Sunday 20th July, 5th Sunday after Trinity

Servant, shepherd, messenger, watchman, steward. Those called to be priests in the Church of England have some significant responsibilities…and Roger has been fulfilling them here at the Priory almost non-stop, since he became our Vicar in February. So, now the time has come for a very well-deserved break. Roger will return, refreshed and reinvigorated from his holiday, on 4th August.
Being a servant is the thread that links our three readings today. And being a servant takes many forms. In the Genesis reading, Abraham becomes the servant of the three strangers who turn up out of the blue. His response is immediate hospitality (reminding me of the Priory’s ‘Benedictine Bakers’ during the Nave Floor Project). Our second servant is Paul. In his letter to the Colossians, Paul describes himself as a servant of the gospel. His servanthood is dedicated to making ‘the word of God fully known’ and as we know, that wasn’t exactly an easy calling. Our final pair of servants is found in Luke’s gospel. The sisters, Mary and Martha, who respond very differently to Jesus. Martha welcomes Jesus in and gets very busy sorting things out. Mary’s response is to sit at his feet and listen, which doesn’t go down too well with Martha, nor Martha’s reaction with Jesus for that matter. But both are servants of Jesus, just in different ways.
We’re all called by God. Like our Biblical sisters and brothers, we’re all honoured to be God’s servants – there’s no need to be ordained or to have letters after your name. With the summer holidays beginning, perhaps now’s the time to consider where God’s calling you next?

Blessings,

Philippa.