Thursday Offering from Fr Marcus 11th March 2021
My Dear Friends,
We are close to half way through Lent, and on part 7 of our path to Inner Peace, and I wonder if anything is happening in your heart and mind and soul. Is your Inner Peace any closer?
We have said constantly that this is a process, and it will take time and energy and effort, but for some it may feel as if nothing is happening.
When that is the case for me, I use the trick that St Augustine taught about the way that we read the scriptures.
Put simply, we read the passage out loud, and reflect on it. Then we read it again imagining that we are part of the story – actively involved. Then after more reflection, we read it again, and say to yourself ‘What am I going to do about this piece of divinely inspired scripture that has been given to me?’ What affect has this had on me, and if it has had no affect, then why not?
It just so happens that this week, which is of course Mothering Sunday, our reading is as follows:
Colossians 3.12-17
As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
This is such a powerful piece, and it becomes so personal when we change the fourth word from ones to one!
God is speaking directly to you as his chosen one, and you are holey and loved. (There is a beautiful song I play on the radio by Rhodes. I had the pleasure of conducting his wedding a couple of years ago, and it is called HOLY, standing for ‘High on love for you’ It makes me think that God is excited by his love for us)
Then you are reminded to clothe yourself with a list of those beautiful attributes. Often our choice of clothes is part of the expression of our inner self, particularly if we have taken time to decide what to wear. Compassion, kindness, humility meekness and patience. Do these reflect something of your inner nature?
If we are struggling with this, it sometimes helps to receive them as a gift, or allow them to blossom as a fruit rather than to strive too hard to achieve them. They are inside, and you know that. It is only your ego that stops them flourishing.
Then we are called to bear with one another, which I love. We gain most when we put up with people’s differences, and learn from them.
I just love this concept of forgiveness, that immediately it is mutual. ‘Forgive each other’. You might be holy and beloved, but that does not mean you don’t need to forgive and be forgiven.
We come back to the clothing imagery, and you are called to clothe yourself with love – this is the very heart of the Gospel, and if we are to find Inner Peace, then we have to take this calling seriously. It is harder to continue to be angry with our friend who we think has wronged us than it is to forgive them and love them. It goes against our Christian nature. Remember last time we were exploring what we need to let go of.
This passage gets better and better. You are called to let the peace of Christ rule your heart. To allow the presence and power of the Holy Spirit to guide you and to gift you that peace which has been so elusive. Let it reign within you. Let it flow. Love is lovely let it grow. (A line from Eric Clapton’s ‘Let it grow.’)
If that is not enough, we are called in our fellowship to be one body, and the question is ‘Are you doing anything to fragment that body, or are you using your God given gifts to build it up? That is a very real question, and it is directly asked of you.
Sometimes we are called to reflect on the unintended consequences of our conduct. Can what I have done be misconstrued in any way? Is my attitude or behaviour possibly seen as a stumbling block for others? Do I always get it right? Am I always Right? Do I need to change? Do I need to apologise – unconditionally, without any justifying or ‘buts’’?
Our passage leads us then to be Thankful. We have received the gifts and presence and love of God. We have put on those beautiful virtues which become our second nature, and our response is to recognise that we are in tune with the will of God, and our response to that is Thanksgiving! It is Bliss. It is Inner Peace. And it will lead us to burst onto song. So much so that you wake up happy, with a song in your heart.
The final sentence is the most powerful. Whatever you do – that includes all of your thoughts, attitudes and actions – everything – is to be done in the name of the Lord.
If we are endeavouring to walk the path towards Inner Peace this will come. But if we are hanging on to hurt or bitterness or anger or are seeking or wishing for revenge, then we will finds this hard. But help is at hand, we take a step back, read our passage again and think to ourselves what is it saying to me about my life now?
We go on to more thanksgiving.
This passage is some of the most powerful teaching in Holy Scripture. It will lead us to a state of Grace and Bliss if we allow it, and where necessary it will change our lives if we let it.
The choice is yours.
I wish you Peace. I wish you Joy. I wish you Grace, and I wish you Bliss.
They are all freely given to you by the God who loves you, and calls you by your name.
Bless you, Bless you, Bless you,
As Ever
Fr Marcus