Icon by Andrei Rublev, 15th Century
‘Trinity’ or ‘The Hospitality of Abraham’
You can LISTEN to this week's readings and reflections here.
Genesis
12:1-5a
12 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and
your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 I
will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name
great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will
bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you
all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five
years old when he departed from Haran. 5 Abram took his
wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot, and all the possessions that they had
gathered, and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran; and they set forth
to go to the land of Canaan.
Genesis
18:1-15
18 The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he
sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He
looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from
the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground. 3 He
said, “My lord, if I find favour with you, do not pass by your servant. 4 Let
a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the
tree. 5 Let me bring a little bread, that you may
refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your
servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” 6 And
Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Make ready quickly three
measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes.” 7 Abraham
ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant,
who hastened to prepare it. 8 Then he took curds
and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them; and he
stood by them under the tree while they ate.
9 They said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?” And he said, “There,
in the tent.” 10 Then one said, “I will surely
return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son.” And Sarah
was listening at the tent entrance behind him. 11 Now
Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah
after the manner of women. 12 So Sarah laughed to
herself, saying, “After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have
pleasure?” 13 The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, and say, ‘Shall I
indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ 14 Is
anything too wonderful for the Lord? At the set time I will return to you, in due season, and Sarah
shall have a son.” 15 But Sarah denied, saying, “I
did not laugh”; for she was afraid. He said, “Oh yes, you did laugh.”
A ‘cutting’ of tree wisdom (Genny Tunbridge)
The oaks of Mamre mentioned in
Genesis were probably Palestinian oaks (Quercus calliprinos). These oaks
are generally somewhat smaller than their English cousins (Quercus robur),
growing only up to about 18 metres instead of up to 40. But ancient Hebrew
tradition suggests that Mamre was the site of an unusually large tree, or grove
of trees, which was regarded as a holy place even before the time of Abraham.
Oak trees have been seen as venerable
or sacred in many cultures and religions, including ancient British druids and
early Germanic and Slavic tribes. This is partly no doubt because their size
and broad, spreading shape make them a highly visible and very suitable
gathering place. Within the Hebrew and Christian traditions too, especially
before temples and church buildings were built, a large, spreading tree was a
natural place to meet, shelter, rest, share hospitality and pray.
Other characteristics of oaks
encourage people to treat them as holy ground. They are long-lived: oaks
typically spend 300 years growing, 300 resting and 300 gradually declining –
some live to over 1000. They are most fruitful at 80-120 years when many other
trees are at the end of their life. And
they are host to a huge variety of other living things: 2300 different birds,
mosses, fungi, invertebrates, lichens and mammals are listed in a database of
species supported by oaks in the UK.[1]
Maybe Abraham and Sarah learned about
patience, late flourishing in maturity, and generous hospitality from the oaks
at Mamre.
Introduction to the theme (Al Barrett)
Over the past six weeks, as we’ve begun our ‘Trees of Life’
journey together, we’ve been thinking about how we’re ‘growing’: spiritually,
communally, missionally, evangelistically, and with the fruit of the Kingdom.
Hopefully we’ve been able to recognise all kinds of ways in which God has been
helping us to grow through these challenging times. We’ve also begun to get a
sense of how the different kinds of growing are connected together: our roots,
trunk, branches, leaves and fruit all depend on each other for life, growth and
health. And we’ve also been reminded that this ‘growing’ isn’t just about us as
individuals, or just about us as a church community – although both of those
are important – but about our connectedness within our wider neighbourhoods,
and the wider world.
This week we’re going to shift our focus a bit. We’re going
to catch our first proper glimpse of the ‘Big Story’ that is told through the
pages of the Bible, at the beginning of God’s journey with the people of Israel
– the beginning, in fact, of the people of Israel themselves. Abraham and Sarah
(who begin life as ‘Abram and Sarai’ – name changes are often important in
bible stories) are the ancestors of the people who will come to know themselves
as ‘God’s people’. And yet, at the beginning of the story, this seems highly
unlikely. We’re told (in Genesis chapter 11, verse 30) that ‘Sarai was barren’
– unable, so the story goes, to have children. So when God says ‘Go – leave
home’ to 75-year-old Abram, and promises to make of him ‘a great nation’,
through whom all the peoples of the world will be blessed, it’s difficult for
Abram and Sarai to work out, practically, how that’s going to happen. It’s no
more believable when we meet them again, in chapter 18, pausing on their
journey under the oak trees in a place called Mamre. No wonder Sarah laughs!
You might recognise the picture this week. It’s one we’ve
explored together in church on several occasions, and there’s a large version
of it in the living room of the Old Rectory. It’s often seen as an image of God
as Trinity – Father/Creator, Son/Jesus and Holy Spirit. But it’s got another
name too: ‘The Hospitality of Abraham’. It tells the story of God (in the three
‘men’) coming to visit Abraham and Sarah, at their camp by the oaks of Mamre.
Can you see the tree in the middle of the picture, and Abraham and Sarah’s
house on the left-hand side at the back? It tells of an encounter with some
strangers, over a meal, and some strange and wonderful promises – things that
we struggle to imagine, that turn out to be possible with God.
When we talk about ‘vocations’, our imagination is often
limited to certain kinds of ‘special jobs’: being a vicar, for example!
‘Vocations’ are just for some people, we think, and are a
once-in-a-lifetime call and response. But ‘vocation’ just means ‘calling’. And
if God is always going on ahead of us (as the women followers of Jesus were
told at the empty tomb), God is always calling us to take a next step on
our journey: not often to a ‘new job’ (although that does happen sometimes!),
and much more often to be in this particular situation, in this
particular way. It’s significant, as I’ve already hinted, that Abram and
Sarai are given new and subtly different names, as their journey with God
unfolds. As they take each step along the way in response to God’s call, they
are learning, slowly, more about what it means to be who God intends them to be
– in the place where they find themselves.
How might God be paying each of us a visit at the
moment, I wonder? In what strangers, in what ordinary or extraordinary places,
might we encounter God – as Creator, as Jesus, as Spirit? And what might we be
sensing God calling us to? What kinds of ‘leaving behind’ might that God be
asking of us? And what strange and wonderful things might lie ahead on our
journeys, if we dare to respond, in courage and trust?
Reflection (Revd Calvert Prntis)
Calvert is Director of
Ordinands & Vocations Development for Church of England -
Birmingham
In 1999 I completed my curacy period and the thought
of what lied waiting ahead in the year 2000 was immense. I felt I learnt my
first profound lesson in how God calls us to a journey when I moved on to my
first post as a vicar. It was a relatively small church, aptly called
‘Community Church’. After a couple of years, I discovered as many people who
were joining the church a good percentage were also leaving for good reasons
such as for employment, university or training. We came to that time in the
service again when a young family were out at the front as they were moving on.
When they shared, the woman told us that as they were coming to Britain, her
mother said to her, ‘make sure you find a good church and put down roots’. ‘We
did what my mother said’ shared Jo, ‘We found a good church, but you have given
us wings’. It was then the penny dropped for me; we were not meant to be a huge
all dazzling church where people stayed for many years. Our calling was one of
being called to a journey with others, equip them and allow them to move to
what God is calling and preparing the next thing for them.
The theme of the Tree of Life is a profound one. It
speaks of being rooted and being productive as a result of having such strong
foundations. Leaves are so visible, and gardeners tell me that you can tell the
health or condition of a tree by its leaves.
It was in hope that Abraham set out from where he lived
to journey to unknown places with God. It was not carefully calculation in
anyway but a deep hope in God. I think
Abrahams faith must have been like a tree planted with the roots going very
deep which enabled him to move in the breeze of God’s voice. Of course, Abram
did not know for certain that God would take him somewhere where God would make
of him a new nation. Just as a newly dating couple has no idea where the
relationship will go, Abraham sets out in hope. Nothing more. Just hope. One
author said, ‘I guess, sometimes, there is not much more that we can do either.
We can just hope that God has not fallen asleep; we can just hope that God will
deliver us from evil; we can just hope that God will give us something to
trust; we can that Jesus’ death and resurrection means new life for us also;
when all else has failed, at the bottom of life we still have the gift of hope.
And sometimes, hope is enough. When we stare out at the hills, we imagine that
God will come and deliver us in some unexpected way. But, until we see God
crest the hill, we lift our eyes to the hills and hope. Maybe, this sort of
hope is actually what faith is all about’.
I am struck with the clarity of the readings in that
God appears to be it seems very clear, firstly the command to ‘Go’ and then to
the precise place. Some people hear God very clearly directing them to a
particular place or task and some do not find it so easy to hear God. I have
often thought that the greatest vocation advisor is God, who always finds the
appropriate way to speak to people and knows and listens to our heart’s
desires. To ‘Go’ can be very hard to
commit to, however our readings point to the depth of blessing that is found in
responding to God’s call whatever it might be and wherever it may lead us.
There is much vulnerability in following God. But there is the promise of being
blessed and we ourselves will in turn be a blessing because of going into the
unknown with God.
It sounds like an abrupt and uncomfortable command of
departure given to Abram by God. Still today many leave their country of birth
not because of desire but out of real desperation to save their own lives and
the lives of their families. This journey is in the hope that they can live the
life that God intended them to live and this for them has meant uprooting and
journeying in faith and trust in God and others.
Abram was obedient to God’s. God’s plan is often a
better one than ours. I am also struck that in this journey we see God’s call
to Abram and also us, that Gods call to journey with him does not disqualify us
because of experience, lack of experience, skill, gender, ethnicity or age.
Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. This venture at
this age must have been empowering as well as scary but Abraham digs deep into
his faith in God.
I can think of several times in my life I can recall
when I sensed God in powerful ways. Of course, the fact is that God is always
near. Wherever God meets us is holy ground. It’s just at times we may lose
sight of him. I am always struck how God brings people into our life at
different phases of our life as we try and follow God’s call. As Abraham was
sitting his day changed dramatically as he sees three strangers coming towards
him and is very receptive towards them. This fantastic hospitality that Abraham
gives to the strangers is outstanding. It emphasizes I believe how God might
want us to journey with God and others.
On hearing what God intended of Sarah, she laughs.
Nervous laughter will always be with us as we are continually surprised by what
and how God calls us to be and to do.
Sarah’s laughter is
not at God but because of what God has said. She may have thought what to do
with this God who keeps pushing her to consider new possibilities. God asks the question of Sarah, Abraham, and
of us: “Do you think there is
anything I cannot do?” It’s a question we all might want to keep asking, “do
you think there is anything God cannot do?” How we live our lives of faith
reveals our answer to God’s question. And
as we consider the question, a little nervous laughter might leak out! In the
story, Sarah’s laughter shows the human side of
things, which is met by the God who appears in the present of the three strangers.
There is a reminder
here that God is discovered in real and intimate ways, especially through each
other. It is clear that God desires a
real and intimate relationship with us.
Through these stories
in Genesis we are reminded how challenging being faithful to God is and yet it
is God’s faithfulness to us that spurs us on.
5th
Gospel (Gloria
Smith)
I have found that life is
pretty much like a journey and for some one of my age it’s quite a long journey
and hence a long story so I’m only going to talk about the last couple of
years.
Most of you know I was a
teacher for getting on for 30 years. I absolutely loved teaching and felt it
was more than a job, I saw it as a calling. However, although I really enjoyed
teaching, during the last few years I felt there was something else that was
calling me, although it was difficult to articulate exactly what. It came to a
head when I was taking part in our Spiritual Companions 1-to-1 meetings when we
were encouraged to think about our gifts, passions and what we could offer. I
had already decided to give up being Churchwarden as I wanted to explore what
or who was calling me. It was suggested to me that it might be to ordination
and I found myself shocked, surprised and yet with a feeling of it not being a
total impossibility.
The upshot was that I
eventually went on a period of discernment. (I say ‘eventually’ because shortly
after the initial discernment Steve, as many of you know, had a serious heart
attack and everything was put on hold. I was then too old or so I was told and
only with the help of Al and Sally was I allowed to continue). I was questioned
lots about my faith and had to articulate what I thought my calling was. Saying
it out loud was interesting as it didn’t sound wrong.
I planned to retire at
the end of the Summer Term 2018 but prior to that went to a selection panel for
training to be ordained and I got through. I started my training at Queens as
an ordinand. That was just another step on my journey, but what a step it was!
It challenged many things about myself and my faith and it felt as if I was
being given the space to really grow, deepening my understanding of my faith
and my relationship with God. I don’t just mean it was college - I like to
share and so I shared ideas from college with people at church and had lots of
discussions and found I became more confident and able to articulate my
beliefs.
Then came a bombshell
when I found a lump and had to have chemotherapy and radiotherapy. I thought it
would be an end to this calling but college and the diocese were happy for me
to complete what I needed to do to be ordained.
The last year has been an
interesting one but one in which my faith in God has continued to grow. I don’t
believe my illness was God punishing me for past things, or testing my faith
but rather I felt Jesus as a loving presence through it all, so why would he do
any of those bad things. My illness just happened, but my faith and the support
and love of my family and friends has got me through this without a doubt. It
would be easy to think does God really want me to do this as there have been
these barriers put in the way. I don’t believe they were barriers put there by
God or anyone else, they just happened like the cancer and through them I have
been able to see clearer and grow closer to God.
Over the past few weeks
of the season based around trees I have realised the fundamental necessity of
relationships. Looking back that is what has sustained and supported me, a
relationship not only with God, but relationships with family and friends all
of which have nourished me and allowed me to flourish and for that I am
thankful. Now I am starting a new phase
of my journey of faith and life and who knows where it will lead, but God has
travelled with me on my journey thus far, so I will continue to trust and have
faith in that loving presence forever beside me.
Reflections on the last 6 weeks (Muriel Francis)
Muriel has been writing brief
reflections over these first weeks of ‘Trees of Life’, on what she has heard
God saying to her, through the readings and reflections. She has agreed to
share them here. If you were to write your own one sentence summaries, what
would they say?
Week 1:
Make the Lord my hope and confidence to be strong and sure like the tree
planted along the river bank
Week 2:
Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong
Week 3:
When you are connected to the Father through Jesus you are connected to
your life source like a branch sustained in the vine
Week 4:
No matter how small our faith is it can grow to accomplish great things
Week 5:
Where love flowers we produce healing leaves, [bringing] health and
strength wherever love goes
Week 6:
We want the fruit of the spirit to grow in us, we must know his love and
want the Spirit to live in us
Questions for reflection / discussion
As I read / listened to the
readings and reflections for this week…
·
what
did I notice, or what particularly stood out for me?
·
what
did they make me wonder, or what questions am I pondering?
·
what
have they helped me realise?
·
is there anything I want to do or
change in the light of this week's topic?
On this week’s theme – Holy ground
and calling
·
When
in my life have I experienced God journeying with me?
·
When
in my life have I felt God calling me to something new?
·
When
in my life have I had to trust God, even if it’s been hard to ‘believe’?
·
What
new beginning, or what ‘leaving behind’, might God be calling me to now? Who
could I talk to about these questions?
Any other reflections…
‘Prayer for the waiting time’ by Nicola Slee
Give me the resolution to say ‘No’ to the good
so that I will be ready to give my ‘Yes’ to the better.
Give me the courage to keep living in the
open-endedness of the future
without foreclosing the mysterious work of your Spirit
in my haste or fear.
Give me the persistence to stay in the wilderness
of unknowing
until I am ready to receive your call.
Give me the strength to keep still and waiting
when all about me is pushing towards
movement and activity and choice.
Give me the acceptance to live these days
in uneventfulness, simplicity and
hiddenness,
without craving excitement, distraction or change.
Give me the grace to live in the emptiness of not
doing
without the rewards of achievement, fulfilment or success.
Give me the wisdom to discriminate between
my own impatience to move forward
and your Spirit’s deep stirring of my spirit
when the time is right to move.
Give me the faith to trust in your obscurity,
the obedience to stay faithful to your mystery,
the courage to keep tryst with your inscrutability.
from Nicola Slee, Praying Like a Woman (London: SPCK, 2004)
Activities
/ conversa
- Go for an Awareness Walk. Before you set
out, ask God to draw your attention to whatever God wants you to become
aware of. As you walk, notice what your attention is caught by. You might
want to photograph what you notice (or pick it up, if it is something
suitable, like a leaf or a stone).
Spend some time with the things you notice, paying attention to
what God might be drawing your attention to through them.
- Create your own ‘pilgrimage route’ around
your garden or a local outdoor space (or inside your home). Choose
particular places to stop and pray or think about particular concerns, and
mark them in some way (with chalk, or a rock or arrangement of sticks
etc). Invite your family or neighbours to try out your pilgrimage route.
- Think about the people in your life who show
you something about God. You might like to look through photos to remind
you. Thank God for each person as you see their picture. Remember the
times you have spent with them, and the ways they have helped you to know
God.
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