Wandered around Rochdale today, while waiting for the car to be serviced. I think it must be the first time I’ve been in the centre for many decades. They certainly weren’t bashful about Town Halls in this area…
Yesterday I went with Janet on a section of ‘joining-up’ between our house and Janet’s LEJOG route. The signs of earlier high water were visible along the Mersey…
On Thursday I had done another section of joining up, through Stockport, enjoying lunch at Porky’s cafe. We walked past the place where the electricity grid goes underground…
The Lectionary…
The texts can be found on the Vanderbilt University website.
The Jeremiah reading is a bit unsettling. God the potter seems as flexible as the clay, willing to change a plan in response to how things are with his people. Well, is God unchanging or not? I guess you can change a plan without changing your character. It does stir up the questions over what is the point of praying – can we change God’s mind, or is praying for our faith’s sake alone? Maybe these are false dichotomies, if God is unfathomable. I would like to believe, though, and I do believe that God is forgiving, and we are not excluded from God’s love, however we behave, if God’s love is what we choose. However, our flaws may mean the ways in which we God works with us could need adapting. I do find the idea that God has an iron plan sterile, if comforting. God can do new stuff.
The Luke reading is more than a bit unsettling. It sometimes feels as if churches are a long way from being filled with disciples of Jesus, willing to give up everything for him. Churches have become places of comfort and security*. And now I am retired, maybe I too am prone to seek comfort in a church.
God give us, we pray,
the desire to go out,
rather than come in,
to seek the company of people unlike us,
to discover the good news of Jesus
away from the polished crosses
of church
*…not for everyone, of course. There are bullies and abusers in every denomination.