16 Days with Jonah: Day 4

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Jonah 1:4-10

 4 Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. 5 All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.

   But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. 6 The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.”

 7 Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?”

 9 He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”

 10 This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the LORD, because he had already told them so.)

This passage captivates my imagination. Here in the midst of a storm-tossed sea, a tumbling fragile ship, sleeping prophet and the desperate cries to various gods, the terrified sailors call the prophet to account.

How ironic. The sailors are calling on their gods because of the prophet’s denial of God’s call on him!

The sailors cast lots, conclude that Jonah is responsible for the storm and confront him. The prophet confesses, I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land. Again, what irony! If Jonah truly believed that the LORD is the God who made the sea, then surely he would never have sought to flee from the LORD by going by sea!

Yet, as we see in the next reading, through the prophet’s disobedience, God is bringing the sailors to acknowledge him, the LORD.

I just love the captain’s, (Jonah) how can you sleep? Get up and call on your God! The slumbering prophet is called to duty by an outsider!

Creator God, how easy it is for me to talk the talk, but not walk the walk of faith. Forgive me for the times when my life has denied your Lordship over all. Help me not to flee from you, but to entrust all to you. In the words of the hymn, “take my life and let it be consecrated Lord to thee.” Amen.  

Bushfires: Parish Sorell, Richmond & Tasman

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Report from The Revd Jill McCoy, Rector of Parish of Sorell, Richmond & Tasman on the bushfires in the Parish and information for our prayer for this parish region and throughout Tasmania and on the mainland.[‘mainland’ in Tasmanian usage refers to the rest of Australia!]

Revd Jill McCoy, 6 January 2013:

I’m deeply moved and thankful to God for all your messages of support and offers of help for those affected by the fires. We still cannot go down the peninsula because the roads are closed. I was appalled by the scale of destruction shown in today’s papers. We’ve seen this afternoon that a few extra emergency response vehicles have started going down to help – Telstra, Aurora/Hydro, etc.
Joel, Kristina & I (& their friend Will) are active in the response/recovery centre at Sorell talking to those who come in – offering a listening ear and a quiet prayer.
Give thanks to God for the preservation of human life. For the many who have offered support. For the wonderful response of the local community, Sorell Council, Lions, St John’s, Salvo’s, footy & cricket clubs and lots more. We’re thankful that we have phones and internet that work well enough right down to Port Arthur. Thanks too to you many who have had the grace to stand back and wait until we can say better what is needed.
Please pray:
For weather that will help quell the remaining fires. There is still fresh fire within 10km of Sorell. For safety and skills for the firefighters and those who support them.
For loved-ones left behind, wherever they may be.
For those who have lost pets, livestock & property.
For those who have lived through the terrifying reality of fires nearby, sometimes rushing headlong toward them.
For families and couples facing a future unimagined just days ago.
For peace among neighbours – that one families decision to evacuate will be accepted as good by those who chose to stay (& vice-versa).
For acceptance of good fortune for those whose property has survived when others nearby have lost everything.
For perseverance for all at the southern end of the peninsula who are now living without power, water, sewerage and perhaps running low on food (about 56 hours so far).
For patience and release from anxiety for those who still do not know what awaits their return.
For grace from parish folk (and others too) for me & Joel if we inadvertently overlook them.
For wisdom to balance relief and recovery with normal parish duties.
For good & refreshing sleep for all.
We remember those further afield who are also facing with bushfire at present and ask that you pray for them.
St Martin’s Church building at Dunalley is intact. In this, we’re feeling some of that complex survivor guilt. We have offered it for use in the relief effort.

*Information about the Parish church buildings at St Alban’s Koonya, St David’s Port Arthur and St Martin’s Dunalley is on the parish website: Bushfires Jan 2013.

Also, Prayer in Time of Bushfire and Bushfires: City Hall visit.

Bushfires: City Hall visit

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City Hall Bushfire 6Jan13

With Fraser at City Hall

 

My morning visit to City Hall, Hobart, was a humbling experience. It gave me a small window into the wide and complex tragedy of the bushfires that is currently engulfing Tasmania.

The spirit of the people sheltering from the bushfires expressed their concern and their gratitude.

Their concern at what has been lost or what may have been lost. There is so much loss and so many stories of heart breaking destruction of homes with their irreplaceable treasures, businesses, community facilities, stock, sheds, vehicles and recreational facilities. Yet, within this loss, a positive spirit.

The people sheltering at City Hall also expressed their gratitude at the willingness of people to support them. At City Hall, made available by the Hobart City Council, the people from the bushfire areas are registered by Red Cross volunteers, find a safe place to be and to sleep, food served by friendly Salvos, games for the children, social services from the Royal Hobart Hospital and pastoral support. It was good to see Anglicans volunteering in various capacities: eg, Fraser’s smiling face at the Red Cross desk – see photo!

I thank and congratulate the volunteers at City Hall. Special thanks to the Hobart City Council for making City Hall available. I spoke with Heather who was overseeing the Hobart Council’s hospitality and her positive spirit was infectious.

The pastoral support at City Hall is provided by a chaplaincy team which is being organised and co-ordinated by Senior Hospital Chaplain Paul Hueston. At the time of my visit Bishop Chris Jones had come back from leave and was on duty. Later today I met Craig Dumas at the Cathedral and he mentioned that Paul had contacted him and that he is pleased to take part in the volunteer roster. This is the spirit of willing co-operation.

Amidst the tragedy of the bushfires the deep bonds of our humanity are being strengthened. I see generosity, empathy, goodwill, constructive attitudes and a heart to work together for the benefit of those suffering loss. Community organisations are working together and individuals are also contributing assistance.

Thank you to the fire fighters, emergency services personnel and all those people who in so many ways are working together to support those who have suffered great loss.

Please continue in prayer, Prayer in Time of Bushfire. and ABC TV News on City Hall.

16 Days with Jonah: Day 3

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Jonah 1:3

 3 But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.

Acts 10:25-29, 34-36

25 As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. 26 But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”

 27 While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28 He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?” . . .

34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

The Bible is the history of God’s dealing with His people. It includes our ‘dark side’ as well as our ‘light (or good) side’.

Instead of Jonah arising and following God’s call on his life, he arises and flees from God! We would have hoped Jonah would respond as did Peter, God has shown me…so when I was sent for, I came… (Acts 10:28,29) But, it was not to be. In fact, Jonah runs to Joppa: the opposite direction to Nineveh!

I can understand Jonah’s resistance to God’s command to minister to the people of Nineveh. They had defeated and oppressed the people of Israel. We learn later, Jonah 4:2, that Jonah’s disobedience is fuelled by his distress that God would show compassion rather than punishment!  But in doing so, Jonah refuses to be a part of God’s dealings with all the people of the world.

Too often, God’s people become so self-centered that they have no concern for anyone else, let alone their enemies: in this case, the Assyrians.

Over the years I have made excuses to evade God’s command to share his gospel call to repentance and a living faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. At times I have not spoken to a neighbour, assisted a work colleague or spent precious time with a distressed person. Sadly, in this way I have refused to be part of God’s work in the world.

Calling God, strengthen me to respond with joy and commitment to your stirring voice. Forgive my failures. May the Spirit of Christ daily empower me for your service. Amen.

Prayer in time of Bushfire

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Today we have bushfires in a number of places in Tasmania. Please join with me in prayer.

I include this Prayer in time of Bushfire (slightly edited) from the Anglican Church of Australia’s A Prayer Book for Australia.

All things look to you, O Lord,

to give them their food in due season:

look in mercy on your people,

and hear our prayer for those whose lives and possessions are threatened by fire.

Give protection and wisdom to fire fighters and other emergency service personnel.

Encourage our generosity to those who suffer loss.

In your mercy restore your creation and heal our land.

So guide and bless your people,

that we may enjoy the fruits of the earth

and give you thanks with grateful hearts,

through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Adapted from: A Prayer Book for Australia, Broughton Books, 1999, page 205.

16 Days with Jonah: Day 2

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Jonah 1:2 2 ‘Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.’

*Read also, Jeremiah 7: 1-8 1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2 “Stand at the gate of the LORD’s house and there proclaim this message:

   “‘Hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the LORD. 3 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. 4 Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD!” 5 If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, 6 if you do not oppress the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, 7 then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your ancestors for ever and ever. 8 But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless.

Jonah follows in the great tradition of the prophets: God’s messengers sent to call people to repentance. But he is distinguished from other prophets of the Old Testament because he is sent not to the people of God but, rather, to an oppressor of them.

God created his world and it has ‘a grain’ to it. Consider the analogy of a piece of wood. If I run my hand in the direction of the grain, then all is well and I enjoy feeling its texture. If, however, I run my hand against the grain, I end up with splinters and pain! In like manner, it makes sense to live in the direction of God’s grain to life. Living a life that follows in the way of Christ glorifies God and brings fulfillment.

Sadly, like Jonah, our innate tendency so often is to go against the grain. We disobey God, act sinfully and end up in pain. Our sinful behavior has consequences. We need rescuing.

Throughout the Bible we see that God calls and sends his servants to bring us back to him and the life he has for us. Jonah is called and sent by God to do his will, as are all God’s servants.

Prayer: Rescuing and Saving God, I thank you for your servants such as Miriam, Hannah, Samuel, Jeremiah and Jonah. In their different ways, they served your purposes in the world; calling people to your way of life, to a life of holiness. I thank you for them and ask that I, too, may faithfully answer your call and serve you. Amen.

Pokie limit dumping: Tasmania loses

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On Yahoo! “2012: The Year In Review” from ABC:  “Church anger over pokie  limit dumping”

 Tasmania’s Anglican Church has compared the Government to a drug dealer profiting from addicts, after a parliamentary committee recommended against a $1 betting limit.

The House of Assembly Select Committee was swayed by the gambling industry’s contribution to gross state product and potential  revenue decline.

The Anglican Bishop of Tasmania John Harrower says he is horrified and disgusted.

“The Government too has become an addict,” he said.

“The Government too is living off money that is destroying people.

“It’s like living off the money of selling opium to opium addicts but what about the addicts?

“We’re continuing to downgrade and diminish our social capital.”

Committee chairman Kim Booth issued a dissenting statement.

The Greens MP says there is overwhelming evidence in favour of a $1 betting limit and the committee’s recommendation is unsound and unconscionable.

“Both Liberal and Labor have teamed up together to protect the pokie barons and their profit and no, doubt, their political donors,” Mr Booth said.

“I find it quite amoral that both Labor and Liberal would act in unison together to prevent a definite, effective harm minimisation strategy being brought in to protect those vulnerable people and their families.”

He says the Greens will proceed with legislation to enforce a one dollar betting limit, despite the recommendation.

Mission Australia state director, Noel Mundy, is disappointed:

“Somewhere in all this is we’ve lost the issue that this is affecting individual’s lives,” he said.

“There are so many stories that really touch the hearts of us all when we hear that people have become addicted and this was one way to help them and we’ve just stepped aside from that.”

The Australian Hotels Association’s Steve Old has welcomed the recommendation.

“We’re delighted and that’s the outcome we’ve been seeking for a long time for our operators,” he said.

“There’s obviously still a lot to go in the federal sphere in relation to gaming at the moment and obviously we’re working through that with our national counterparts but it’s great to see that pressure taken off at a state level.”

Tasmanians lost more than $200 million on poker machines last year.

Despite my optimism after engaging with the Parliamentary Committee: $1 Bet Limit  and further information detailing its harm Cost of Pokies on Tasmania, our Tasmanian community continues to be the loser.

16 Days with Jonah: Day 1

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I wrote these reflections on the Book of Jonah for the Bible Society: published last October. I thought to share them here over the month of January. As I/we read the Bible my prayer is that the Holy Spirit will speak to me/us of life and love and so nurture my/our following of Jesus. Shalom, John

Jonah 1:1  1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai.

*Read also, John 1:1-5, 10-18  1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

God continues to speak to us as He has throughout the ages. God spoke directly to people such as Deborah, Jeremiah, Hosea and Mary the mother of Jesus.

And in Jesus Christ, God has spoken to us in his beloved Son.  The Prologue to the Gospel according to John (1:1-18) refers to Jesus as the Word and affirms that the Word was God. This name for Jesus Christ, the Word, assures us of God’s heart to communicate with us. God’s desire extends to becoming a human being in order that we might understand more fully his heart for us. God speaks to his world.

God takes the initiative in our relationship. It is the word of the LORD that comes to Jonah. Similarly, the Word comes to us, taking the initiative. (The Word) came to that which was his own and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us… (the Word) came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  (John 1:11,14)

These two great truths: God speaks to us and God takes the initiative in our relationship, give me great comfort. Why? Because when I let my love for God drift, I know that the Lover of the universe patiently, ceaselessly seeks me out to re-engage me in a living relationship of respect and dignity.

Prayer: Speaking God, I thank you for your great love. Speak to me today and may my life speak of you and your love. Amen.

For a summary overview of the Book of Jonah from the NIV Study Bible, see here.

‘Duty of care’?

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Post Christmas I am catching up with my reading and was stimulated by this article which compares the principles of law with those of the parable Luke 10: 25-37 . Enjoy and be encouraged and challenged in the way of love.

Firstly, the parable casts a much wider net as to “who is my neighbour”. It is not restricted to those with whom I have some sort of relationship. Rather, the parable pushes the concept of neighbour to those in distress whether I know them or not. The parable clearly makes the point: my neighbour is someone so wholly unconnected with me that it seems inconceivable that I would have anything to do with them.

Secondly, the parable poses a radial challenge to assist those in need of help. The parable quite clearly states that, as neighbour, one cannot walk pass those in need of assistance. There is a radical duty to get involved.

The parable sets out a ‘duty’ which is significantly greater than the requirements of the law. The law says, ‘Don’t hurt your neighbour’; the parable says, ‘Help your neighbour’.

The law says, ‘My neighbour is someone who may be affected by my actions’; the parable says, ‘My neighbour is anyone in distress, no matter how unconnected they may be from me’.

According to the modern law of negligence, the priest and the Levite did not do anything wrong. (At law there is no duty on anyone to go to the assistance of someone in distress). In her address, Justice White referred to a statement by the Foundation’s patron, Sir William Deane, in another negligence case. Sir William stated:

“The common law duty to a ‘neighbour’ has, however, scant in common with its New Testament equivalent: both priest and Levite ensured performance of any common law duty of care to the stricken traveller when, by crossing to the other side of the road, they avoided any risk of throwing up dust in his wounds”.

What is clear from the parable is that a follower of Jesus will need to live to a much higher duty of care than that required by the law. A follower has a positive duty to show compassion and help those in distress.

Full article, Duty of Care: the Law and the Parable.