Grumbling talent...

from Helen

You may know that every three years all the clergy in the Diocese go away together to a ministry conference, also known as clergy school. In this time we have lots of hard work to do as we learn and worship together.  This year our morning reflections were led by the retired Bishop of Monmouth -Bishop Dominic Walker. He got us all to think about community and the way we can best live together. He did this by using the rule of St.Benedict through which we were reminded of the best ways to live as community and how we might apply this to our churches. 

One of the hints involved is not murmuring. St. Benedict stated that it was when people grumbled that they started to build up barriers. If you grumble about something it can become about someone and then suddenly there is a division in the community. This obviously breaks down the community. We are a family and as a family we would do wrong to moan about each other to grumble about what someone else has said or done, or even to pass on some news about another family member without their permission. The Church is a family and grumbling is bad. It breaks us down.

In the rule of St.Benedict monks were to pick each other up on grumbling, talking about one another and so they might say to each other, ‘are you murmuring ?’ This was done to make people think before they started to moan and grumble. How great it would be if we did the same ?

Talking of complaining there was once a wife who kept complaining to her husband that he was going off to enjoy himself at the pub too often. In the end to keep her quiet he said, ‘well why don’t you come along with me?’ So they went to the pub together and when they arrived the husband asked his wife what she would like to drink and she replied, ‘whatever you’re having.’ So the man ordered two Jack Daniels, he downed his in one the wife tasted her drink and said, ‘Yuck.’ Her husband said, ‘see and you thought  I came here to enjoy myself.’ 

In our Old Testament reading (Exodus 16:2-4,9-15) this morning we heard about what is perhaps one of the most bizarre grumbles and moans ever. The people had been rescued from slavery in Egypt, they had been promised a new land and rather than say thank you they wanted to go back to their old lives and ways – even though it was so bad for them. Their hunger took over and so they complained. God provided for them again and this time it was food. Their moaning had meant that they had missed the point completely. 

God had saved them, they were moving on to something new and exciting with God on their side but they let their murmuring and grumbling take over.  They missed the fact that they could ask God for help, trust Him and all would work out. 

We can do this, we can spend a long time thinking that things were better in the past and end up grumbling and moaning to each other and miss what God is doing.  God has always been able to be relied upon and He still can be. As members of His family, as members of His Church we have a responsibility to encourage and love not to moan and grumble. 

In our gospel reading (John 6:24-35) a crowd followed Jesus to see what else He could do. It was almost as if they had seen or heard about the feeding of the 5000 and wanted to see what food Jesus would whip up next. Almost like a divine celebrity chef.

The people were insulting to Jesus as they asked Him what are you going to do for us ? what wonders are you going to do ? If there was ever a case of missing the point here it was again. 

The people saw and wanted signs, they wanted something that they could judge. There were lots of people teaching about God and performing various signs and so they were seeing if Jesus was as good as these or better. 

The crowd wanted more food and as Jesus explained to them that they needed to believe in something more than eating and signs which were meaningless without belief so the people responded by almost challenging Jesus as they reminded Him of the amazing food that their ancestors had enjoyed in the wilderness. To be honest it is almost as if they were trying to coax Jesus into doing more.

It is almost like a talent show. You can imagine the words, ‘ well done Jesus that was very nice but if you are going to go through to the final, so that we really believe in  you – you will need to do more to impress us.’

The people came with an attitude of what will help me, what works for me and completely missed the point that Jesus was offering them so much more than they could have come up with. Jesus was offering them bread for life, He was offering them something that would last forever- he was offering salvation and life. You can’t get better than that !

The problem is that we tend at times to expect things to be the way that we want them, that is why we can grumble and moan sometimes. The point is though that Jesus calls us all to one thing and one thing only. That is to stop watching from the sidelines, to stop grumbling and to start enjoying the life that God has for us. He calls us to believe.

We have Jesus and He doesn’t do everything we want, He isn’t our personal butler but He is our Saviour and as our Saviour He wants us to enjoy the best things and those things are life. 

The people mumbled and groaned they moaned that they had been saved and rescued- it is ridiculous. We can hope God to do things exactly the way that we want and for our Church to be the same but this stops us from enjoying all that God has to offer us right now and that is life ! Life which never ends not based on some flashy shows of power but based on a relationship that will last forever. May we all be ready not to murmur and grumble but to praise and enjoy. AMEN