Lord, may we so hear Your Word, that we are challenged and changed by it and empowered to live by it; in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
I wonder which Bible verses you know off-by heart? If I ask you now - what words from the Bible you've memorised, what would they be?
I'm doing my daily Bible study in a bit differently at the moment. I'm using WordLive - an online multimedia way of engaging with the Bible. It's provided by Scripture Union and you can access it on the website, or have daily emails sent to your computer or 'phone - taking WordLive with you wherever you go. There are more details about it on the back of the Weekly Leaflet.
I confess that I like gadgets such as my iPhone, and it's great to be able to do Bible study wherever I am without carrying books and notes because it's all here *** ! But actually, it's the content of WordLive that is so helpful - reading the Bible passage for the day or hearing it on the podcast and then absorbing the simple but thought-provoking comments on the Scripture.
For example last week, in a study of a difficult passage in the OT book 1 Samuel, the notes gave this challenge: "Do we approach the Bible as a 'pick-me-up', something to turn to when we want to feel good? Or are we prepared to enter into a living relationship with God as He really is? ... Do we take for granted the promises of God, without similar attention to His warnings? Do we memorise the warnings as well as the promises? If not, we are feeding on delusion." (Annabel Robinson, WordLive 'Deeper Study: How serious are you? 7.7.10)
Which rather brings us back to Amos - and the passage set in the lectionary as this Sunday's OT reading. "This is what the Lord God showed me - a basket of summer fruit... And he said to me. 'The end has come upon my people Israel...'"
Sitting here in 21st century Britain, hearing those words, we may well think: "What on earth is this on about? Why should we give these words a second thought, let alone memorise them? They don't even make sense! What does a basket of summer fruit have to do with the end of a nation anyway?"
Well, if you look at the footnote to Amos chapter 8 verse 1 in the NRSV - the version of the Bible used here in the Priory - you'll see that the basket of summer fruit - for which the Hebrew is qayitz - becomes, through a play on words a sign that "the end" - for which the Hebrew is qetz - was coming upon the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The basket of ripe fruit becomes a warning that the time is ripe for a nation of people who'd rejected the commandments of their God.
To understand the promises and warnings of the Bible, we first need to see them in their original context, before we can understand what God might be saying through Scripture to us today. Amos was a prophet of the 8th century BC; he was in fact the first of the OT prophets whose activity and preaching were complied in a book. He probably started to write things down because people refused to listen to his spoken message. People refused to listen because they didn't like what the prophet was saying. They didn't like the dire warning that God was about to punish - not just the pagan nations of the world, the sinners 'out there' - but His own 'chosen people'.
Amos was a prophet, a seer. He 'saw' ordinary things like a basket of ripe fruit - and saw it as a sign of God's impending judgement. A basket of ripe fruit - its end is near; it's here today and gone tomorrow. That's all very well for fruit. But it's a scary thing to say to a nation. And indeed, the message of Amos makes sobering reading if you and I open our eyes and see that there are many parallels between what was happening to society in the time of Amos and what is happening around us now. So here are a few things to think about when we start to relate today's OT reading to our own context:
First, Amos believed that God is the Sovereign Lord of history and of nature. That God can and does work through both the political circumstances of peoples and nations and through natural calamities. If we share that Judaeo-Christian belief, it will affect how we understand what we see and hear in our daily news.
Second, Amos believed that the Sovereign Lord sees the way in which a society governs itself, conducts its business, does its trading and commerce, whether or not its economic standards are fair. Especially, God cares about how society treats its poor people, the under-privileged and marginalised, the widows and orphans, sick and frail members - those who can so easily sink into poverty, even slavery. Amos believed that a society that allows the gap between rich and poor to get bigger and bigger is under God's judgement. What do we think about that?
Third, Amos believed that simply going through the outward motions of religion was not enough. Turning up at a place of worship, celebrating religious festivals, singing hymns and so on - all that is a sham if it's not matched by a real hunger to hear God's Word and a real commitment to put that word into action. Hearing and doing the word of the Lord is at the heart of a living faith - for individuals and communities alike.
How do we respond to that prophetic challenge?
Fourth, Amos also believed that access to God's Word should not be taken for granted. If God's Word is ignored and neglected, scorned and rejected for long enough - then the day will come when people might again search for it, but not find it. And what a terrible day that will be, says Amos. It will be as devastating as famine - but this time, "not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord".
In today's Gospel reading, we're told of a woman called Mary who rated the importance of being in the Lord's presence and listening to His word more highly than attention to any other activity. Her reputation in the opinion of others mattered less to Mary than spending time with the living word of God and shaping her life around that. We've all heard preachers telling us that Martha represents over-fussy stressed-out housewives, while Mary is a model for those calm meditative people who exude peace because they don't bother themselves with mundane stuff like cleaning, cooking and washing-up! Frankly, that's a cosy trivialization of the Gospel message.
The message of Scripture - which comes though in both the Old and the New Testament readings this morning - is that paying real attention to the Word of God changes our lives radically. If you and I memorise and live by the warnings as well as the comforting promises of Scripture, then that will make us live in a different way than how most of our secular society chooses to behave. But do we dare to allow God's Word to determine how we spend our time and our money, how we live and love, what moves and motivates us?
For the last few minutes now, let's focus that question especially on how the Bible might determine our financial priorities - since this is both a central aspect of the message of Amos, and also such a topical cause of concern.
We had a long and difficult PCC meeting on Thursday evening - not least because the Priory faces an £18 K deficit this year. This is largely owing to the fact that stewardship - ie planned committed giving - has not increased according to budget, while the demands upon our resources continue to rise. So the PCC took the hard decision to make cutbacks to our support of mission and ministry.
Now of course everyone - whether as individuals or households, organisations and institutions and other bodies including churches - all of us have to review our budgets regularly. And especially in difficult times of recession and redundancy, there will be people and churches who have to cut back on expenditure - including our giving. But should not Christians in particular, think long and hard and very prayerfully before we reduce what we give? And the current economic climate does not affect everyone to the same degree, so that while some really do have to reduce their giving, others could actually give more. Or start committed planned giving where that isn't already happening. Do contact Mike Eglington if you'd like more information about the Priory Planned Giving scheme.
After agonising over the PCC deliberations on Thursday night, I was struck by the timeliness of Radio 4's Thought for the Day on Friday morning in the Today programme. You may have heard it too. Rhidian Brook began with these words: "In keeping with the mood of the day, I've decided to look at my expenditure to see what cuts I can make. ... After saving some money on home insurance, my bank statement leaves me 2 more options: a critical illness policy or a charity that supports families living in poverty." Brook told us that his financial advisor made a compelling and eminently sensible case for keeping the cover and cutting back on the charitable giving.
Then Brook continued: "Buried in every bank statement, there's another statement that reveals our priorities and values. Looking at mine, it's clear I live in a world that demands I prioritise myself, my family, my health and my security above the needs of others. And I feel like I've given in to these demands. Some would say I'm practising the careful management of my resources, the good stewardship of which financial advisors and treasurers approve. The problem is, it leaves little for the giving pot.
I once heard a preacher tell those who were struggling financially in his congregation that the best remedy for their situation was to give more to others. He took as his text a passage from the book of Malachi in which God actually invites us to test the theory when He says, 'Bring the whole tithe into the barn and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room for it'. (Mal.3:10)
So Brook concluded his Thought for the Day with this challenge: "Good stewardship isn't just about careful accounting; it's about generosity and what, or who, we trust for our provision...
Do I pay a dividend to fear or do I give - in hope?
If I really want to be a good steward, I believe I only have one choice: stick with the giving and trust that the barns will be filled to overflowing."
Mary Barr
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