You will be safe in His care

This was last Sunday's sermon from our family service.

The Psalm of this Sunday is Psalm 91 and I will read verses 1-2, 4 and 9-11.

Whoever goes to the Lord for safety,

whoever remains under the protection of the Almighty,

can say to him, You are my defender and protector.

You are my God; in you I trust.

He will cover you with his wings;

you will be safe in his care;

his faithfulness will protect and defend you.

You have made the Lord your[a] defender,

the Most High your protector,

and so no disaster will strike you,

no violence will come near your home.

God will put his angels in charge of you

to protect you wherever you go.

Have you heard the story about David and Goliath? (Remember how) he as a young man killed this Giant by the name of Goliath with a little rock. David was a very brave young man, but he wasn't always without fear. There were many times when he was tired and afraid and when he felt like God was far away. His way of finding a way forward was to write poems and make songs. He wrote many songs and we can still read them in the book of Psalms.

These songs comforted him and made him feel better and they still are a comfort to millions of people today. We don't know who wrote psalm 91 but I like to think it could have been David.

My favourite part are these words:

God will cover you with his wings; you will be safe in his care;

his faithfulness will protect and defend you.

Have you ever watched a hen with her chicks or seen them on TV? The little chicks follow their mother everywhere she goes. She shows them where to find food and makes sure that they are safe. The little chicks know not to go too far from her.

Whenever the mother hen thinks there is danger she lifts up her wings and the little chicks all come running for cover. She protects them not only from danger but from the wind, and rain by covering them with her wings. Under her wings the chicks are safe and warm just like this lovely red blanket keeps me warm right now.

The Bible tells in so many words that God is – among other things - a lot like a mother hen who protects and watches over her chicks. He watches over us and protects us. Under His wings we are safe. The text I read in the beginning from Psalm 91 goes like this - if we use a translation that comes close to the original choice of words : "He will shield you with his wings. He will shelter you with his feathers. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.”

Why do I have a blanket around myself you ask. Well, you see, I couldn’t really bring a mother hen to church could I? Hens and chicks belong to a farm yard. But I wanted to not only talk about God’s protection but also show you.

God is like a mother hen and also like a big soft blanket. You can ask him to comfort you and to be very, very close to you like a blanket is. Close to Him you will know that all things will be well. And sometimes, if you are worried or afraid, you can hide under your own blanket at home and remember that God is also there with you hugging you with his great big love.

RESPONSE TIME

You adults and you who are a little younger, last month I invited you to think about the things in your life you are afraid of and to invite Jesus into them. Today I invite you to let God remind you of the millions of ways He has and does comfort and protect you. If you find it easier to pray and meditate when you walk you are most welcome to wander around in the main nave or you may just stay seated. You can also do a similar thing we did last time which is to write a thank you note to God which you can then place in this basket. I shall say a prayer blessing your notes as we move on to the next part of the service.

And then you little ones: I have feathers and glue! The words “ God will shield you with his wings. He will shelter you with his feathers” are written on these papers and you can decorate them anyway you would like and then take them home and maybe place them somewhere close by your bed to remind you that God is close.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father,

as we thank you for the wonderful and sometimes even funny ways you make your love known to us please take over and resolve what we are not able to resolve.

Take care of those things that are beyond our reach.

You have the power to do so.

Thank you for watching over us and keeping us safe.

We know there are angels watching over us at all times and thank You for them.

In Jesus name we ask you for your peace to come over us when ever we find ourselves scared and afraid. Amen.

Bless the Lord, my soul

Every second Sunday of the month our service is now a service filled with songs from Taizé. There is no sermon but two readings and time for meditation.
I have been singing these songs for twenty years and I am yet to get tired with them. They are ment to help us meditate and that is, I guess, why they cannot get old.

Christ, Spirit of compassion,
you hold us in your love,
with our light and our shadow,
offering us the gift of life.
For the grace of forgiveness,
we give thanks.
For grace to forgive others,
and also ourselves,
we offer prayer.
Amen.

Souls shining bright with grace

This is last Sunday's sermon:

A Cambridge scholar Mark Frank preached at Candlemas during the seventeenth century like this:

Light up now your candles … it is Candlemas, become we all burning and shining lights, to do honour to this day, and the blessed armful of it. Let your souls shine bright with grace, your hands with good works; let God see it, and let man see it; so bless we God. Walk we ‘as children of the light,’ as so many walking lights; and offer we ourselves up like so many holy candles to the Father of Light. But be sure we light all our lights at this Babe’s eyes, that lies so enfolded in our arms; and neither use nor acknowledge any other light for better than darkness, that proceeds from any other but this Eternal Light, upon whom all our best thoughts, and words, and works, must humbly now attend like so many petty sparks, or rays, or glimmerings, darted from and perpetually reflecting thankfully to that glorious Light; from this day beginning our blessing God, the only lightsome kind of life, till we come to the land of light, there to offer up continual praises, sing endless Benedicites and Alleujas, no longer according to the laws or customs upon earth, but after the manner of heaven, and in the choir of angels, with holy Simeon, and Anna, and Mary, and Joseph, all the saints in light and glory everlasting. Amen, amen.

"Let your souls shine bright with grace, your hands with good works; let God see it, and let man see it; so bless we God. Walk we ‘as children of the light’."

The actual date of Candlemas is the second of February (which incidentally is my husband’s birthday). Second of February comes 40 days after Christmas. Additionally, it is also the mid-point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. In Europe

bears and wolves are said to emerge from hibernation to inspect the weather. If they go back to their lairs it means severe winter will last another 40 days. In North-America Groundhog day is one example of this, too.

The second of February has in many places also been the annual beginnings of the agricultural season. Something one finds hard to believe up here in the north. According to an English saying, "If Candlemas Day be bright and clear, there'll be two winters in the year." I regret to remind you of the fact that it also was – and extremely cold.

The two themes that merge in the Gospel of this day are: the purification of Mary and the presentation of Christ in the Temple. The basis of the Feast of the Purification was the Jewish tradition that women were considered unclean after the birth of a child and were not permitted to enter the Temple to worship 40 days after the birth of a son and 60 days after the birth of a daughter. At the end of the 40 or 60 days, the mother was brought to the Temple or synagogue and ritually purified. Now she could go to religious services again, and generally go out in public.

Today’s women probably find this somewhat insulting (I do at least) but insult aside this custom did in fact protect the mother’s and baby’s health. Even today the same six weeks is when mothers in Finland go to have a check up after giving birth.

The second theme is the one which gives rise to the blessing of the candles. As Jesus, as the first born son, is presented in the temple old Simeon picks the baby in his arms he praises God and calls the baby the Light of all the peoples, gentiles and Israel.

One writer says this about Candlemas:

“To present Christ anew with many candles each year, is to present Him anew in our own lives. The beauty of the litugical year is its hallowing of time, much as the Jewish festivals are to its people.”

For the Church Candlemas is a day of hope and light. It is a time to honor the Lord as the Light of the World and to remind us that we too have that light within us. We too have Christ’s light within us. And my prayer is that it will shine through.

Because we wanted the children to be present for the blessing of the candles we have not walked into this chapel as a procession carrying lit candles. However, as we leave I shall come to the doorway to hold this Christ candle and as you make your way to out please light them. It’ll be a symbol for us that with us we take the light of Christ with us to the world, for the world to see.

"Let your souls shine bright with grace, your hands with good works; let God see it, and let man see it; so bless we God. Walk we ‘as children of the light’."

Safe

What follows is the sermon I had written for yesterday's all-age service. I didn't read it, though, but talked without using my notes. I felt it did not go particularily well but I was very blessed to receive positive feedback on the sermon and the service itself. So, maybe, just maybe it went a little better than I thought :).

Today's Gospel reading comes from the book of John.

When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified. But he said to them, "It is I; don't be afraid." Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading. John 6: 16-21 (NIV)

When I was very little I was afraid of the dark and I wanted to sleep with the lights on. The problem is that in order for our bodies to get all the rest they need we really ought to sleep in darkness. That’s how our brains know that it is night and sleeping time. So I had to learn to be ok with the darkness. And I did.

How many of you have a toy or a teddy bear or something else you take with you to hold on when you go to sleep? Mine was a red velvet elephant called Fantti. I loved to hold its red ear to my cheek (and to be truthful to suck my thumb, too). That’s how I felt safe. I don’t have Fantti anymore but I remember her with great affection.

But sometimes I would be restless after the day and then I wished there would be someone with me. And there was, I just did not know it. Who do you suppose it could have been? Yes, Jesus. How do I know this? Because I know there were people praying for me (like my granny and grandpa) and because when I got a little older I would pray myself, too.

Have you ever been afraid of something? Of course you have. We have all been afraid at some time or another. It is nothing to be ashamed of -- even us adults are sometimes afraid. Some of us may be afraid of high places, some may be afraid of the water, some may be afraid of spiders, but all of us are afraid of something.

Today’s story tells about the disciples being very frightened, too. They had climbed into a boat and were on their way to a new town. Before they got to the other side darkness fell and not only that but then the wind started to blow and rock the boat. Many of the disciples were used to sailing because they were fishermen but they were beginning to be a bit afraid because the weather for so rough.

So, when they looked and saw someone coming toward them walking on the water the Bible says that then the disciples were quite simply terrified. The poor disciples!

But. Then, then they heard the voice of Jesus. He said, "It is I, don't be afraid." When they realized that it was Jesus they were no longer afraid.

When it comes to being afraid, we really are all in the same boat. But the good news is the very same the disciples experienced: if we invite Jesus to join us in our boat, we no longer have anything to fear, because we are protected and safe under the shielding wings of the love of Jesus.

RESPONSE TIME

You adults I invite you to think about the things in your life you are afraid of and to invite Jesus into them. You may go wander around in the main nave or just stay seated. [Our family services are held at a side chapel of the Turku Cathedral].

You who are a little younger - but also you adulsts - you could if you wanted write a prayer to Jesus about your fears. If you want you can place your letter to this basket and I will pray for them placing my hand on the letters but not reading them.

And then you little ones you could draw a picture of anything that makes you feel safe.
As we continue I will pray for all of us.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, please take over and resolve what we are not able to resolve.

Take care of those things that are beyond our reach.

You have the power to do so.

Thank you for watching over us and keeping us safe.

We know there are angels watching over us at all times and thank You for them.

In Jesus name we ask you for your peace to come over us when ever we find ourselves scared and afraid.

Amen.

Sandgrains

The above are sandgrains at a magnification of  over 250 times real life. Our Creator clearly loves beauty :). The photographer's name is Dr. Gary Greenberg and this link will take you to see more of his extraordinary photos.
The Church of Finland has a FB page and my colleague Minna had chosen this Psalm text to accompany a link to Daily Mail where three of the photos by Dr. Greenberg were introduced:

How precious to me are your thoughts, God!

How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.
Ps. 139: 17-18

Amen. :)

Strive, persevere, never give up

In the face of all the challenges we face today, is my optimism about the future of humanity idealistic? Perhaps it is. Is it unrealistic? Certainly not. To remain indifferent to the challenges we face is indefensible. If the goal is noble, whether or not it is realized within our lifetime is largely irrelevant. What we must do therefore is to strive and persevere and never give up.

Dalai Lama, on his official Facebook page, Friday Jan 13, 2012

Strive.

Persevere.

Never - ever - give up.

 

I was listening to an interview on the radio today. The person being interviewed was a Finnish yogi, who is apparently quite widely known, in fact, to the extent that he has been asked to teach yoga in India. The person who was interviewing him asked him the reason for this since one would, of course, assume it be the other way round.

 

What he said was that as it happens his personality and being a Finn go very well together with yoga. His quiet, somewhat intrevert personality is something people expect from a yogi. A humble guy. He did not take credit for anything although he is widely respected and tends to draw crowds of people to his classes. He just found it a little funny that he fits so well to the preconceived perseption of what a yogi should be like.

 

I remember a similar comment about us Finns from an Orthodox nun, a Finn herself. She commented about Finns that "Finns are natural hesychasts".  Finns are naturally quiet and drawn to peaceful and quite places. This is probably somewhat true, too. Although making such a statement is, of course, rather a generalisation.

 

When asked what are the most important things in life from his perspective the yogi's response was health and then came the part that really got me thinking, he said: "I think it is important that when we make decisions we stick to them." He went on to talk about how we seem to lead lives of indesicion and that it seems to be that freedom is seen to mean freedom to change one's mind as often as one wants. What constitutes a good life from his perspective is that you make decisions, stick to them and begin to get more depth into the life precicely because you do not change you mind all the time. I like that.

 

Quite soon after I had been ordained minister I was asked to talk to the students at Turku Christian Institute (Turun kristillinen opisto). I could talk about anything I wanted and I chose to talk about commitment. Of course I did I had just made a whopper of a commitment myself. Now, almost ten years later I can still remember how I felt and I can still remember the words I said because they are as true now as they were then. Except that, I do forget sometimes.

 

The thing is, choosing is something exclusive. You choose this and, thus, this and this and this - and this - are no longer available for you to choose. The secret is, though, and I still find it remarkable, that when you do choose you find yourself breathing more easy. And you start to see all the openess that has been hidden into the choice you have made. Exclusiveness is more often than we think more inclusive than we could possibly imagine. This is why I whole heartedly agree with the yogi.

 

We cannot jump from one place to the other and keep on jumping untill we drop. It is not good for us or the world around us and it will not get us anywhere. We have make choices. We have to think and pray and make choices. We need to take responsibility and strive to achieve those things we value worth doing so. And I agree with Dalai Lama we may not see them come true but if something is truly right and truly Godly then it should not matter in the least.

God close to you

With the beginning of the new year come the tasks of writing a comprhensive report about the year that has past and collecting the infromation needed for different statistics that will be done by the church. This is why it is only now that I am back here and want to wish all of you Happy New Year 2012!

May this new year be filled with God's love, may hope lead us and trust abound. Be blessed.