On your feet now – applaud God!

Bring a gift of laughter,

sing yourselves into his presence.

Know this: God is God, and God, God.

He made us; we didn’t make him.

We’re his people, his well-tended sheep.

Enter with the password: “Thank you!”

Make yourselves at home, talking praise.

Thank him. Worship him.

For God is sheer beauty,

all-generous in love,

loyal always and ever.

Eternal and every loving God,

We your children give thanks for all that is good and lasting and true.

For the beauty of the world, for colour, for sight and sounds.

For the joy of loving and being loved.

We come before you now and ask for blessings and understanding of your ways.

May we open our hearts and minds to new ways of living and being, Guided by your Spirit of truth and righteous and justice.

May we sit lightly to ritual, while holding it dear, celebrating both tradition and change.

May your Holy Spirit cleanse us of all hypocrisy and free us from mind sets that bind us.

We pray that we might be a living community ready to change and be changed.

Forgive us when we thought we knew best, When we have brought unhappiness and been careless

with the needs and feelings of those we share our lives with.

Forgive us, help us, heal us.

Amen.

The Lord’s prayer.

Reflection on Gentleness.

So Paul is saying live by the Spirit – the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control against such there is no law.

I would like this morning, to look at the spirit of gentleness. In the New Testament, the words normally translated as gentleness and meekness have essentially the same meaning.

Firstly, can I ask you to look at the picture of the elephant and the child. (picture)

Did you know that an elephant has 40,000 individual muscles in its trunk. It is capable of uprooting trees, moving unbelievably heavy logs, rip branches from trees but sensitive enough to pick up a single blade of grass. The elephant has great value having both strength and gentleness.

I was part of a Scouting group in Llanrwst for over 25 years. I led a Cub Pack – happy days. As I am writing, two boys come to mind. Lets call them Jack and Billy. Jack was taller by far than any other boy in the pack – all arms and legs. He could to fall over his own feet ,trip over everyone’s guy ropes at camp and stand on any exhibits that were being displayed. When the boys were cooking sausages on sticks over an open fire, under control, he could in a matter of seconds, without evening trying, demolish everyone’s attempt to present a culinary masterpiece. But you know, he was gentle giant, – gentle in disposition – He had the biggest and widest grin. And everyone loved him.

The second boy Billy was always in trouble. Was a pain to his teachers at school and I, to my shame, was relieved if he missed a week at Cubs. He was disruptive, rough and aggressive. Then one night we had a new boy who was confined to a wheelchair. Billy asked if he could be the cub who looked after our new member. I hesitated, but then said yes. What a transformation. Billy arrived early each week to welcome our new member, encouraging him to join in and over the weeks a friendship developed. They became ‘chums’. I saw a side to Billy – gentleness at its best. That side to Billy had been there all the time but life and circumstances had taught him to be aggressive.

Many view gentleness/meekness as a form of weakness, not strength – this is because of the negative connotations that have become associated with the words. A child at school being picked on, bullied – of course it is not confined to the playground. As adults we see bullying – the survival of the fittest in the work place and community. Gentleness in the work place is discouraged and people’s mental health has suffered as a consequence. Vulnerability is seen as weakness. Forcefulness, disregard of ones actions on others, violence, harshness, self assertiveness are seen as strength. Children can grow up in a society and assume that a person who does not retaliate tit for tat must be afraid or just mousy.

I was discussing this topic with my granddaughter. She said, and I quote “the ability to put aside anger and empathise with your peers is not something to be ashamed off” she continued – that one of her favourite quotes - linking to gentleness – was from Charles Dickens, who was alive in a time when there wasn’t much consideration for the vulnerable in society, “ have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires and a touch that never hurts”

In Proverbs 15. 1. it says “ A soft answer turns away wrath, but harsh words stirs up anger.”

I am using the internet to communicate this message. During this pandemic family and friends have stayed connected ‘on line’. But the same technology can, in a matter of seconds, communicate fake news, spread hatred and send remarks that undermine some persons well being.

We all too often retaliate, overreact or passively under re-act .We are such a mixture. As the Christian Church in Galatia, we can easily loose the plot. Paul knew that those Christians were struggling trying to live life in a hostile environment – so their actions became hostile – relationships suffered – personal conflicts came to the for – Paul was concerned that the freedom they had tasted in Christ was going to be lost - and they would find themselves in chains and all the negatives in life would return.

I am sure we can relate to those feelings. Sometimes the spirit of gentleness is far from our lives and thoughts and experience. We practice tit for tat – we have bad life experiences that hold us in chains. We feel we have the sole market on understanding.

Nelson Mandela knew about chains – he said –“ For to be free is not merely to cast off ones chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”

Gentleness is not about sitting down and doing nothing. It is a powerful statement about the confidence that we bring to a situation when we are at one in God’s Spirit. That spirit is in each one of us. We need to practice its presence.

During this period of ‘Lock down’ we have seen the spirit of gentleness at work in bucket loads. Three cheers– celebrate – suddenly the things that really matter have been practised more than ever – and people have come together in such a wonderful, caring way. Sacrifice has been the order of the day. It would appear that gentleness means recognising that the world around us is fragile, we are, the people we know and love are, those that walk the journey with us – humanity. Mahatma Gandhi said “ Gentleness, self sacrifice and generosity are the exclusive possession of no one race or religion.” and that has manifested itself in our communities over the past weeks. (picture quote)

Jesus not only spoke about love – he loved fully. He was tough; he stood up to injustice and hypocrisy. His wisdom about life and its priorities was profound simple and clear. He was sure of God’s love and righteousness. He brought healing and forgiveness to people’s lives. He was streetwise – he was gentle.

We are asked in this teaching to use all that we are, our energy, our love, the me - the you, into healing and peace. We are being asked to practice its presence. To learn gentleness – to be gentle with ourselves and with others.

JESUS SAID “TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU AND LEARN FROM ME. FOR I AM GENTLE AND LOWLY IN HEART, AND YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.”

Loving God,

we rejoice that your love breaks our boundaries,

going wide to the world,

touching each soul, meeting each need,

without fear or favour.

God of all times and places,

we pray for those who feel unloved

those whose lives have become confused and chaotic;

those who feel they have lost their way;

those unclear about their present;

those fearful for their future

those imprisoned by their past.

We pray that they may find freedom and faith

in the knowledge that they are loved.

God of all times and places,

we pray for those who feel forsaken

many are the causes, many the needs,

so much comfort and strength and healing required,

because of loneliness, or illness,

stress, sorrow, loss or fear, doubt or uncertainty.

For all who feel they walk this way alone,

we pray they will know you near,

a constant companion.

Amen.