“Our Desire for Others” – A Sermon based on Ephesians 3:14-21

Introduction

Following the earlier challenges toward peace-making and witnessing, Paul commits himself to pray for members of the Ephesian church – that they might be able to cope with the challenges they have ahead of them. We can read this prayer in a number of ways. Firstly, as a prayer for us … Secondly, as a prayer that we would utter for each other … Thirdly, as a prayer for all those around us in our lives – that they might too experience God in this way.

To put this another way: we need to be prayed for; we need to pray for one another; and, we need to desire in our prayers a relationship with God for those around us. So we can read this passage purely for our own benefit … as Paul’s prayer for us, or we can join with Paul in praying for the fulfilment of others.

The Beginning & the End

This prayer actually commences with an acknowledgement of all the “riches” of God (v.16), meaning that whatever good thing we ask for can be supplied if it’s according to God’s will for us. There is nothing good that doesn’t have its origin in God! God is the ultimate source of all blessing, the ultimate source of everything that we need … to explore life to its fullest.

This prayer also closes (v.20-1) with praise for the God who is already answering our prayer before we have uttered Amen! We may not recognise straight away how God is working – but working God is! God’s answer to our prayers may not be what we are expecting, or even what we’re wanting, but we can know in faith that God’s answer will be the right answer. We can also wait expectantly because God’s answer may well be better than we could have ever imagined.

We should also remind ourselves to be patient, because God’s answer may come piece by piece, as we show ourselves to be ready for God’s activity in our life to progress. We may want to know about ‘big ticket’ items like our career, but this might only be revealed as we take up each opportunity that presents itself to learn new skills and put them into practice. We may want to know when we’ll have a church building, but we’ll only be given enough insight to take the next few necessary steps while retaining our faith in regards to the rest.

We might wonder how we can become a more helpful peace-maker or more effective witness for Jesus. The answer is in allowing God to work in us. It is actually God, the source of all good, who will do the peace-making and testifying through us. It’s God’s strength that counts, along with our willingness to let God have sway with us. We live out our life in God … in the company of the world.

What are the things being prayed about (v.16-19)?

· That we might be strengthened in our inner being with power through God’s Spirit
· That Christ Jesus might dwell in our hearts through faith (as we are being rooted and grounded in love)
· That we may have the power to comprehend the full extent of the love of Jesus
· That we might be filled with the fullness of God.


· The prayer points in verses 16-19 really hinge around our relationship with Jesus, and then allowing the power of the Holy Spirit to strengthen us inside – in order that we can live ‘inside out’. Some of us may have to cover up a lot in our interactions with other people … things that we don’t want anyone else to see. Some of these ‘cover-ups’ will involve good things that we’re just a little nervous about exposing to others – our deep and just concerns, our emotional connections, our talents and interests. Other ‘cover-ups’ will involve ‘darkness’ – behaviour and attitudes that need to be exposed to the light of Jesus and forgiven and transformed.

No wonder then we need that strengthening of our inner being through the Holy Spirit. This strengthening will allow us to trust others more with our thoughts and needs, but also enable us to deal with any negativity that is holding us back. This then comes back to our relationship with Jesus. It is Jesus who gives us the Holy Spirit so that our life works. Whichever of the great passages on the Holy Spirit we look at, whether it’s Luke in Acts, the Gospel of John, or Paul’s letters, we can see that it is Jesus who brings the gift of the Holy Spirit to us. Our whole line of access to the Trinitarian community is through Jesus, and our potential to live successfully within the human community is also tied to Jesus. So therefore, we must ask ourselves about the nature of our relationship with Jesus.

· I wonder if anyone has thought … hang-on … why is Paul praying for me to know Jesus in my heart through faith … because I already do! But perhaps Paul knows more about us than we think. If we are to comprehend or understand or experience the full breadth, length, height and depth of the “riches” (or Divine resources) of Christ Jesus, then we are going to have to open up our minds to the possibility that we could know Jesus better. As the “heart” here represents far more than just the emotions – also the will, intellect/mind and personality of someone, then for Jesus to dwell in the “heart” – means that Jesus will be the centre of our being. There is nothing to stand in the way of this, because no matter how bad we think we are, Jesus has already died to take away all the guilt and shame from us. So we can’t say we’re not fit to know Jesus more!

I don’t think we can say either, that we have higher priorities on our time than getting to know Jesus better. This would surely be counter-productive! If God really is the source of all rich blessings, then how could we see it better to live, work and make decisions outside of God. Sometimes you might shake your head wonder how so-and-so made such a lousy decision when they claim to be a ‘Christian’. Well, the answer might just be that Jesus was somewhere on the periphery of their life, but not really where he was needed to be! The third thing we might say is that we’ve tried to get to know Jesus better and haven’t got anywhere. This would be a reasonable concession I think, however no excuse to stop trying … given what’s at stake – ie. being filled with all the fullness of God.

· Given that Paul’s prayer hinges on a person’s relationship with Jesus, how can we get to know Jesus better?

Ø determinedly place Jesus in the centre of our consciousness, so that every thought, action, word (even breath) originates from this centre
Ø deal with any barriers that we regularly put in the way
Ø read the New Testament, especially the gospels (MMLJ) and try to relate to Jesus personally as if we were there in these incidents from his earthly life
Ø take the teaching of Jesus seriously – ask the question: have I really take to heart the attitude of Jesus to this life situation
Ø talk to him.

· If we can get to know Jesus well, if we can centre Jesus within us, we will absolutely know: who we are, and whose we are!

Our Desire for Others

Paul had Jesus Christ dwelling in his heart through faith, enabling him to be strengthened in his weakness, know the constant love of God, and be filled with all God’s fullness. This, despite all his suffering for the gospel! He didn’t then just feel self-satisfied and rest on his laurels. He had a deep concern for the lostness of the human beings of the world he knew, and sought to share this love and grace of Jesus with them. Paul travelled he rim of the Mediterranean world witnessing to the Gospel. As people found Jesus for themselves and formed into Jesus following communities, they would support and pray for one another, that each could know Jesus to their fullest capacity. Paul would visit them, respond to their issues by letter, send helpers to them, and of course pray for them. Paul’s hope was that these fledgling church groups would continue to share the good news around their local communities (for Paul could only get to the major centres – he couldn’t be everywhere).

So as these church members in Ephesus read this prayer concern of Paul, they would not only have thought of their own need, and the need of each other, but also the needs of the rest of their society. But of course these people themselves would be a very important part of God’s solution for the needs of the world, and they would have to well and truly focus themselves on Jesus if they were to be successful.

I think we see and understand the spiritual need out there! Everyone is trying to fill their spiritual void in a variety of ways – some of them with drugs, alcohol, gambling and sex; others through pursuing ‘religious’ paths that lack truth and lead nowhere!! I think we also realise that Jesus is the answer! However, people will not be able to connect with Jesus without us living Jesus inside out.

Let’s feel prayed for. Let’s know that God, in the breadth/length/height/depth of his love and riches, is on our side. Let’s get to know Jesus better, having him dwelling in our hearts … in the centre of our being (through faith), and then take Paul’s concern for us into our daily lives in the world, so that many who are empty will be filled with all the fullness of God.

Larry Richards writes: “These verses surely challenge us today. Sit down, and list the greatest work you can imagine that God might do in your life or the life of a loved one. Then ask Him, in complete confidence, to do it. You can have complete confidence, for our God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.”

Witnessing to Jesus (based on Ephesians 3:1-13)

Paul is here described as a “prisoner” for Christ Jesus (v.1). This could simply relate to Paul’s actual imprisonment, that his activity for the gospel had landed him in jail. But this could also more broadly refer to his personal thinking about his missional call, and his feeling of compulsion to follow through!

We know that this former persecutor of Jesus followers was personally met by Jesus on the road to Damascus and there and then called into mission to the Gentiles. Paul felt compelled to follow this path, because he was so grateful that the truth had been revealed to him in such an awesome way, but also because he now understood the ‘lostness’ of the world around him. The people of Israel were largely lost in the outward pretence of religion, whilst the Gentiles had been disconnected with their creator God and desperately needed a fresh opportunity to find real faith. In short, Paul knew that he had been called to present a living and faithful witness to the saving presence of Jesus that he himself had encountered. With his background he was well-placed to go the Gentiles with the gospel, hoping that in time (and through the ministry of others like Peter and James) the Jewish people would also accept the good news of Jesus.

But Paul’s first and foremost connection was not so much to the task, but to the person who impelled the task – ie. Jesus. In those brief moments following his personal encounter with Jesus, he had decided to invest everything of himself into following Jesus into the needs of the world. How could Paul cope with all the complexities and difficulties and hardships and opposition (and even the actual physical imprisonment)? Because he lived in deep communion with Jesus, and therefore would grow through any of the circumstances that were thrown at him over time! For Paul his life was more about ‘being’ than ‘doing’; the ‘doing’ of the task of mission was purely an outcome of the person he had ‘become’ since meeting Jesus.

Paul could do no other than serve Jesus, as Jesus had first served him. Thus, we should not read this description of being a “prisoner” negatively … as Paul being trapped and restricted; Paul did not think this way. Rather this was a blessed calling – bringing significant purpose to his life – that was not only compelling but also exciting. Paul could not escape this calling, but neither did he want to! This mission to the Gentiles was the air that fuelled his lungs, and the blood that circulated his body. This mission was who Paul was now!!

We can see that in verse 13, people within the early churches may have looked at Paul’s suffering for the gospel of Jesus, and shook their heads – first in sympathy for what Paul had had to endure, and second … thinking that there was no way that they could get involved in such missionary enterprise. Paul replies to this that indeed he has necessarily suffered as a trailblazer in a challenging environment, yet this has been in the service of all who will follow – that they may too experience the living company of Jesus in a daily walk of service (Paul’s sufferings are transformed in the hands of God into our blessings – just as Christ’s sufferings were transformed into our salvation).

So, now that Paul is a “prisoner” of Christ Jesus, he is wholly a “servant” of the gospel (v.7). So, now that we are “followers” (and I’ll use the more pleasant sounding word – although maybe it’s not that much more comforting, as Jesus’ path led to a cross) “followers” of Jesus, we too are servants of the gospel and witnesses to Jesus. We’ll now have a look at verses 8-10, to see if there’s anything there to inform us regarding our witness to Jesus. What do you see here?

(1) “Although I am the very least of all the saints…” – humility > we should witness to Jesus, not out of a pretence of what we should be like, but rather from the base of what we actually are. In this way we don’t pretend we’re something, only to let people down later (when the reality is revealed). And so we don’t need so much to seek to build strength before we witness, we rather become prepared to witness in our weakness – allowing others to experience our real humanity … our vulnerable, sometimes doubting, sometimes chaotic, yet hopeful and faithful reality. We would also not want to witness out of any dogmatic superiority or forceful impatience (or even intellectual depth), but rather as co-travellers in the journey of life. When we are doing well and feel confident and together, we must remember that this is so purely through the grace of God, and nothing we have been able to achieve on our own.

(2) “…to bring…the news of the boundless riches of Christ” – revelation > this would include sharing with people (as we have the opportunity) about the ethical teaching of Jesus, the transformational healing of Jesus, how Jesus is the chosen revealer of the nature of God, the sacrifice of Jesus on behalf of us, the resurrection of Jesus, his sending of the Holy Spirit, and Jesus’ personal availability as friend, saviour and guide.

(3) “…to make everyone see what is the plan…” – salvation > the plan tied up in the mystery of God is that all humankind have the opportunity of regaining a relationship with their Creator, which not only opens up a much better option for eternity, but also makes sense of everyday life. God loves all people so much, and identified so closely with their need, that He sent Jesus (his beloved Son) into the world, in a vulnerable human body, in the midst of difficult political times, for the express purpose of reconnecting with human lives. Whatever a person’s need is – God can touch this need through Jesus!

So there is a helpful pattern here, which describes the witnessing process – God using us to bring others to Him. We sincerely live out our lives in the presence of our families, friends and neighbours, thus earning the right to speak about Jesus as given the opportunity, and thereby allow people to connect their own sense of need with the very available answer. We are in a good position to carry this out, because like all those who live around us, we are human, and are dramatically impacted with environmental concerns like: illness, financial pressures, work conflicts, loneliness, relationship concerns, fears, and the list goes on and on.

(4) “so that through the church the wisdom of God…might now be made known…” – impact > such witness will not only result in personal change, but also have much broader impact in the community and society in which we collectively live. The gathering of followers of Jesus into churches, and the seeking out together of God’s solutions for various societal problems (from the “wisdom of God”), and the application of such solutions, will have a tremendous influence for good in the community – and the community leaders will take notice (as the integrity of our practical worship spreads abroad into the heavens). The church must ‘be’ (must provide) a notable display of God’s wisdom. And this “wisdom of God” is described as having “rich variety”, which suggests to me that the wisdom of God (if we can just get a hold of it) is all encompassing, there’s no human problem that the “wisdom of God” can’t address. Whereas there mightn’t be a ‘black and white’ answer available in the bible (chapter and verse), but a prayerful concentration on the balance of scripture and particularly Jesus’ life might just give it to us!!

To be a witness to Jesus is to live out a life that shows very obviously a faith and a hope that has its source beyond human capacity. When stuff happens, our response, under the gaze of our neighbours, is very different to the person without such faith and hope. There is an element here in verse 13, whereby as we emulate Paul in his service (even under difficulty), our own sufferings build our reputation in the sight of the world and thus become our “glory”; and such “glory” as this leads to an appreciation of the greater “glory” of God.

To be a witness to Jesus is also to have positive attitudes towards other people – to understand that the more difficult of people may have lived through complex difficulties, and to see them as Jesus does. We should attempt to like people and connect positively with them. For introverts like me, this takes tremendous energy, yet we are “prisoners” for Christ Jesus, so what else would we do!

Thoughts on Bringing People Together through the Peace of Jesus based on Ephesians 2:11-22 (especially verses 17-18)

We know from books like Acts and Galatians that Paul was called by God to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles – that is to non-Jews. The people of Israel had been privileged to know and be guided by Yahweh over their history, and they would be assured by the scriptures and their prophets of God’s love and concern for them (whilst at the same time being challenged to live up to their side of the covenant God had made with them). ‘I will be your God – you will be my people!’ Within this covenant, God gave this people of Israel enough instruction to be able to beneficially live in relationship with their Creator and each other.

We know that there were other people groups in the world, and there was often tenuous relationships between the Israelite people and various other nations. Sometimes other nations would attack and oppress Israel, at other times Israel would bring judgement upon themselves through their immoral activity. Yet God would have the hope that the people of Israel could be His ‘show-piece’ – to show to all the nations of the world how a people group could look in true and complete relationship with Creator God. As we see in the Bible, sometimes this was the case, other times not!

But in any case, in the fullness of time, God was always going to press on and make Himself available to all the nations (and the Jewish people were going to have to get used to this idea). We see in the Gospels how Jesus moved from his concern with his own native people toward those who had not been blessed with the good news previously – the Gentiles. We could cite incident after incident whereby Jesus demonstrated that God’s love was now visiting all humanity. Physical healing offered to Gentiles most dramatically made this point. And then of course Jesus commissioned his disciples who would carry on his mission through the first century that they would be going to all nations – all ethnic groupings. The Pentecost events show that the Holy Spirit will lead in the breaking down of all barriers that keep people isolated from one another.

Yet, there was great resistance to the concept of Gentiles joining with Jewish Christians within the one new Jesus movement. Many Jews, beginning with Jesus’ own disciples, had accepted Jesus as the Messiah, and were in the process of moving beyond their cultural Jewish allegiances toward being totally focussed on the person and mission of Jesus. Yet, it was still hard for them to accept equally into their number those whose cultural origins and practices were so different. Many were still insisting that new believers would have to conform to the Jewish cultural practices of: circumcision, strict food laws and rigorous Sabbath observance; thus they were putting up barriers, stopping people coming into contact with God. And this was tragic because as we read in Ephesians 2:12 such Gentile peoples had no sense of God in their daily world!

This was obviously contrary to what God was seeking to establish – a new spiritual movement based purely on the person and work of Jesus which crossed over all cultural backgrounds. People would not have to deny their backgrounds, nor change their culture, other than was necessary to follow Jesus with integrity. So God would raise up a very special person to unrelentlessly pursue and model mission to the Gentiles – Paul. Despite previously being a fierce persecutor of the followers of Jesus, this educated Jew and Roman citizen was perfectly qualified for the job, yet more importantly was available to accept God’s calling.

And so it was that receiving the good news of Jesus was opened up to all the world. All people, both of Jewish and non-Jewish backgrounds now had access to the peace of God through Jesus (vs.17-8). Such people could now harmoniously live together in their local church communities, presenting salt and shining light to their neighbours. Yet when you bring people of differing backgrounds, not to mention opinions, together into worshipping communities or churches, there will still be problems and issues within their various interactions.

Yet, again, this is no reason to be putting up barriers against certain people, just to make life easier or more manageable. The building of the Kingdom of God on earth was never ever going to be easy or comfortable. If we feel comfortable in the church we are failing miserably; because we should always be looking for ways to be disturbing ourselves about the lostness of the world around us.

“Let the peace of God disturb us all!”

Ephesians chapter 2 talks about the sort of peace that brings people together. And we need that sense and dynamic of peace if we are to bring together arrays of people from different backgrounds and thought patterns. The Holy Spirit brings the potential of this peace to us, but I think, like any practical gift given to us, we have to first be prepared to receive it, and then work at it. What are the unnecessary barriers that have been erected that need to be pulled down? What are the inhibitors of true fellowship that need to be dealt with? How can we become people who are joyfully outgoing about the faith they have in Jesus?

This Ephesians 2 passage directly addresses the Christian church groups in Ephesus as to their acceptance of the peace of Jesus and their application of this toward equality, unity and working together in ministry one to the other. However it also brings implications for cross-cultural mission today and how this is approached. Mission across national divides must be undertaken with cultural sensitivity. There have been terrible tales told of the unnecessary stripping away of cultural practices so that new converts would not only experience Jesus, but also look like ‘respectable’ Westerners. In one way such a people group has been enriched, but in another way they have been diminished. Also we have seen that theoretical purveyors of peace have visited not with the olive branch but rather weapons of war.

And then there are further implications here for our everyday cross-cultural mission. If we are recipients of the peace given by Jesus, how will that look (in the hustle and bustle of everyday life)?? How will this look different to what is normally seen and experienced in the world environment?

We have read in the paper (Herald Sun 13/9) this week about a huge increase in neighbourly disputes. What can we say to this???

Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9).
Jesus also said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you” (John 14:27).
Paul said, “If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:18).

It is true that sometimes bringing peace into certain situations becomes truly impossible. It is also true that sometimes we have to build fences of protection around ourselves and our family because the threat is too great. And sometimes the only way toward true harmony in the long run is through standing up for what is right on our own behalf or on behalf of others. And still on other occasions, certain behaviours are so repugnant as to make efforts toward peacemaking seem nearly impossible!

However, we still need to develop and grow in the area of peacefulness and peacemaking. One of the things we have to keep reminding ourselves of … is that the people we are called to make peace with … have not had the same advantages of being introduced to and knowing Jesus as we have! No wonder they flounder!! No doubt many Jewish Christians didn’t think about the disadvantage that Gentiles had been living with. Sometimes, whilst sticking to the important ethical and moral implications of our faith, we need to be more tolerant and understanding in other areas. After all, God sent His Son into the world to these people, not to condemn them, but to reveal Himself to them and rescue them – and we are ‘sent’ in the same way that Jesus was ‘sent’.

Jesus died to bring about peace with God and peace in the world – so we can’t just walk away from this. We don’t have to get bogged down because there is so much hostility in the world, just concentrate on our own everyday interactions. So, despite the difficulties involved, can we become renowned for our peace-making activities!?! A lot of the time I spend in meetings in the various community initiatives I’m involved with is actually spent harmonizing opinions and bringing together diverse agendas – and this is peace-making activity! It is possible to make a positive difference.

What are some of the steps we can take toward peace-making???
· Being good listeners & observers (learning the needs of others)
· Being friendly, hospitable and helpful
· Seeing things from the ‘other side’
· Not being too defensive (as if everyone’s got it in for us)
· Not allowing negative past experiences to oppress or deter us
. A bit of give and take

Proverbs for the Rich

These will some of the comments made during our SAO Sunday service on Sept 9th. There will also be drama presentations, great music, prayers & a homework exercise.

I’m not going to talk much today about how the world situation of today has become so inequitable – how some people are so rich, and some people are so poor – how some countries are so well resourced, and other countries having comparatively little. I will talk about though, about whose responsibility it is to do something to alleviate the despair and degradation, and about whose responsibility it is to live out more Jesus like attitudes in human community.

You don’t have to go any further than the first chapter of the bible to find out the answer. Having created everything else, God then made human beings, and gave them responsibility for the rest of the created order. Part of this would surely be looking after the well-being of one another. This would be possible to achieve because we were people made in the image and likeness of God, made with the capacity to love, care, and decide with wisdom. We could participate in bringing about God’s plan for the world, whilst enjoying perfect communion with God.

Yet, this was not good enough for humankind; as we read in chapter 3 of Genesis, humanity sought to grab control away from God, and be God themselves, and thus lost the plot concerning every other facet of God’s creation. So there has always been repair work to be done. And while sin exists, there will always be a lot to do! There is pain and groaning; there is hatred, violence and fear; there is poverty, sickness and despair.

God looked upon all this, and didn’t choose to stay remote, but rather came to live in the midst of human community, into a poor Jewish family in Palestine – why? John’s Gospel provides the great explanation behind the mission of God … “for God so loved the world”. God was never going to give up on the world, or the possibility that people would reconnect with God in a transformative way. This would be like a parent’s love for their child – no matter how bad things get – this is still their child! This is still God’s world.

So we find God again through Jesus, our Saviour, and receive the Holy Spirit to enable us to live out the life of God in the midst of the world’s traumas. Our salvation was never meant to be purely personal – our salvation connects with the salvation of others, as well as connecting with all of the needs in God’s world. And so, when Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment – could he sum up the meaning of life? Yep! “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength; and love your neighbour as yourself”.

This was God’s intention behind all of his dealings with Israel … that the human community could live healthily and helpfully with each other (and with God). So often they failed, as we have failed, yet the true prophets of Israel knew the heart of God. What was it that Micah preached when reflecting on the question of God’s requirements of human beings … “To do justice (to act justly, to defeat injustice), to love mercy (kindness), to walk humbly before God.”

Other prophets from the 8th Century BCE like Isaiah understood how close the poor and needy were to God’s heart, and of course Jesus identified with this when he quoted such scriptures in his own time. There were also wise proverbs that the people of Israel could refer to in getting the right perspective on life; some clearly reflecting this deep concern for the plight of the poor.

Proverbs 14:31 > "Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, but those who are kind to the needy honour God" (NRSV).

This proverb clearly shows where God stands: to oppress someone toward material or emotional or spiritual poverty is likened to insulting, showing contempt to, or even blaspheming God. And this proverb probably shows two sides of a very thin coin, one side Godless, the other side Godly; where it is very difficult to stand on the edge – you have to choose to be on one side or the other, on the side of the problem or the side of the solution.

31:8 > "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute" (NIV).

Here we have the challenge to speak for those who do not have the voice or audience to speak for themselves and be heard. These are the ignored, isolated, abused, impoverished and needy. We are called to be advocates for those people society is leaving behind. May they never feel that God has rejected them because all people have seemingly done so! We need to befriend the friendless, and speak up for the voiceless.

19:17 > "Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and will be repaid in full" (NRSV).

Of course, these proverbs not only reflect God’s concern, but also his call to us, his followers of all generations, to participate in the solutions God wishes to bring about. And this proverb suggests that any kindness shown to the poor is equivalent to ministering to God. Jesus understood this when he taught, “As you do it to one of the least of these children of mine, you do it unto me”. It is one of the deepest acts of worship to sacrifice oneself for the poor. You think of Mother Teresa, some will know of Father Damian of Molokai who worked with the rejected lepers, some will think of their own particular heroes: William Wilberforce’s lifelong struggle against slavery, Martin Luther King’s stand for human rights. However this proverb is not just for the renowned heroes of the faith, but for all of us!

11:25 > "A generous person will be enriched, and one who gives water will get water" (NRSV).

Being generous of heart is not only good for the recipient. The giver finds blessing through their efforts for other people. This is not in a financial sense, but much deeper than this; there will be spiritual refreshment, a deep experience of the ‘living water’ that Jesus provides, we will experience our most urgent needs being met as we give ourselves to the needs of others. Having said this (and reflecting on how the NRSV translates the Hebrew proverb here), one wonders about any possible connection with the nation of Australia:
· a country largely in drought
· that at the same time boasts a multi-billion dollar surplus
· while providing a very low contribution to international aid.

Isaiah 58:9b-12 reads:

"If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong;and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail. Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in."

I spoke about being involved in God’s solutions. Some of these solutions will be very proactive, seeking our governments and councils and organisational decision makers to make decisions in the best interests of all citizens, with a special bias to those who has previously missed out. The problem with capitalism is that it only serves those who have been able to participate in the system. Those who cannot participate can be left behind, and miss out on the benefits everyone else seems to be enjoying.

Some of God’s solutions will necessarily be reactive – because ‘the horse has already bolted’. We are presented with a need, and have to find a way of helping and restoring the situation. This will involve at least three areas of activity:

(1) PRAYER

a. We can pray for hurting, desperate people themselves.
b. We can pray for justice and hope for the oppressed and war-ravaged people groups of the world.
c. We can pray for support agencies as they seek to reach out and help.
d. We can pray for better governmental decision-making (both proactively and reactively)
e. We can pray for wisdom as to how we can personally and collectively participate in God’s solution.

Philip Yancey wrote: "When I pray for another person, I am praying for God to open my eyes so that I can see that person as God does, and then enter into the stream of love that God already directs towards that person".

(2) GIVING

(3) SPEAKING OUT & LIVING GOD’S WAY

a. Stand up for the needs of indigenous communities, struggling farmers, flood ridden communities.
b. Be informed, write letters, sign petitions, be involved in the causes that God puts on your heart.
c. Stick solid with God’s view of things (which is often vastly different to the “world’s” view of things): be about the business of loving neighbour, defeating injustice, offering mercy, being kind, walking through life humbly.

We cannot just ‘worship’ God in a very narrow sense, and hope everything turns out okay. We are not here to just eagerly await Jesus’ return; we are here to engage the world. As God has sent Jesus, Jesus has sent us (in the enabling power of the Holy Spirit) to make a difference! Another 8th Century BCE prophet Amos spoke to those who believed they could detach their worship from their life in the world: “Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps; but let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream”.