The Divine Greengrocer

I recently heard a talk on prayer. The speaker said that if are Christian faith is having an effect on our lives then we should be showing signs of that change. If we are not showing signs of ‘fruit’ then perhaps we should examine how real our faith is. 

These are the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Have an honest look and see if these ‘fruits are in your bowl.’ If you are really brave you could ask your spouse or best friend if they think you have them on your stall!!

love, 

joy, 

peace, 

patience, 

kindness, 

goodness, 

long suffering, 

mildness

Love me, love my dog!

The test of a good society is that the great majority are engaged in the basic arts, and only a few in the arts of luxury. When large numbers are engaged in producing luxuries for the rich, that society has become corrupt.
St John Chrysostom

The King and Us

One of the stories that has come out of these islands this week has been the finding of the remains of Richard the Third under a car park in Leicester. One wag claims Richard 3 now owes three and a half million pounds in parking fees. 

The monarchy no longer have the same power in Europe or elsewhere. Democratic governments we now claim are our strongholds and freedom a sort of totem. However, what happens when the majority are wrong? Moses came down from the mountain to find God’s people in revolt demanding gods not God. 

On the radio this morning I heard of a Lutheran church in Denmark who claim to be happy with the decision, presumably in Denmark ( it was in the early hours and I only heard the broadcast once ) to have same sex marriages. The reason for their contentment was that the congregation were agreed they were OK and that they the congregation were moving in the same direction as the citizenry of Denmark. 

People do have to make decisions and the Byzantine method of opening a page at random in scripture and finding what the verse says seems ludicrous to us now. 

However, the idea of making our decisions to be in line with the people as Aaron did seems equally madcap. Poor old Aaron was at gunpoint though ( had guns been invented!! )

I fear the freedom we claim in the West to be our strength could ultimately lead to our downfall.

Ironically, as Christians we are being called to spend eternity with a king and not a democratic government. 

Famous Faces

I recently watched a film called The Social Network about the college student who set up Facebook thus becoming the youngest billionaire. According to the film he had no social skills and could not find a girlfriend and had only one close friend who he double crossed in establishing the business.

I was reminded of some lines from Dr. Keith Ablow.

On Facebook, young people can fool themselves into thinking they have hundreds or thousands of “friends.” They can delete unflattering comments. They can block anyone who disagrees with them or pokes holes in their inflated self-esteem. They can choose to show the world only flattering, sexy or funny photographs of themselves (dozens of albums full, by the way), “speak” in pithy short posts and publicly connect to movie stars and professional athletes and musicians they “like.” 

My own problem with Facebook is that it turns friends into ‘potential customers.’ Also, a lapse of judgement can widely broadcast a comment you might not have made on second thoughts. I found this out recently to my cost and the cost of others.

The word has become a tiny place!!

Pride comes before a you know what!!

On my kitchen wall is a short dictum. The counsel thou wouldst have another keep, first keep it thyself. Yesterday, I was to meet my priest, who is a very personable younger man, for ‘preparation’ which is confession to you and me. I waited but could not see him. I was told he had had an accident injuring his foot and would not be there. I am not a great fan of confession so was not too disappointed. Coming from a Protestant background it is not easy for me to be so open about my failings. The Bible says we ‘should confess our sins one to another’ however the practical aspects of this are filled with problems not least of all ones of confidentiality. It is probably best we confide in someone we can trust, in private. The priest then represents the rest of the congregation perhaps. 

 A priest called John of Kronstadt did try open confession with all the congregation shouting out their sins. Let’s just say it did not catch on. Confession, however, is I have found good for the soul.

I went off to St Paul’s tube feeling a little cocky that this younger man had injured himself in his folie de jeunesse, ( sparing me the rigours of the sacrament ) ‘Didn’t look where he was going’ I thought to myself sagely.   

When I got to the tube it appeared that a Father Christmases’ convention was in full swing. There were Father and Mother Christmases everywhere. The guard at the barrier and I agreed such plurality of saints was confusing for children. Going down the escalator I saw a group of about fifteen Pa/Ma Christmases coming towards me on the up escalator. In my haste to take a photo I did not see that I had reached the bottom of the escalator and I was deposited unceremoniously on the hard floor. My camera was broken beyond repair. The photo is taken with the salvaged sim card. 

The dictum on my kitchen wall burned into my psyche!! 

Happy Christmas and thank you for bearing with me and my blogs in 2012!!

Daily reading

It is funny but sometimes the things you buy for the least money bring you most joy. I have a little booklet which cost pennies with the wisdom of St John of Kronstadt. He is a fairly modern saint ( born in early 19th Century ) and spent his ministry in the rough dock town of Kronstadt on the Baltic coast of Russia. His most famous book is My Life In Christ which I confess I have not read.  I try, however, to read the daily reading at church from this little book which has a month’s readings. 

Having had a fairly up and down employment record I had been hoping that a recent idea for work might prove more fruitful. I was trying to warm my heart in my prayers with this attachment when I read this.  St John reminded me there is only one security in this world. 

The whole world is but a cobweb in comparison to the Christian soul. Nothing in it is constant and sure. We cannot lean trustingly on anything; everything breaks. We must not cleave to anything with our heart except the one God. Who has spread out this cobweb, and Who supports it and gives it life. To whatever you attach yourself, except to God, everything wounds and oppresses the heart, whilst entire attachment to Him alone is life-giving. A month with St John of Kronstadt. Nov. 18

Love, honour and obey!!

A minister I once met told me on our first meeting that I should be obedient. I was not sure to whom or what and what he meant was, it appeared later, was that I should be odedient to him. I became subject to a certain amount of spiritual bondage and found myself working partly to build up that minister’s standing in the church. In spiritual bondage a more powerful personality thinks they can discern God’s will for another and makes them feel as if they should fall in line. If the recipient is young in the faith or vulnerable it can put them into a position of subservience. The person themselves may then think it is a legitimate way of influencing others.

Obedience in Scripture is linked more to faith than actions- Romans 1.5 and 6.26. Luther said that his followers could be influenced by him but eventually would stand alone before God. I have had a leader suggest that he could hold sway with God for me.

To avoid this practice I now stay away from non aligned churches or churches where the leadership is not accountable. However, even in mainstream churches spiritual bondage can be practiced. In cults it is almost de rigeur. The Children in God cult which started innocently enough ended up practising among other things ‘hooking for Jesus’ ie women members would have sexual relations with men to win them over to the ‘faith.’

Saint Ignatius of Loyola annotated a system by which God may speak to us through our heart and mind. Coercion is nowhere mentioned. In speaking to Elijah God spoke not through the earthquake or fire but the gentle whisper. If someone tries to tell you they know God’s will for you you might like to give them a taste of the earthquake! In love of course.