In response to several requests after Sunday’s sermon I write the following.

My Dear Friends, 

How are you feeling today? 

‘A bit hot and sticky’ ‘ Fine’ ‘ A bit fed up.  ‘ OK, but oooh my back!’

No, I mean how are you really feeling?

Well, the answer depends on how I start thinking about myself in relation to Life, Family, Friends, God!

In a sort of way I asked this question on Sunday in response to the Gospel reading from Matthew where Jesus asks his disciples ‘Who do people say that I am? And when they answered John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the prophets he then says ‘But who do You say that I am?’

Simon Peter says ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God’.

Brilliant! And of course we all have to face that question repeatedly during our lives. We could be anywhere on our spiritual journey, from not knowing much about Jesus, to having a full deep and meaningful relationship with him. Wherever we are, we are loved and welcome.
But the question got me thinking. What would we say about ourselves? Would our description of our self just be the title of the job we did? Or would it be much deeper. Would it be an opportunity to unpack something of the awesomeness of being human?

So when someone says ‘Who are you, tell me about yourself?’   This is what you could say-

Without God I am but dust
But through the Grace of God I am 

An Awesome  creation, Wonderful and fearfully made

I am a Child of God, made in His image, and therefore unique in every way.

I am Loved more than I will ever know, and I have been loved form before I was ever born, and in all humility I know that I am Precious in the eyes of the Lord

I am a frail human being and I fall down, time and time again, but I am constantly forgiven, andthrough the grace of God I get back up again.

Interestingly, I did not choose God, but he chose me and through him I bear fruit, fruit that will last.
He was there when I was looking. He was there before I was looking, and he found me, and chose me when I was not even looking!

I am called by him to be here in this place, and I am called to do his will, and he gives me everything I need in order that I may do it.

He gave me gifts in order to build the kingdom of God, and with His and your help I will discern those gifts and use them accordingly. I am not very good at knowing what my gifts are, but I am very good at spotting yours. I see them at work in you every day. In humility I ask that God will reveal his will for me to follow, and in absolute humility, I will accept his gifts and use them accordingly.

I am a servant of the Lord, and I will endeavour to do His will.

Christ has no hands but our hands, and I will use my hands for his glory

God Gave me a mouth with which to Bless

God gave me a heart with which to love

God gave me a mind with which to see the wonder of his creation, and his presence in all people

God gave me a voice with which to sing his praise

I am a member of the Body of Christ on earth

I am part of this Christian fellowship

You are my Brothers and Sisters

On my own I am a worm and no man,

But through the Grace of God Jesus calls me by my name. Sometimes in the silence I hear it.

He knows the hairs on my head, and the secrets of my heart, he knows when I rise up, and when I fall down, and yet he loves me still.

I will never appreciate it, but I know it is true, that I was a gift from God to my family, and to my friends, and I brought Blessings. It is amazing what God can do.

I may never understand it, but my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit

The God who created the universe and everything in it, lives in my heart, and I in his.

Alone we have nothing, yet with God we possess everything

We are chosen, rescued, healed, forgiven, blessed, nourished, wanted, embraced, loved and because we are made in his image, we are beautiful. I see that in all of you.

When we are led by our ego, we are selfish and arrogant and rude, but when we are led by the Spirit we experience the Fruits of the Spirit which are Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, gentleness and Self Control

On our own we earn nothing, we deserve nothing and we accomplish nothing,

But through the Grace of God, in all humility we can say we are ‘Glory Bound’, and there is a place for us in the kingdom of heaven.

Bless you, Bless you, Bless you,
Fr Marcus