Weekly Reflection | Immanuel URC Swindon

We have now returned to ‘normal Sunday worship’ but the regular ‘reflection’ is still being created that forms the basis of the Sunday sermon each week. It is sent out digitally or as a ‘hard copy’ to our congregation for those unable to attend the services. It is also printed below. Please use it for your own personal devotion.

We will continue to post these reflections each week, here on the web-site.

For those who wish to hear the whole Sunday service that centres on the following reflection, please click on the “Recent Events” page.

Immanuel, 12^th February 2023

Deuteronomy 30; 15-20 1 Corinthians 3; 1-9

How do we choose?

How free are we to choose? Day by day we all face choices, and one of the biggest mysteries in life is, why do we choose the way we do? Based on what do we chose? What consequences do our choices have? Last week I referred to the fact that all are part of the community of God’s children. Does this have any impact on our choices? Do we choose only for ourselves? Do we chose for the wider community of which we and our loved ones are part of? And in particular this Sunday when with Churches in Britain and Ireland we remember Racial Justice Sunday, and think of all the racial injustices people suffer, and the people in Turkey and Syria after the earthquake and literally thousands of people dead – can they choose? Of course not! Can they choose differently? Of course they can’t! But those who thrive on hatred and injustice – do they choose. Of course they do! Can they choose differently, of course they can! Some many things involved….how much do we think of all this?

The reading from Deuteronomy is very special– because when asking us to choose, it is inviting us to make a particular choice, the choice that leads to life. And I’m sure we would agree who wouldn’t want to make such a choice. But in the world today, not everybody is free to make such a choice. Too many people are faced with choices that only allow for existence not for life. Often bad things happen to good people, and good things happen to bad people. But behind all this we know what God is really talking about.

And when Paul writes to the community in Corinth he is inviting them to overcome the patterns of life they know, based on individualism and selfishness, and to create the sense of sharing and common belonging. We are living in a time of major cultural and social differences, which some people want to push in a divisive way: hatred for immigrants’, mistrust of refugees, rejection of those who live different lifestyles, and strangely enough a certain uncritical acceptance of those whose agenda thrives on dividing us.

Paul reminds the people of Corinth and here at Immanuel, that Christ made different choices: the importance of the weak, the value of those who are different, the hope in repairing broken bridges, the love of stranger, the forgiveness of others. And learning that becomes the challenge to us at this time, we discover we are God’s servants, and we work together. So what are the choices before us and what are we choosing?

Many years later Jesus will remind us of the full meaning of this challenge – choose life: Love God with heart, mind and soul. Care for the poor. Fight for justice. Protect creation. Treat others fairly… creating a world which is better, and where those who for too long have been excluded can now choose life. The essence of this reading is still here before us: “Today I set before you life and death, blessings and curses – Choose life, and that way all may have fullness of life.”