Some of my photos have been published!

Hi there,

A couple of my photos of Cardiff were chosen from Flickr to be part of a map which is downloadable to an iphone - the site is called Schmap. You can view my photos on the page in the sidebar on this blog or else from the website here.

I'll be putting a lot more photos on flickr in the coming months so if you're interested you can access my photostream here.

I hope that 2009 is a happy and healthy one for us all.
Blessings,
SB

'Tis the Season to be Jolly!

You gotta love a bit of Nativity Kitsch! A friend posted a link to this on Facebook and I thought it was worth sharing. My particular fave: The Leprechaun Nativity - although the snow dome nativity is a close second - I just love a good snow dome!

You can find the site here. Enjoy!

Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire

Hey,
Tonight mum and I went to see the film The Duchess. It was superb! Beautifully filmed, well acted and a powerful, moving, sad story. Well worth a look!

I went to her home at Chatsworth when I was teaching in the UK in 2002 - it was stunning. I must look out the photos!

The website of Amanda Foreman who wrote the book is here. You can see a trailer for the film there.

Anyway - back to study and essay writing. Was nice to have some time out though.
Catch you round.
SB

Psalms: The Church's prayerbook

Hey all,

Life has been busy - hence no posting!! Still no time really, but here is a quick post!

We've been doing a wonderful course in Prayer and Spirituality on Fridays this semester. A few weeks ago we did a wonderful session about Praying with the Psalms with Rev Professor Howard Wallace - he's just published a number of books on the Psalms, so he was really able to bring them alive for us.

At the end of it we were asked to write a prayer ourselves in the shape of a Psalm. Despite being an erstwhile English teacher I'm not usually good at this kind of stuff - but here's my contribution. I'd be interested to hear your feedback.

Praise, praise to you, O God of the earth,
for you have created the cosmos and all that is in it.

Praise, Praise to you, O God of the Mountains
You are greater than my strife, more powerful than my tormentors.
Praise, Praise to you O God of the rivers
You bring life giving water to crop and beast.

Who am I Lord, to approach one so mighty-
To ask for help form my creator?

Yet you were with me at the hour of my birth
You knew me before I knew myself.
You understand the deepest desires of my heart, even when I cannot utter them.

O Lord, I rejoice in you, my creator,
God of Heaven and earth
For you are greater than my tormentors
You have known me since the beginning of time.

Blessings to you all,

SB

Intricate beauty

New Zealand
Originally uploaded by brodzcat

Hey,

I've popped this photo on flickr - just looking at it again - amazing to think about how intricate God's creation is....

Hope you're all well - will post something a little more deep soon - I promise! :-)
SB

Iona Graveyard

20 iona graveyard
Originally uploaded by brodzcat

Looking back towards the Island of Mull through the Iona Abbey graveyard, burial place of the Scottish kings - including Macbeth!
Iona Abbey is a "thin place" where I felt very close to God.

Actions speak louder than words.....

One of the joys of Theological Hall is that I get to hear numerous sermons on the same lectionary readings each week. This week I heard 3 sermons, in addition to mine, reproduced below. Enjoy!
SB

Since I started thinking about the lectionary readings for today, two things have been going through my head. Firstly the song: “the wise man built his house upon a rock” and secondly visions of myself as a six year old playing with a Noah’s ark set in Sunday School. I can’t for the life of me remember there being any theological significance to these stories from those early days: but the stories are in my head. For those of us who’ve been around churches for a long time the images we have of these stories from our early childhood are deeply imbedded in our minds: but have we thought since about what they might mean? Do they have any more to offer us than being nice stories we remember fondly from childhood?

The first thing that strikes me is that both of these stories are particularly fitting given the world has just experienced two horrific natural disasters in the last few weeks: the terrible cyclone in the poor country of Burma - a country already living under the control of an oppressive military junta - and the tragic earthquake in Sichuan province in China. Although there is great wealth developing in the big industrialised megalopolises of the Beijing and Shanghai, the areas worst hit by this disaster are poor villages in remote rural areas. And the biggest victims are children trapped inside shoddily built school buildings. Certainly not ones built by wise men on firm foundations. We hear these stories of epic biblical natural disasters at a time when our near neighbours are suffering from similar events. How do we make sense of these two biblical stories in our world today?

Both of these stories - the story of Noah’s Ark and the story of the wise man who build his house upon a rock - are stories of action. In the Noah story, God has had enough: in Gen 6:11 we hear that the earth was corrupt in God’s sight; the earth was filled with violence. God needed to do something: to perform an action in order to wipe away all that he was so unhappy with. And so he chose Noah, a righteous man, blameless in his generation - in fact, the story tells us that Noah was a man who walked with God. God established a covenant with Noah. He asked Noah to build an ark to shelter his family and two of all of the animals of every kind that walk the earth. God promised Noah that he will keep them alive.

An ark apparently was not a great big safe boat which could withstand terrible storms and rough seas. The same Hebrew word is used for the small basket in which the baby Moses was placed in the story in Exodus. The word ark describes a vessel capable of floating in order to deliver its occupants from danger. Strictly speaking the ark was not a boat, for it lacked both a means of power and a steering mechanism. Therefore the course it took and its ability to deliver its occupants were completely under God’s direction. Noah, the one who walked with God did all that God commanded him. And God kept his covenant with him and kept him safe.

Unfortunately this action of Noah and of God was not enough to change the world: it did not rid it of violence permanently. If we fast forward to the New Testament we again see God in action. Once again the people are not able to keep their covenant with God: as Paul tells the Romans in the epistle reading for today: all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. There is no righteous man who God can rely on as he did in Noah’s time to build an ark. However in the very next verse, Paul reminds us that God acts in our lives just as he did for Noah and his family. Paul writes that even though they are sinners, the Romans are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. God’s action in our time is to offer us the free gift of his grace: we can enter into relationship with God through the death of Jesus. Not because we deserve it: we have fallen short of the glory of God just as the Israelites of Noah’s time had done. We have no grounds on which to boast.
Jesus is like a new Noah sent by God to act in the world. The early and medieval churches saw Jesus as a new Noah sent to save the world from its self. There are paintings in the catacombs from the very earliest days of the church which depict Jesus as the new Noah, the one who makes a new covenant with God on our behalf.

However Jesus speaking in the reading from Matthew takes this further. In this story it is clear that accepting the gift alone is not enough. If you hear the word and do nothing else, then you deceive yourself. The point of hearing is not hearing: the point of hearing is doing.

So how do we build a house on a rock, an ark? We do this by developing a strong relationship with God. We do this by ACTIVELY practicing living graciously towards others. A Sunday school faith with simple answers is not enough. In order to build a house upon a rock that can withstand the storms of life we must actively deepen and develop our faith. Just hearing is not enough. We must “do” – faith must become a “lived” experience.

How we treat others reveals how deep or shallow our Christian foundations are: whether they are sunk deeply into the bedrock of God’s love or shallowly in sand. To have deep foundations is to have deeply received the wonder of God’s acceptance of us. In accepting that there is nothing we can do which will make us worthy to accept the gift of God we can begin to absorb that grace into the way we act towards others. It may take a long time, but as we learn to love God and ourselves more deeply, we become empowered to love others more compassionately and generously.

How then do these two biblical stories make sense of the suffering in Burma and China? God calls us to act here too with grace and love. We build a house on a rock, or an ark like Noah if we respond to God’s call to us to treat those who are suffering with grace and love. As the retired South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu once said: God has no hands but our hands, no feet but our feet.

Because acting on God’s word is about bringing God’s hope to suffering humanity. And hope is behind the story of Noah’s Ark. After the wildest storms imaginable Noah, his family and all of the animals are finally delivered. God remembers Noah. Once this action occurs the storms abate and the waters finally recede. Yet it is months before they can finally walk on dry land. Noah sends out a dove, and on its second journey the dove ventures afar and returns, a living sprig in its beak. Noah’s entire world of life had been reduced to the seething mass of life, and his hope is reduced to this: a tiny branch with the teeniest green growth – providing hope that new life and growth was occurring somewhere nearby - hope that the waters would recede and they could leave the Ark because God had kept the covenant he had made with Noah. The story of Noah is like a second creation story: with God re-creating the world as God had intended it to be.

Just as God is faithful to Noah, so he is faithful to us in our time. God keeps God’s promises – Christ’s death and resurrection invites us into the fullness of relationship with God. However we are also called to act: it is not enough to hear God’s good news and sit back and do nothing. We are called to be like the Noah’s of our day, loving God’s creation, helping to save people and creatures in distress and helping the world to move into God’s promised future.

Times Online: Top 20 Religious T-Shirts

Now here's a bit of fun - the top 20 religious T-Shirts on one of the blogs on the Times online religion and faith website. You can check them out here. Incidentally the Times online Faith and Religion page is a really good site for keeping up to date on all sorts of international religious matters: the main page is here.

While I'm at it you can also keep up with the Times Literary Supplement here.
The Times Education Supplement site is here. It is just one of MANY fantastic English teacher's websites with lots of brilliant resources that can be altered for an Australian context. Also really good if you want to look at teaching in the UK - a worthwhile experience to have!

Now better get back to my Greek homework.... if procrastination was a uni subject I'd get a High Distinction! :-)
Talk later,
SB

More China Pix

Here are a few more photos of China - this time of the Li River - scene of the famous "camera overboard" incident. These photos taken afterwards, on the school camera! You can really see where the misty black and white chinese watercolour landscapes come from.

This one is of the caves in Guilin - truly spectacular.


SB

It must be essay writing time again.....

I'm supposed to be writing an essay about women and their head coverings in 1 Corinthians 11.... so what's the perfect procrastination device? Internet quizzes!
So much more satisfying that what I used to do to avoid essay writing - less ironing gets done but who cares???
Talk to you soon
SB

Which Jane Austin heroine are you??

Fanny Price


You are smart and shy, a quiet beauty with brains that intimidate everyone around you. You often feel out of place, homeless and alone. As an intellectual idealist, you long to be heard and understood, but rarely waste your time trying to defend yourself to those who could not possibly understand. Time and experience is making you bolder. Despite your clever genius, you long for simplicity, and the love of your soul mate, who is a socially surprising and unlikely match.

More China commentary (WITH PHOTOS!)

Hi Folks,
BB is beginning to post his responses to China - they make for interesting reading! Whilst I don't agree with everything he says (that would make life rather boring, wouldn't it ;-) his insights make for very interesting and thought provoking reading. BB comes at China with fresh eyes: after 11 or so trips I often don't notice stuff, or rather I notice change - many of the difficult bits I just accept in rather a Chinese way - I can't change it so I may as well accept it as it is.

So for interesting reading I recommend BB's China posts, you can read them here.


Here too are a few photos of China, taken on the school camera. We've also got video footage and in the next week or so I'm looking forward to getting CDs with all of the kids pictures on them so that we can make up a digital tour album. Not as good as having BB's pics - but nearly!


See you soon,
Sandy

SB & BB et al arrive home safely

Hi everyone!

We arrived home safely this morning with Gary and all 21 kiddlie winks! A fantastic time was had by all.
Last couple of days involved a casualty - BB slipped on the VERY wet deck of the boat, hit his wrist on the railing and our camera fell into the Li River - along with all of the beautiful photos he had taken! I'm quite cross with myself that I hadn't downloaded them onto my ipod - but if I've learned a hard lesson it's probably no bad thing! At least we'll still have the kids pix so there'll be some to show. Still, if that's the worst that happened in 24 days overseas with 21 kids I'm well and truly glad!
Many thanks for all of the comments and messages along the way. Hopefully I'll post a few photos off the school camera tomorrow once I've had some sleep! BB will probably post to his blog soon - he has some fascinating comments to make. Well worth a peek! His site is: www.comfycouchconfessions.blogspot.com

Lots of love to you all, see you soon in REAL time!
Hugs
SB XX

A Long days travel to Guilin

Hi everyone!
I'm sorry that the last post came out in gobbledy gook- I think I was typing in English in a Chinese font. Sorry about that!
We had a wonderful time at the Cambridge school in Hanzhong. We met up with old friends who have visited here as well as making some new ones. We taught 9 40 min classes on saturday and 8 on sunday - so we're pretty exausted by the end! In all we were able to talk with 3,000 students - not a bad effort for 2 days work huh!

Our kids were amazing! They took to teaching like naturals! It was fantastic to watch. The biggest hit of the visit was one BB - who was adored by all - particularly some of the young girls who made him a number of gifts! I have some fantastic footage of him being mobbed by a whole lot of little people - It's worth a look! He's had a wonderful time and was very touched by the experience. The whole thing was filmed, as was our 2006 visit - so it's now going to be played at the school every weekend, as well as on Hanzhong television! Pretty cool huh! It may even go onto the net at some stage - if so I'll post it so you can check us out.

This morning we got up at 4.30, said a tearful farewell to our friends and headed off back to Xi'an (5 hour bus trip) to catch a plane to Guilin. We've visited a couple of scenic spots and some of the kids have headed off shopping with Gary - and the boys are playing Mahjong with BB. I'm going to head off to do some work on my Greek!!
Tomoorow we're off to catch a boat on the Li river to Yangshuo - promises to be a great day. Will try to blog once more before we catch the plane home on Friday night. Will be home Saturday.
Hugs and love to you all!
SB XX

Hanzhong China

Hi Everyone!
Thanks for your commenｔｓ!　Ｗｅ'ｒｅ　ｉｎ　Ｈａｎｚｈｏｎｇ　ｗｈｉｃｈ　ｉｓ　ｒｉｇｈｔ　ｉｎｔｈｅ　ｃｅｎｔｒｅ　ｏｆ　Ｃｈｉｎａ.　Ｗｅ　ｓｐｅｎｔ　２　ｄａｙｓ　ｉｎ　Ｘｉ'ａｎａｎｄ　Ｂｒｅｎｄａｎ　ｌｏｖｅｄ　ｔｈｅ　Ｗａｒｒｉｏｒｓ．　Ｈｅ　ｓａｙｓ　ｔｈｅｙ　ｗｅｒｅ　ａｓｔｏｎｉｓｈｉｎｇ　ａｎｄ　ｔｈａｔ　ｔｈｅｒｅ　ａｒｅ　ｎｏ　ｗｏｒｄｓ　ｔｏ　ｄｅｓｃｉｂｅ　ｔｈｅｍ．　Ｗｅ　ａｌｓｏ　ｗｅｎｔ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　Ｓｈａｎｘｉ　ｍｕｓｅｕｍ．　
Ｗｅ　ａｒｅ　ｎｏｗ　ｉｎ　Ｈａｎｚｈｏｎｇ　ｖｉｓｉｔｉｎｇ　ｏｕｒ　ｆｒｉｅｎｄｓ　ａｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｃｈｏｏｌ　ｈｅｒｅ．　Ｗｅ＇　ｖｅ　ｈａｄ　ｏｕｒ　ｆｉｒｓｔ　Ｅｎｇｌｉｓｈ　ｃｌａｓｓ　ｔｏｎｉｇｈｔ　－ｗｅ　ｈａｖｅ　８　ｍｏｒｅ　ｔｏｍｏｒｒｏｗ！　ＷＥ＇ｒｅ　ｂｅｉｎｇ　ｆｉｌｍｅｄ　ｔｏ　ｇｏ　ｏｎｔｏ　ｌｏｃａｌ　ＴＶ！
Ｓｏｒｒｙ　ａｂｏｕｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｆｏｎｔ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｏｎｅ　－Ｉ　ｃａｎ＇ｔ　ｃｈａｎｇｅ　ｉｔ！Gotta go too!
Lots of Love
Sandy and Brendan XX　

Last Day in Beijing

Hey all!
Having a great time! Kids were off at homestay over the weekend - so we had some time to ourselves. Brendan, Gary and I did too much shopping and then had lunch in a Thai restaurant. After that went into Jingshan park where you can get a brilliant view over the forbidden city - but it was terribly foggy. Also went and had a look in Beihai park. Walked up to the White Dagoba - which is like a Tibetan Buddhist Stupa and then went home for a little pre-dinner nap!

Dinner on Saturady was brilliant. Brendan and Gary voted it among the 10 best meals of their lives. We went to a Tibetan restaurant and had Yak steaks, salad, momo (tibetan dumplings) and garlic bread with saffron. Superb!!! All this for a total of $100 australian including drinks. Not bad huh! The ambiance was superb - an amazing tibetan movie playing on the big screen and then some singers after dinner. They also brought a lovely plate of fruit for us to share. I even got to use my little bit of Tibetan - Tashidele - it is a greeting meaning "peace" - the Tibetans really like it when you can speak to them!

China Update II

Hi everyone,
Thanks to those who have posted comments back to us- we appreciate it!

Yesterday we headed in to Tiananmen Square- the political and cultural heart of Beijing, and therefore China. We climbed up on to Tiananmen gate and saw the square from right where Chairman Mao proclaimed the people's republic in 1949. Then we headed into the Forbidden City - the palace for the Emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties since the 1400s. It has been extensively restored in recent years - so is looking beautiful in many places with a new coat of paint. The main halls are still under restoration though - wonder if they'll be done in time for the Olympics?

It's interesting having heard many times in Australia that all Beijing taxi drivers are being trained to speak ENglish to deal with tourists - I still haven't met one who can! They're also still quite rude to foreigners - so will be interesting to see how that plays out in the western media at Olympic time!

We had a very quick dinner and a FANTASTIC restaurant - had to bring the dumplings back as we ran out of time - and sent the kids back to the meeting at the school in taxis. Arrived in time for them to meet their homestay families. They all seem pretty pleased about it all - and are looking forward to going to their homestays today.

We haven't been able to go to church today for Good Friday -so have had private prayer ourselves. Am taking the kids to a Buddhist temple for a visit this afternoon - which feels a little wierd. We were going to the zoo to see the pandas - but they seem to think this will fit better with the program. The school here is running as normal today and all are in classes. You'd never know that today is the most sacred day of the christian calendar.

Lots of love and hugs to you all - may you have a joyous and peaceful Easter Season.
Don't forget to comment on this blog and say hi!
Blessings,
SB

China: The first few days.....

Hello everyone!
We’re having a great time so far…. Although feeling a little sleep deprived! We arrived at midnight on Sunday (China Time) and as I went to set the alarm for the next morning I discovered that I had been up for exactly 24 hours. A long day!

On Monday we took the group to the Summer Palace. The Summer Palace is the Qing Dynasty emperor’s Summer palace. It has an enormous man made lake and a large man made hill which has a Buddhist temple on top – built by the Emperor Qian Long for his mother’s birthday. We strolled around the lake, along the Long Corridor, caught a boat across to the small island. From there we walked very briskly around the lake and up to the temple at the top of the mountain. A great view was had from the top!

Day two saw the kids having classes in the morning and I thook Brendan to have him fitted for a couple of suits. He should look quite spunky in them! I am also having a couple of silk jackets made. After lunch we took the kids shopping - then to the Temple of heaven (the iconic building with the blue roof that you see in all the shows about Beijing ). This is the place where the Emperor would go once a year to pray for a good harvest. After that partook of Beijing Duck and then took the kids to see a theatre performance at the Laoshe teahouse. It included acrobats, music, comedy and kungfu. Great fun! We finally got home to bed around 10.

Yesterday we went to the great wall at Simatai - a spot I hadn't been to before. Very remote - and VERY steep! We hiked up it for an hour or so - and then slowly and carefully made our way back down. The view was spectacular! Every single one of us slept on the bus on the way home - which says something about how well we're tiring the kids out! They recovered quickly though - and played basket ball before tea and went swimming afterwards. BB and I went for a very brisk 20 min walk to the DVD shop and back. Bought just a few things! :-)

TOday we're off to Tiananmen Square and then the Forbidden city. SHould be a fantastic day. The kids are off on Homestay on the weekend - so the 3 of us adults will get a little much needed grownup space!
Sorry for the brief travelogue nature of this post - in a hurry on a timed connection. I might see if I can post photos another time this week.
Send me a note to say hi!
Hugs to all!
SB XX

Heading off on China Tour this sunday!

Hi all,
BB and I are heading off to China with 21 kids and one other adult for the Carey China tour. We leave this Sunday at 5.30 am. I'm hoping that we'll be able to keep in touch with people about the journey this time by publishing comments to this blog rather than via email.
Of course we'd love to hear from you while we're away - so please either email us directly or leave a comment on this blog site to say "hi" whilst we're gone.

Much love and best wishes for a happy and safe easter.
Hugs
SB

Useful map for teaching world religions

Hi,

It's the long weekend and I'm procrastinating. BB is watching an awful old war film and I SHOULD be learning Greek nouns.... but have been web surfing and just found a groovy site with a little movie that shows the growth and spread of world religions over 5000 years in 90 seconds. Very useful!


The website is called www.mapsofwar.com if you want to check it out.

Now back to those Greek nouns....
SB

Servant of God II

Hi,
Here's the second of 2 reflections I've written recently for our local church's lenten book.
Enjoy!
SB

Christ - the Servant King.
Reading: Jesus washes the feet of the disciples: John 13: 1-11

As Jesus washes the feet of the disciples we recall his great commandment to “love one another.” Jesus loved humanity in all its broken, dirty smelliness even as he performed an act of servant hood for his disciples in washing their feet: feet which had pounded the pavements and dusty roads of Jerusalem in open sandals. This was an act a servant would normally perform: certainly not one for a revered teacher and leader who had ridden into Jerusalem to great acclaim only 4 short days before.

Jesus’ disciples are shocked at this suggestion: Peter says “you will never wash my feet.” But Jesus responds: Unless I wash you, you have no share in me.” To accept Christ is to accept him as a servant: one who ministers to the deepest and most intimate needs. To follow him is to accept not only his ministrations but also his ministry and mission. South African Bishop Desmond Tutu once said: “God has no hands but our hands, no feet but our feet.” To follow Jesus is to use our hands and feet to live the costly and difficult life of a servant to others.

Around the world today many Christians will perform foot washing ceremonies to remember Jesus washing his disciple’s feet. In doing so, they remember their baptismal commitment into the mission of Christ to honour his great commandment to love one another.

The Woman at the Well encounters the Living Water

Hi Everyone,
Here is the sermon I preached yesterday on The reading from John 4:5-42.
I showed the images on the screen as I was preaching - I've placed them at the appropriate point in this version.
Feedback welcome.....
Enjoy!
SB

Before I begin to talk today about this wonderful, familiar story of Jesus’ meeting with the woman at the well, I want to make a point about where this story is situated in John’s Gospel. Often the placement of a particular episode in the Gospel story has theological significance: widening our view and looking at the stories around it can tell us quite a bit about the point which the biblical author is trying to make. So it is with this particular episode of Jesus’ meeting with the Samaritan woman - it is sandwiched between two similar stories. Last week we heard about Jesus’ encounter with Nicodemus. As Ted pointed out in his message about this passage, Nicodemus is one of the heavies of the Jewish temple: a Pharisee. A man well placed to understand the arguments that Jesus is putting forward. And yet when Jesus tells him that a man needs to be born “again” in order to enter the kingdom of Heaven, Nicodemus doesn’t truly “get it”, at least at this stage – although as Ted pointed out he will later become one of Jesus’ staunchest followers. At this stage, though, he does not really understand Jesus’ message about who he says he is.

This section of the story includes two groups having an encounter with Jesus: firstly the woman at the well and secondly the disciples.

Jesus is tired and sitting by the well. He is tired from his previous night time encounter with Nicodemus. Jesus is “spiritually” tired because he has found no one to believe in him. He is also tired from his long walk from Jerusalem into Samaria. The disciples have gone off to buy food and he is left sitting in the glaring heat of the noon day sun.
Image: Woman at the well 1.
Jesus is sitting beside Jacob’s well and he is thirsty. The mention of Jacob and Jacob’s well alludes to the story in Genesis chapter 29. Jacob tells the shepherds they should roll back the rock from the mouth of the well so that Rachel’s sheep could drink. The shepherds refuse, saying, “We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together” But Jacob goes to the well and moves back the huge stone so that Rachel’s sheep can drink. This background provides an important clue about the outcome of this encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman.

Another important thing which many commentators point out, is that anyone who knows the stories of the Torah would guess that when there is a man sitting by a well a woman is about to appear. This is true of the story of Rebecca, who became Isaac’s bride: she was found at a well by Abraham’s servant who went in search of a bride for Abraham’s beloved son. Jacob, too, met his future bride Rachel at a well. Likewise Moses met Zeppora, his future wife at a well. For readers steeped in the history of the stories of the Torah this image sets up an expectation: “Ah ha – I’m about to hear a love story.” This opening image has a similar effect as going to see a Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks film might have for us. If Sleepless in Seattle or When Harry Met Sally comes on late night TV we know what we’re going to get. And this certainly is a love story: but it is not going to play itself out in the way the audience might expect. It’s a love story with a twist in the tale.

Who is this woman? The first person with whom Jesus shares the story of who he is, to whom he reveals himself as the “living water”, is not powerful, not rich, not male, not even Jewish. She is a real contrast to the character of Nicodemus. He is a known and named Jewish man of power: a Pharisee and teacher. This woman is unnamed and powerless: the victim of circumstance having been married 5 times. Although we don’t know why she has been married 5 times, nor why the man she lives with now is not her husband, we can imagine how she might feel: rejected, lonely, with a broken self image and perhaps even with deep feelings of guilt and worthlessness. Why would she go to the well in the middle of the day when the sun is at its highest, instead of the cool of the day at sunrise or sunset when the other women might go? It could be of course that she’s just run out of water: but it may also be that she goes to the well in the heat of the day to avoid meeting other women. It certainly seems to me from her reaction to Jesus later that she is indeed a sad and broken woman.

The second thing we know about her is that she’s a Samaritan - which means that Jesus has to transgress important racial, cultural and religious boundaries in order to speak to her. The Samaritans are a mixed race: they are partly descended from Levi, one of the 12 tribes of Israel – so they are related to the Jews. They are also descended from foreigners who settled the Northern Kingdom of Judah after its conquest by Assyria. Their land is Mount Gerazim, near Nablus in the West Bank. The Samaritans revere the Torah, the first 5 books of the Old Testament, in common with Jews and Christians. They pray in the Ancient Hebrew language of Aramaic: the language that Jesus used. Today after war and persecution, they are a tiny group of around 750 people. And in Jesus’ day, they were also a persecuted minority: the Samaritan woman would not expect Jesus to speak to her – and she expresses her shock and surprise when he does.

Jesus is tired, sitting beside the well when along comes a woman carrying a water jar. She has the means of drawing the water that will slake Jesus’ thirst. Potentially Jesus is faced with a dilemma: not only is this a woman but she is a Samarian: he cannot possibly accept water from her. Ironically, the woman herself reminds Jesus of his error when she reminds him that he shouldn’t be asking her, a Samaritan woman, for water. Although we don’t know whether Jesus actually drinks the water she offers him, his human need for water is significant as it creates a need which allows a human bond to form between Jesus and the woman – a bond transcending the differences of their race and sex.

Have a look at how Jean Vanier, founder of the L’Arche community in France, a man who has dedicated his life to the intimate care of the disabled, responds to Jesus approaching the woman for a drink.

Jesus is showing us how to approach people
who are broken and wounded:
not as someone superior, from “above,”
but humbly, from “below” like a beggar.”
Such people who are already ashamed of themselves
do not need someone who will make them feel even more ashamed,
but someone who will give them hope and reveal to them
that they have value, they are unique, precious and important.
To accept and love broken people in that way
is the surest way to help them grow.
We witness this so often in l’Arche and in Faith and Light,
where we welcome men and women with disabilities
who have lost all self-confidence and self-esteem.
What they need to begin their journey of growth
is someone who appreciates, affirms and loves them
just as they are, in all their weakness and brokenness.
Jean Vanier
Drawn into the Mystery of Jesus through the Gospel of John.


Jesus knows the depth of despair and sadness of a woman who has had 5 husbands. He doesn’t judge her or condemn her, nor does he condescend or give her moral lessons. Instead, he holds out his cup and allows her to serve him water. This is an act of love that says “you’re ok and I would like to be in relationship with you.” This is where this love story is totally different from any this woman has experienced before: Jesus isn’t going to abandon her as perhaps her five previous husbands have done. He is offering her a different, deeper kind of love – one which accepts her as she is and which will free her from the despair of her life thus far.

This too is the way in which Jesus meets us: we do not need to hide our brokenness from him. Instead we are called into relationship with a Jesus who accepts us just as we are and who loves us just as we are. This in turn is the way we are called to witness to others: not in flowery words or powerful language, but by sharing the love of Jesus who meets the woman at the well just as she is and accepts a drink of water from her.

At this point Jesus turns the story on its head by reversing the role of the giver and receiver of water. Now that he has shown that he accepts her as she is, he is now going to offer her a gift of living water. Jesus is suggesting that it is the woman who is thirsty and he is the one who has the means of slaking her thirst.

What is so special about this gift of water he is offering her?



It seems to me if we think back on all of the sermons we’ve heard preached since the start of this year that there has been a heavy emphasis on one symbol or sign: water. We’ve heard about Jesus’ baptism from the different perspectives of Matthew and John’s gospel and now we’re hearing the story of Jesus’ meeting with the Samaritan woman at the well. At a time when some parts of our land are desperately parched and crying out for water, we are only too aware of our need for water.

Let’s think about this symbol of water for a moment. Without it life on this planet cannot survive. Plants wither and die, animal life, human life is snuffed out. Without water we cannot go on. On the other hand, too much water is equally problematic: just ask those in Queensland at the moment. Flooding rains bring destruction of trees and homes, drowning of livestock and destruction of livelihood.

Today’s story of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well is third time the writer of John has used water as a symbol in the first 4 chapters. Firstly there is the story of John the baptiser who baptises with water. We heard Brendan preach on this story in January where he drew a comparison between John baptising with water and Jesus baptising with the Spirit. In that story we came to see that water could be a sign of the Spirit’s rejuvenating and cleansing power.

The second story, and one we have not heard this year is the story of the Wedding at Cana, where Jesus turns water into wine. In this story, a wedding has been going on and, disaster of disasters, the wine runs out. Jesus’ mother asks him to turn the water in the big stone jars normally used for washing into wine. Jesus does this: but doesn’t just turn it into the second rate wine normally served to guests at the end of a banquet when they can no longer tell the difference: he turns it into the best wine. Jesus does this not to show us he’s capable of the miraculous but to make a deeper point: that Jesus himself is the “good wine” that is left til last. The point of this second water story is that in the person of Christ new life has come: as biblical scholar Dorothy Lee puts it: “the final celebration of God’s divine reign has begun – and the one through whom the new arrives, the guest at the banquet, becomes the host, the giver, the divine self-gift.”

In today’s story, we come to understand there are two types of water: stagnant lifeless water, drying up and unable to sustain life. There is also life giving, moving, oxygenated water which provides sustenance for the growth and development of all which surrounds it.

In this story of his encounter with the woman at the well, Jesus offers this broken woman, a woman who is spiritually thirsty, water. But as he explains to her, this gift of water which he offers her is one that will mean that she will never be thirsty again. Once she has entered into a loving relationship with the “I am”, the Messiah who is speaking to her, she need never be spiritually thirsty again. A relationship with Jesus is like drinking “Living Water.” It quenches a spiritual thirst so that it never reoccurs. The reason it does not reoccur is the nature of living water: it is water from a “spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” Only at this point in the story does Jesus finally reveal his identity to the woman.
John Shea, American Biblical scholar and storyteller puts it thus:

“Now she is ready. So Jesus reveals his deepest identity to her. He is the “I am.” He participates in and communicates the very being of God. However, the truth about “I am” is that it is simultaneously a “that you may be.” God’s very being is self-communication. So when Jesus says “the one who is speaking to you,” he is tapping into his ultimate identity as the Word. As the Word of God speaking human words he is putting God’s being and love into her. She is sharing in the structure of his identity. She now knows who is saying to her, “Give me a drink,” and he has given her living water. On one level, the conversation is over. On another level, it continues forever.”
John Shea: On Earth As It Is In Heaven.




Let’s look at how the woman responds to Jesus throughout this dialogue. She doesn’t immediately understand who Jesus is when he asks her for a drink, but comes to realise it slowly as he reveals the truth of his identity to her. When he first asks her for a drink she calls him a “Jew”, recognising the most obvious outward sign of his race. As he reveals his deep and intimate knowledge of her suffering, she sees him as a prophet. And, finally, once she hears his voice when he says, “I am he, the one who is speaking to you”, she grasps this “I am,” she understands his identity. She is filled with love. She has recognised Jesus as the messiah, the one sent by God to give the gift of living water. The woman who I suggested went to the well in the glaring heat of the noonday sun in order to avoid meeting others, now leaves her water jar and goes back to the town a changed woman. She goes to share the story of the man she has met at the well, and to encourage them to come back and meet him too. The love which she has received from Jesus in the form of “living water”, which has transformed her life and freed her from the burden of her past, is not a gift that one keeps to oneself: it is a gift to be shared with those around her.

At this point in the story, the disciples return from their shopping trip with food for Jesus. They beg him to eat it but he rejects it saying: “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” This food, he goes on to tell them, is to obey the will of the one who sent him, and to finish the work he was given to do. The weary Jesus, resting by the well, is now rejuvenated and points to that which satiates him on a spiritual level: by doing the work of God, and building relationships with those about him, Jesus receives the food which he needs. So much so that when the Samaritans come back and beg him to stay, he does so. He stays with them for 2 days and many come to believe in him because of his message.
Just as the gift of Living Water that brought the Samaritan woman into a loving relationship with Jesus transformed her life, so it can transform ours. And, if we share the gift with those around us, it can transform their lives too.

Servant of God

I recently wrote a couple of little reflections for our church Lenten book on the theme of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah. I thought I might share them. The image above is of Isaiah and it is one of the images on the Sistine Chapel roof painted by Michaelangelo.
SB

Servant of God
Readings: Isaiah 42:1-7 & Isaiah 49: 1-6 –Servant Song 1 & 2


The first two servant songs fit together to give us a clear image of the origins of the servant and also of his mission. Isaiah 42 is written from the perspective of the creator and Isaiah 49 has two voices: that of the servant followed by a response from the Lord.

The servant comes from God. We learn from the servant that: “The Lord called me before I was born, while I was in my mother’s womb he named me.”(49:1b) and we know that God is pleased with what he created: “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen in whom my soul delights.” (42:1) The servant exists in special relationship with God in order to fulfil God’s purposes.

We discover that the servant has dual purposes. The servant is one who will “not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching.”(42:4) In Isaiah 49 the Lord says of the servant: “I will give you as a light to the nations that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

As we prepare for Easter, let us remember that Jesus, like the servant is the created and beloved Son of God. As we enter holy week, we reflect on two central themes of Christ’s mission: to bring justice to the poor and to bring salvation to all peoples, everywhere.

Prayer: Lord, how awesome is the gift of love you give us in your son Jesus. May I be truly thankful.

What's through the gate?

I took this photo on a walking track at Cheddar Gorge in England in 2005. I've had it on my desktop for a few weeks and it strikes me as pretty apt given where BB and I are at just now. On Tuesday we'll be heading off for the Comencement Camp for Theological Hall - Our big adventure is finally beginning! We've spent the summer helping out at our local church while our minister has been flat out with a back injury which made for an excellent opportunity to learn about us in ministry. I certainly felt a great deal of "rightness" about the experience which was great.

I'm looking forward to this next stage of the journey with both anticipation and trepidation. I know the process will mean a lot of change - and a deepening of my own spirituality and faith. I wonder how I'll change as I'm "formed" over the next 3 years?
Whatever happens it sure will make for an interesting ride.

Hope you like my image of the gate at Cheddar Gorge - and yes - Cheddar is the place where Cheddar cheese came from originally!
Talk to you soon,
SB

Forgiveness

Once again the Henri Nouwen reflections site has provided some wonderful food for reflection. Today's particular truth is one that I have had to learn through personal experience - and one of the most important ones. That being unable to fogive ultimately limits our own freedom and growth. If you'd like to subscribe to the Henri Nouwen site's daily meditations the link is in the article I posted on Friday.
TTYS
SB


Forgiveness, the Way to Freedom


To forgive another person from the heart is an act of liberation. We set that person free from the negative bonds that exist between us. We say, "I no longer hold your offense against you" But there is more. We also free ourselves from the burden of being the "offended one." As long as we do not forgive those who have wounded us, we carry them with us or, worse, pull them as a heavy load. The great temptation is to cling in anger to our enemies and then define ourselves as being offended and wounded by them. Forgiveness, therefore, liberates not only the other but also ourselves. It is the way to the freedom of the children of God.

Henri Nouwen Reflections

I subscribe to the Daily Reflection from www.henrinouwen.org which often provides great food for thought. This particular one resonates with my personal journey - it is not until we have experienced the grace of being forgiven ourselves that we understand what a sacred gift it is to give others. I hope this reflection resonates with you too - if it does you may like to subcribe to their daily reflections too.
Cheers
SB






Receiving Forgiveness

There are two sides to forgiveness: giving and receiving. Although at first sight giving seems to be harder, it often appears that we are not able to offer forgiveness to others because we have not been able fully to receive it. Only as people who have accepted forgiveness can we find the inner freedom to give it. Why is receiving forgiveness so difficult? It is very hard to say, "Without your forgiveness I am still bound to what happened between us. Only you can set me free." That requires not only a confession that we have hurt somebody but also the humility to acknowledge our dependency on others. Only when we can receive forgiveness can we give it.

Baptism of Christ

Baptism of Christ: 13th January 2008 - Year A

Readings: Isaiah 42:1-9, Matthew 3:13-17

Today we’re going to explore Matthew’s version of Jesus’ baptism. When we arrive at the baptism story in Matthew chapter 3:13, Jesus is suddenly an adult. The last we heard of Jesus at the end of chapter 2, Joseph had just taken Mary and the infant Jesus back to Galilee in Israel after their flight into Egypt. The small babe we read of in Matthew chapter 2 is now the adult Jesus ready to start his ministry on the banks of the Jordan River. It seems odd doesn’t it that the baby being venerated in the manger is, a few short verses later, a fully grown adult about to make his first steps on the road to Calvary. No terrible twos, no toilet training, no learning to read and write or to interact with those around him. Did he suffer from teenage angst? Did he have to learn how to deal with the local Nazarene bullies? We just don’t know. This reminds us that the gospels are not just stories but theological narratives: stories told with a definite point in mind. What we might think are significant details that would help us to get to know Jesus, do not advance the theological argument of the gospel and are therefore left out.
I’m going to argue that there are 3 significant points that Matthew wants us to know about Jesus in this passage.
Point 1: Jesus is human like us.
We’ve heard the story of Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan so often that it is really easy to skim over it and miss the deeper meanings within. We just accept Jesus arriving at the Jordan River presenting himself to John for baptism along with all the others. – But notice how John responds. He actually argues with Jesus. Verse 14 says: “John would have prevented him, saying “I need to be baptised by you and you come to me?” John knows that he has been sent to pave the way for Jesus. In verse 11, just preceding this passage, John has just told the Pharisees and Sadducees that: “I baptise you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals.” John is disturbed that the revered one he has been paving the way for does not appear as a great hero/teacher sent to prove his power and might. Instead this first action of the adult Jesus is one of humility.

For this is the truly surprising point about this Jesus. In contrast to the powerful Jesus from John’s introduction a couple of verses earlier, the first act of this Jesus is to put himself on the level of ordinary humanity and seek to be baptized along with all of the others who sought baptism from John. Jesus who is to end his ministry on a cross being crucified between two criminals begins his ministry in a river amongst penitent sinners.
This is how Biblical scholar Fredrick Brunner puts it:
From his baptism to his execution Jesus stays low, at our level, identifying with us at every point, becoming as completely one with us in our humanity in history as, in the church’s teaching he was completely one with God in eternity. Jesus’ “at-one-ment” with the human race visible already at baptism, is as impressive and as important for human salvation as Jesus’ at-one-ment with the heavenly Father…most potent on the cross.
Frederick Dale Brunner, Matthew: Volume 1 The Christbook, Matthew 1-12
So by putting himself in the place of sinners being baptised by John in the river Jordan, Jesus emphasises his humanity. He is at one with us: he is one of us.
Point 2: It reveals Jesus’ mission:
If we hold in mind this idea of Jesus sent to be at one with the ordinary people as we look at the Isaiah reading for today, we start to get an idea of the kind of mission which Jesus is on. Isaiah 42: 1-9 is one of four poetic passages in the Book of Isaiah often referred to as "The Servant Songs." They describe Israel's mission as God's servant people chosen to bring "light to the nations." This passage was composed by an unknown prophet during Israel's exile in Babylon from 586-539BC. Although it must be noted that this passage does not exclusively refer to Jesus, and that we should not read Old Testament texts purely through Christian lenses, the early Christian church nonetheless regarded these poems as prophecies about Jesus, the Messiah.
If we do read the passage with Christ in mind it does give us a firm idea of the role which a servant messiah might play: a role which contrasts with the politically powerful warrior type messiah that the Jews were expecting. The main item on the agenda for the servant is Justice: it is clear from Isaiah verse 4 that the servant is one who will “not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching.” This certainly fits with what we will discover about Jesus in the rest of Matthew’s gospel: he is indeed one who is passionate about bringing justice to the poor and the suffering. So this passage, when read with Matthew’s Jesus insisting that he be baptised by John along with the ordinary people in the Jordan, makes it clear right at the start of Jesus’ ministry that he has been sent to side with the humble and the outcast and bring Justice to all the earth.

Jesus’ baptism, coupled with his death and resurrection is an act of redemption – one which rights the injustice of the world and sets the prisoners free. The word redemption literally means “to buy back” In the ancient world there were 2 types of slaves – those born or forced into slavery and others who paid off a debt or crime by becoming enslaved. The second type could be freed if someone paid the debt. They would then be the slave of the purchase or freed completely. Thus we are like slaves who have been set free: no longer enslaved by destructive behaviour but liberated through the baptism and death of Christ. In this way, Jesus paralleling the Servant song in Isaiah brings Justice to the earth.

Point 3: It highlights Jesus’ relationship to the father.
Both the servant in Isaiah and Matthew’s Jesus come from the father.

In the Isaiah reading, God, the LORD, the creator of the heavens and the earth, the one who gave breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk upon it has given the servant to the people in order that he will be a light to the nations: one who is to open eyes that are blind. The servant is a gift to humanity – sent to bring justice and freedom to the world.

The Matthew reading also makes it clear that Jesus is sent by the father. The baptism of Jesus is described only briefly: he “was baptized, [and] came up from the water.” The drama is found in the aftermath when the dove like Spirit descends on him, a voice from heaven is heard, and the identity of Jesus is revealed, “this is my beloved son.” Matthew presents this as a declaration to all who hear it – “this is my son.” This is quite different to Mark and Luke’s accounts where God speaks to Jesus directly: “you are my son.” Matthew wants to declare to all who listen: “This is God’s son.” The story of Jesus’ baptism make clear both Jesus’ solidarity with suffering humanity and his “one-ness” with God.
The words with which God anoints Jesus in Matthew are very similar to those used to describe the servant in Isa 42:1 - 'This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased'. As the servant in the Isaiah reading was chosen and endowed with God's spirit to do the task of bringing justice to the earth so Jesus as God's son was the beloved chosen to reveal God's self to humanity.

Russian contemplative icons


I’ve chosen this icon to share with you because I think it makes a profound point in a pictorial form. This particular icon comes from the Russian Orthodox tradition and was produced around the 14th century. Many people, including a large group within the Uniting Church, write icons as a way of getting inside the story: they find that by painting (which is officially called writing) an icon, or just by meditating on it they come to a much deeper and more profound understanding of the truths within the story. I find that the longer I look at an icon the more things I find within it – icons are full of rich symbolism.
This icon shows us that not only does the story of Jesus’ baptism illuminate profound truths about the identity of Jesus and his role – it invites us into the story: to partake in the baptismal experience.


Here’s a modern version of this icon – it’s a little clearer and easier to read than the 14th century version. You’ll notice that the water at the bottom of the painting splays outwards almost as though we were standing in the water with Jesus. The saints who look on are faced outwards almost as if they too are looking towards us. We are part of the story. Jesus’ baptism is not only for him, it is for us.
See what “the other” Brendan Byrne has to say about this point:

“What Jesus experiences here following his baptism is something that all the baptized can claim. Each one, before any good work of which they may subsequently be capable and simply because of their union with Jesus, can take to themselves that same divine assurance: “This is my beloved son/daughter with whom I am well pleased.”
Brendan Byrne – Lifting the Burden: Reading Matthew’s Gospel in the church today.

This is one of the most personally profound truths of the gospel – and for me one of the hardest to actually come to terms with. There is nothing I can do to make myself acceptable to God –to earn my place in the kingdom. All I can do is learn to submit and accept this miraculous and awesome gift of redemption offered as a result of Christ’s baptism, death and resurrection.

SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION ILLUSTRATION:
One of the best examples in film of just how powerful the gift of redemption can be is in the 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption.


Andy Du Fresne is imprisoned for murdering his adulterous wife and her lover. Despite the overwhelming evidence against him, Andy proclaims his innocence and, without giving away too much, we later discover that he was indeed innocent. On entering Shawshank prison the men are stripped naked and hosed down, then marched upstairs to their cells. Thus the cell almost comes to symbolise a womb – “your whole life gone away and nothing but all the time in the world to think about it.” He is the prisoner of an unjust and violent prison system. However Andy holds on to hope – it is the one thing which he claims that the prison system cannot take away from him no matter what they do to him. The Shawshank Redemption is the story of one man attempting to keep his hope of redemption and freedom alive in spite of the overwhelming suffering of his present situation.
The clip I am going to show you is of Andy’s escape from Shawshank Prison. In it we see the moment of his redemption and can feel the blessed relief it brings him.


Andy’s character has experienced a drought of the soul – 20 years in which he has been degraded and dehumanised in the most appalling of ways. The redemptive moment of his escape from prison is marked by Du Fresne lifting his arms in a cruciform fashion and laughing in relief as the rain literally washes the filth of his prison life from him. After this redemptive baptismal experience Andy is able to go and live in peace on a beach somewhere – in a place with “no memory”, somewhere where he would be free of the pain and suffering of his life in the prison.

This is a powerful image for me of the redemptive experience that Christian baptism offers to all of us. Freedom. A freedom to be loved and accepted as children of whom God says: You are my child in whom I am well pleased.”