. By Eli’s time – during the 1100’s BC – no prophets were speaking God’s messages to Israel. Why? People were either refusing to listen to GOD; or allowed greed to get in the way of their relationship with Him.
Eli judged Israel for 40 years. The recognition and respect he earned in public did not extend to his handling of his private affairs. He may have been an excellent priest, but he was a poor parent. He responded weakly to situations rather than solving them. He had become more concerned with the symbols of his religion than with the God they represented.

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Listening and responding is vital in a relationship with God. Although GOD does not always use the sound of a human voice, He always speaks clearly through His Word. To receive His messages, we must be ready to listen and to act upon what He tells us. Like Samuel, we must be ready to say: “Here I am” when GOD calls us to action.
It would normally be expected that an audible message from GOD be given to the priest Eli and not to the child Samuel. Eli was older and more experienced, and he held the proper position. But GOD’s chain of command is based on faith, NOT age or position. In finding faithful followers, GOD may use unexpected channels – so we must be prepared for Him to work at any place, at any time, and through anyone He chooses.
When we witness to others, we need to tell them what CHRIST has done, not about our own abilities and accomplishments. People must be introduced to CHRIST, not to us. Serving people requires a sacrifice of time and personal desires. Being a follower of CHRIST means serving others, even when they do not measure up to our expectations. GOD has given us His Holy Spirit to proclaim His Good News to others.
Our Gospel passage for Pentecost 2 tells of the Disciples picking wheat on the Sabbath and JESUS healing a man’s hand on the Sabbath. The Pharisees, of course, were more concerned about the Sabbath laws being broken than with any positive outcomes. The Pharisees interpreted the actions of JESUS and His disciples – the picking of grain and of the eating of it as they walked through the fields – as harvesting; and so, they judged JESUS as a law-breaker. But JESUS and His disciples clearly were not harvesting the grain for personal gain; they were simply looking for something to eat.
The Pharisees were so focussed on the words of the rule that they missed its intent – and JESUS used the example of David and his men eating the Bread of the Presence to point out how ridiculous their accusations were. GOD created the Sabbath for our benefit. We are restored both physically and spiritually when we take time to rest and to focus on GOD. For the Pharisees, Sabbath rules had become more important than the Sabbath REST. and others.

Both David and JESUS understood that the intent of GOD’s law is to promote love for GOD and others. That makes love the highest rule, but it also moves us as Christians toward personal sacrifice, discipline and responsibility – which are scarce in today’s world. When confronted with rules other than those of God’s making, they need to pass 4 tests:
1. Does the rule serve God’s purpose?
2. Does the rule reveal God’s character?
3.Does the rule help people to come into GOD’s family or keep them out? 4. Does the rule have biblical foundations that can be supported in the context of all of Scripture?
GOOD RULES PASS ALL FOUR TESTS.
The Religious Leaders of the time were jealous of JESUS because of His popularity, His miracles, and the authority in His teaching and actions. This had caused them to idolise both their standing in the community and their personal gain instead of pointing people towards a relationship with GOD. It also probably caused them not to recognise JESUS as their Messiah. When JESUS exposed their attitudes, He became their enemy instead of their Messiah and they began looking for ways to kill Him – thus breaking God’s law by plotting murder.
The Pharisees, like Eli and his sons, had allowed their faith to become more about them than about JESUS. Standing in the community and power and wealth had become their gods rather than the true God. Our lives need to be transformed into becoming more like JESUS and love must be the representation of our relationship with Him. De Colores—Fr Steve

 THE TRANSFIGURATION: A word that is sometimes mentioned concerning God’s nature is TRANSCENDENCE. When we speak of “transcendence”, we talk about that aspect of God’s nature and power that is wholly independent of – or beyond – the known material universe or physical laws; beyond our common human experience. It is a difficult concept to grasp, so we tend to concentrate on the physical aspects of our faith. Yet, as Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:5 “For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. 6 For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ”. God gives us the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, so that we can begin to grasp something of what is beyond our human existence.

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We say that God moves in mysterious ways – beyond what we can think of or imagine.

The fiery chariot which carried Elijah to heaven; the burning bush in Exodus and the dazzling
brightness of Jesus on the mountain are biblical examples of the awesome nature of God.
We need not shy away from transcendent experiences like these, but should welcome them –
even seek them since, throughout history, God has spoken in and through them.
Almighty God steps into our lives to give us an awareness of His amazing power and authority.
In Mark’s description of the transfiguration of Jesus, we hear how some quite ordinary people
were completely amazed by the greatness of God. It’s a bit like a crash course in learning
things about God. If you’ve ever been on a crash course for anything you soon come to realize
that it’s no good going on any kind of course unless what is learnt is put into practice.
Jesus had gone up the mountain with Peter, James and John and was transfigured right there
in front of them. His disciples did not know what was happening, or why. Peter was so terrified
when Moses and Elijah appeared on the mountain that he started to say things he did not quite
understand. He was scared. The transfiguration was something of a crash course.
On the way down from the mountain, Jesus explained to the disciples that they were not to tell
anyone what they had seen; not until after He had risen from the dead. He was preparing them
for His own death – something they could not understand. It only began to make sense after
Jesus had died, risen and returned to heaven. For now, they were aware that there were things
they had to do, and so went on expecting Jesus to do great things. God does not do what we
expect. Peter, James and John were caught up in awe and wonder at His power and might – at
what we might call “transcendence”.
God is bigger, greater and more amazing than the limited pictures we have of Him and He
wants to communicate wonderful things to us.
The top of a mountain is an awesome site and offers an unforgettable vista. In the transfiguration
account it was a place of revelation of God to human beings. The transfiguration shows us
the splendour of heaven. We can only imagine what such an amazing encounter would have
been like. Thankfully, we are the beneficiaries of this event – we have been called into a relationship
with Jesus, the beloved Son of God. By listening to His word, and applying it to our
lives, we are transformed. May our lives be transfigured by God this Lent.

Diocesan Spiritual Director

Revd Steve niland

DIOCESAN SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR, REV STEVE NILAND,

My Cup Runneth Over: The theme for the September meeting of National Secretariat was taken from Psalm 23, verses 5 & 6: 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
These verses suggest to me an abundance of hospitality at the banquet of the LORD.
In ancient Near-Eastern culture, at a banquet it was customary to anoint a person with fragrant oil. Hosts were also expected to protect their guests at all costs. God offers the protection of a host even when enemies surround us. In the final scene of this psalm, we see that believers will dwell with the LORD. GOD, the perfect shepherd and host, promises to guide and help us through life to bring us into his house forever.
The passage from John’s gospel which describes the miracle of changing water into wine is very familiar to us, and in verse 11 we are told that 11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
Jesus was on a mission to save the world – the greatest mission in the history of humankind. Yet, He took time out to attend a wedding and take part in its festivities lasting for a whole week. Many of us have succumbed to the temptation of not taking time out from our important work duties for social occasions – and I was very challenged while writing this! But what if these social activities were a part of our mission? Jesus valued wedding festivities because they involved people – and Jesus came to be with people. Our mission can often be accomplished by bringing Jesus into joyous times of celebration with others – it’s all about balance.

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