Colston Milton Parish Church

'God is a woman' -so sang Ariana Grande. Of course she is not a woman, but neither is he a man. God is God, but if we want to better understand God we might do well to listen to Ariana Grande's song, which reminds us that God is passionate, physical as well as soulful. On Sunday we are going to listen to the opening verses of Song of Solomon, which begins with the line, 'let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! and finishes at verse 5 with 'I am black and beautiful, O... daughters of Jerusalem.' We are then going to listen to Ariana Grande's song, 'God is a woman' which seems to me to be a more modern take on that old theme. I don't know whether you approve of Ariana Grande, but I hope you might listen and read Song of Solomon before you jump to any hasty conclusions. We can experience and know things in our mind, our logical rational head, we can also experience them in our felt bodily sensations, touch with our hands and we can also experience things with our heart, our soul -often beyond words. It is good to bring our love of God beyond the head, to include the heart and hand; to love body, mind and soul. Jesus says we are to love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. So listen again to 'God is a woman' and read the Song of Solomon and maybe it might give some balance.
See More

The first step to change is being discontented with the present. When Jesus called the fishermen, Andrew and his brother Simon, James and his brother John it seems on first sight that Jesus was simply walking along the beach, and having never met them before shouts out 'Follow me, and I'll make you fish for people.' Immediately they drop their nets and follow. (Matthew 4: 18-22)
It is possible that this was one of those bolt from the blue, 'God calls: we follow!' kind of mo...ments, but I suspect not. That would suppose that they were happy with their lives; that it would take a big pull to persuade them to leave everything and follow a complete stranger. What if it was the opposite? What if like so many people in the world today they were fed up of slaving away for little reward? What if they were deeply discontented with the way things were? What if they were longing for a better life?
It seems that when Jesus walked the shore of Galilee, fishing was not the idyllic family business we might romantically imagine, but was quite an exploitative, oppressive system, with the profits being made by elites. Fishermen were a marginalised, bottom of the heap group. Rich outsiders controlled the market in fishing licenses; most of the fish was processed and sent into an efficient Roman imperial transport system, and was not eaten locally. Although they were catching fish, Andrew and Simon might still have been hungry and unable to afford to eat the fish they caught. Think shop workers on a minimum wage selling goods they could never afford, or factory labour producing phones they could never hope to buy.
Into this situation Jesus proclaims a new kingdom -a new sort of politics: the kingdom not of Caesar or King Herod Antipas, but of God. I'm guessing you don't need me to tell you that God's politics might look a bit different from Imperial Rome, or indeed 21st century Britain. Jesus says, 'be transformed, do things differently, see things differently, BE different -for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Here is a hopeful thought: the kingdom of heaven is as close as you doing things differently. The first step to change is being discontented with the present.
See More

John begins his gospel by reminding us that God is often unknown and unseen - 'He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him.' When religious leaders come asking John why he is baptising people, John answers 'among you stands one who you do not know.' He is baptising in order to reveal God in their midst. I find it an interesting starting point that God is often unseen and unknown. It seems obvious, and maybe it is the expe...rience of many people, that God is not there, yet many of us have a hunch and an instinct that there is more than meets the eye. As a Christian, I am encouraged that Jesus came to put a human face to the otherwise often difficult to see God.
It is not always easy to 'see' God, or to sense God's presence, yet if we persevere it is possible to know God. For John, Jesus was 'the lamb of God' - probably a reference to the passover lamb, which was killed to be eaten in a final meal before liberation from slavery and whose blood marked out the homes of the Israelites so that the angel of death would pass over them. The death of the lamb marked the end of slavery in Egypt for the people of Israel and the beginning of a new life in the land of promise. Coming closer to God will always bring us out of slavery into a new land of promise. The more we see of God, the more we find God to be close, the more loving and unconditionally accepting of us we find God to be -and as we find it to be true for us, we realise it must also be true of everyone else. And in this way we find liberation from slavery and begin to live in a land of promise.
See More

We are in the season of Epiphany -which is all about having our eyes opened, seeing things clearly, or in a new light. Last week we remembered the visit of the wise men to Jesus, and how they help us to see that Jesus is not just good news for the Jewish people, into whose story and history he was born, but to all people of all faiths around the world, and not just people but the whole of creation.
This Sunday we continue the journey of having our eyes opened, and we leap fo...rward in the story 30 years and Jesus is baptised not as a baby but as an adult. Baptism is a sign of rebirth, of undergoing a change of heart, putting aside the old and taking a new direction towards God. It is strange therefore that Jesus got baptised at all, surely he of all people, the Son of God, did not need it? Maybe he did and maybe he didn't, but he willingly submitted to it anyway.
And this reveals something very profound about who Jesus is and who God is. Jesus is humble, he is not self-righteous, he is prepared to count himself alongside us -to be human is to make mistakes: whether Jesus made any or not, he accepts the medicine on offer. He humbles himself by sitting in the circle and saying, 'My name is Jesus and I am a … (insert whatever human weakness you wish to turn away from -alcoholic, racist, drug addict, gambler, misogynist, greedy capitalist, climate change denier, religiously judgemental, self-righteous etc etc). 'God with us' (Emmanuel) identifies so much with us, that God is us, faults and all. Does that change your perspective on anything?
See More

At this Christmas time when we remember and celebrate the birth of God in the form of a human baby, the word become flesh, why don't you take the idea a little further? Why don't you imagine for a moment, that instead of it just being about the birth of God in a human baby 2000 years ago at a stable in Bethlehem, it could be about recognising the birth of God in you? Why don't you imagine, that instead of the shepherds seeing angels telling them to go and look for the new b...aby, you had a vision that said look at the next baby you see and recognise it as God among us. Why don't you imagine, that instead of three wise men following a star, you get a bit wise to what is going on inside you. Within you there is God -you are a perfect union of the material and the spiritual, the physical and the mystical, the limited and the eternal -God and humanity. Just imagine. The word become flesh. Look in a mirror.
See More

A warm welcome to our Christmas Eve watchnight service.

Here is wishing all of you a joyful, love filled, peaceful and hopeful Christmas Day. All are welcome to bring the day in at our watchnight service tonight. I'll be there from 11pm, the service will start at half past eleven and we finish about 10 past midnight. Hot mulled (non-alcoholic) wine, mince pies, shortbread, a lovely relaxed atmosphere for all ages.

Love came down at Christmas -so we shall sing on Sunday. It is the 4th and last Sunday of advent, the countdown to Christmas morning has nearly come to an end. On this fourth Sunday of advent we focus our thoughts on love, in particular through the lens of Jesus' earthly parents -Mary who bore Jesus in her body and Joseph, who became a step father to God's own son. Both Mary and Joseph are visited, separately by an angel who tells them 'do not be afraid'. There might be g...ood reason to be afraid -for Mary being found to be pregnant outwith marriage was an offence that the law said she should be stoned to death for. Think the Taliban and women's rights rather than sentimental Christmas imagery. For Joseph too there might be cause to be afraid -not least for his reputation, but also once he accepts that Mary's baby will be called the son of God, he might be afraid that how could he possibly act as a father to the son of God. Being a dad is not easy, how much harder if your son is not really yours but God himself?! But 'perfect love drives out fear,' says St John later in the Bible, and both Mary and Joseph have been touched by love, by God's hand, and this love drives out any fear. It is the same love that we can all experience -God's love and acceptance of us. Don't be afraid, allow God's perfect love, shown in the person of Jesus, to drive out any fear you may have.
See More

Sunday will be the third Sunday in Advent -the four Sundays before Christmas. It is a time of preparation -not just practical things like buying presents, decorating the house, getting a tree and writing cards - but a time of spiritual preparation. Becoming more present to God in our lives.
Today I'd like you to think about joy -where are the things that bring you joy? In case you are not sure what joy is, here is a definition for you from a writer called Henri Nouwen. ...He describes the difference between joy and happiness. While happiness is dependent on external conditions (Christmas presents, nice food, good company), joy is "the experience of knowing that you are unconditionally loved and that nothing – sickness, failure, emotional distress, oppression, war, or even death - can take that love away."
Look at yourself in the mirror today and keep telling yourself till you really believe it to be true that God loves you just as you are, and then let that truth really sink into your heart and mind and soul and see how you feel when Christmas day arrives.
See More

Still plenty of clothes, toys and games looking for a new home. Do please come and find a bargain. All going free to a good home.

Bikes, toys, video games and consoles and loads of stocking fillers. It is all free, so come and pick up loads of bargains.

An hour to go till doors open for the amazing Christmas giveaway day. Bring what you don’t want that might do someone else. Come if you’re wanting a few extra things. No cash. No money. Just for the love of it.

This Sunday marks the end of the Christian year. Next week will be the beginning of advent as we prepare to symbolically welcome the birth of God as a vulnerable human baby, totally dependent on his mother. This last Sunday is called Christ the King, when we reflect on how Jesus the human being who is also God, reveals a new kind of kingship, some what different from the monarchy we are familiar with. Somewhat different to the monarchy most people throughout history have been... familiar with.
The reading we are given to highlight Christ’s kingship is none other than Luke’s account of Jesus’ death on the cross. The sign on it read ‘the king of the Jews’ but it was not the sign that made him a king. The sign was meant as roman irony, a joke, a warning to any who dared challenge Roman imperial power. Jesus was crucified between two convicted criminals.
As he was being nailed to the cross he said ‘father forgive them for they know not what they are doing.’ Then as he is ridiculed, including by one of the criminals being executed with him, the other criminal asks Jesus to ‘remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ He recognises Jesus as a king of some sort.
Jesus, having sought forgiveness for all those who were tormenting and killing him; all those who had questioned him, ignored him, hated him, then makes a wonderful statement. He says it to the dying criminal who has recognised his kingship, but it is surely also a word for all who are dying, which assuredly one day will include us. No matter what we have done, Jesus says ‘truly I tell you today you will be with me in paradise.’ That is why Jesus is a king.
See More

When I tell you a tale, fair maiden, bold youth the tale is a lie what it tells is the truth.
...Continue Reading

This Sunday we will hear a reading from the prophet Micah -many of you may recognise part of it. 'God shall judge between many peoples, and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away; they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.' But the prophecy continues, and this is what I want us to think about: 'On that day, says the Lord, I will assemble th...e lame and gather those who have been driven away, and those whom I have afflicted. The lame I will make the remnant, and those who were cast off, a strong nation; and the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion now and for evermore.'
When I see 'the lame' in this context my mind is drawn to service personnel who have suffered 'life changing injuries' -their legs blown off. When I read 'gather those who have been driven away.' I think of those victims of ethnic cleansing, of refugees forced to feel, of internally displaced people.
When things are done God's way on earth, not only will nations no longer go to war, but the people who have been damaged and broken by war will be the first to be assembled and gathered on God's holy mountain, in paradise, in heaven - where they will be restored.
See More

This Sunday we will begin our worship at 1045 to allow us to observe the 2 minutes silence at 1100. It is Remembrance or Armistice Sunday. Armistice from the Latin arma (arms) sistere (stand still). On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 after over 4 years of war, the arms were still: the guns fell silent.