Last Sunday after Trinity \u2013 evening<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nSunday 27th October 2019 <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Last Sunday after Trininty \u2013 evening Revd Preb Maureen Hobbs<\/p>\n\n\n\n This evening\u2019s readings probably caused some consternation in the breast of our first reader tonight! They certainly did in the thoughts of our Magazine Editor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\u201cTwo whole chapters? That\ncan\u2019t be right, surely?!\u201d But yes, two whole if fairly short\nchapters is what is set for this evening. But I hope you now agree\nthat it was worth it for the passage from the extraordinary book that\nwe know as Ecclesiastes \u2013 the Preacher or Teacher, is worth\nhearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nA few weeks ago Barbara\nTritton was leading the pause for thought in our Youth Service and\nshe reminded us of an experiment that was once conducted by a\nprofessor of philosophy. I don\u2019t have the visual aids, so you will\njust have to use your imaginations!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nTaking a glass jar, the\nprofessor filled it with large stones. He asked the class if the jar\nwas full. They agreed it was, whereupon he took a box of pebbles and\nbegan adding them, shaking the jar when needed to make them slide\nbetween the gaps in the stones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\u201cIs the jar full now?\u201d\n\u201cYes\u201d came back the reply from the students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nHe then took a bag of sand and\ntipped that into the jar. The sand of course slipped between the\npebbles and the stones. Once more he asked if it was full. By now the\nstudents had begun to realise that he was toying with them! Lastly he\ntook a jug of water, and poured that into the jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nHe then said, \u201cI want you to\nrecognise that this jar represents your life. The stones are the\nimportant things in your life and the pebbles are other things that\nmatter, but are less significant. If you were to put the sand into\nthe jar first, there would be no room for the pebbles or the stones.\nThe same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the\nsmall stuff, you will never have room for the things that really\nmatter. Take care of the stones first \u2013 the things that are most\nimportant to you \u2013 everything else should fit around them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nAnother way of saying, \u201cFear\nor take notice of God and keep his commandments\u201d…. they are the\nimportant things; everything else will take care of itself if you do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nIt is a lesson we could all do\nwith hearing \u2013 maybe me more than most. Like many clergy I am\nalways fighting the diary and getting to the end of the day conscious\nof all the things I have failed to do. But it is only on those days\nwhen I know that I have not made enough time to sit quietly with God\nand listen to what he may be trying to tell me that i truly feel a\nsense of failure. One of my great heroes, Desmond Tutu used to tell\nhow he made certain to spend at least one hour a day in prayer. A\nwhole hour? Someone commented. But Archbishop, how can you find the\ntime? Oh well, he said, some days of course I am very, very busy. It\nis difficult. So those are the days when I spend two\nhours in prayer with God! \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nThere is a lot of good sound\ncommon sense in that. I come across too many colleagues who complain\nthat they are too busy being the Vicar to be a priest! I am sure I am\nguilty of that too at times, but it is something I have tried for a\nlong time to guard against. And you \u2013 as a church \u2013 have greatly\nblessed me in that by taking on many of the administrative burdens\nthat are part of managing a church. But my vocation is to be your\npriest, not to manage this church \u2013 even if it is a good\nenterprise. And being only half-time in the parish, helps me to focus\non that! \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nAnd clergy are not alone in\nthis dilemma. I have often heard teachers bemoan the number of forms\nthey now must fill in and that it takes them away from their first\nlove of teaching young minds. Similarly doctors also find that\nclerical and computer tasks can easily displace their primary\nresponsibility to care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nBut if we fall victim to this,\nwe really have no-one to blame but ourselves. For sometimes it is\neasier to take refuge in the system and the institution, than to\ngrapple with the messiness of people and their problems. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nSo maybe we try to give people\ntoo much religion, and not enough faith in the living God? What do\nyou think?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nDon\u2019t sweat the small stuff,\nour young people might tell us. Sound advice. Give your energy to the\nbig questions that really matter \u2013 sufficient unto the day etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nSo next time you are feeling\nharassed and overwhelmed by everything that you think you have to do.\nStop. Focus on the big things. Pray. And I bet you will find God will\nfind ways to ensure that the world will not stop turning without you!\nAmen. \n<\/p>\n\n\n Last Sunday after Trinity \u2013 evening Sunday 27th October 2019 Last Sunday after Trininty \u2013 evening Eccles. 11&12 2 Tim 2. 1-7 Revd Preb Maureen Hobbs This evening\u2019s readings probably caused some consternation in the breast of our first reader tonight! They certainly did in the thoughts of our Magazine Editor. \u201cTwo whole chapters? That … <\/p>\n
\nEccles. 11&12
\n2 Tim 2. 1-7<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n
\n\n\n\n![\"Maureen](\"https:\/\/www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/MaureenHobbs-02.gif\")
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