FIRST READING (as set for morning prayer)

Deuteronomy: 24.10­22

A reading from the book of Deuteronomy.
When you make your neighbour a loan of any kind, you shall not go into the house to take the pledge. You shall wait outside, while the person to whom you are making the loan brings the pledge out to you.
If the person is poor, you shall not sleep in the garment given you as the pledge. You shall give the pledge back by sunset, so that your neighbour may sleep in the cloak and bless you; and it will be to your credit before the LORD your God.
You shall not withhold the wages of poor and needy labourers, whether other Israelites or aliens who reside in your land in one of your towns. You shall pay them their wages daily before sunset, because they are poor and their livelihood depends on them; otherwise they might cry to the LORD against you, and you would incur guilt.
Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their parents; only for their own crimes may persons be put to death.
You shall not deprive a resident alien or an orphan of justice; you shall not take a widow's garment in pledge.
Remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this.
When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be left for the alien, the orphan, and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all your undertakings.
When you beat your olive trees, do not strip what is left; it shall be for the alien, the orphan, and the widow.
When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, do not glean what is left; it shall be for the alien, the orphan, and the widow.
Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I am commanding you to do this.

This is the Word of the Lord.

SECOND READING (as set for morning prayer)

Acts: 28.1-16

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
After we had reached safety, we then learned that the island was called Malta.
The natives showed us unusual kindness. Since it had begun to rain and was cold, they kindled a fire and welcomed all of us around it.
Paul had gathered a bundle of brushwood and was putting it on the fire, when a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand.
When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, "This man must be a murderer; though he has escaped from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live." He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm.
They were expecting him to swell up or drop dead, but after they had waited a long time and saw that nothing unusual had happened to him, they changed their minds and began to say that he was a god.
Now in the neighbourhood of that place were lands belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who received us and entertained us hospitably for three days.
It so happened that the father of Publius lay sick in bed with fever and dysentery. Paul visited him and cured him by praying and putting his hands on him. After this happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured.
They bestowed many honours on us, and when we were about to sail, they put on board all the provisions we needed.
Three months later we set sail on a ship that had wintered at the island, an Alexandrian ship with the Twin Brothers as its figurehead.
We put in at Syracuse and stayed there for three days; then we weighed anchor and came to Rhegium. After one day there a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli.
There we found believers and were invited to stay with them for seven days. And so we came to Rome.
The believers from there, when they heard of us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage.
When we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Reuben's Theme:
"All You Need Is Love."

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Every Sunday, preachers are faced with two or three readings which they are expected to preach on.

Here's how it works.

There are three sets of readings each day, of each week, right throughout the year.

These readings go through a 3 year cycle and even vary every three years when fixed festivals, saints days and major celebrations come crashing into Sundays or Easter (which moves about - in line with the Jewish festival of the Passover).

Not many people realise that even Saint George's Day has to move when it falls in the week after Easter.
No other celebration, other than that of Easter itself can be celebrated in Easter Week.

So, we have all these readings, set for the three services each day: Holy Communion, which usually has an old testament, a new testament and a Gospel reading, Evening Prayer and Morning Prayer, which each have an old and a new testament reading each.

At first glance, to the poor unsuspecting preacher, all the readings often seem to have nothing to do with each other.

Often the readings in one service seem to have nothing in common.

Some of us, however, find a way of tying all seven readings together and this can lead to blockbusting 45 minute sermons, which is what I...

...haven't done today.

The readings we have heard today are those set morning prayer on the 4th. Sunday after Trinity Sunday 2004 - at the moment we are in cycle C.

Many people (at some time in their life) know the names of the first five books of the Bible.
They are the Old Testament Jewish books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

Our first reading today was from the book of Deuteronomy.

What on earth is the book of Deuteronomy about?

Well...

The word 'Deuteronomy' comes from two Greek words 'deuteros' and 'nomos' which literally mean second law.

When the Book of the Second Law, the Book of Deuteronomy, was written by Moses, you have to remember that the people of Israel had been on the move, in search for the Promised Land, for a very long time.

Many had died and a new generation were now continuing the search in the wilderness.

It was important for the law to be repeated and developed for the new generation, still searching, before they entered the 'Promised Land'.

So what we have here is part of ancient, traditional 'Jewish law'. The bit we heard this morning includes the Jewish humanitarian laws.

Even in exercising their rights, God's people...
...the nation of Israel - searching for the 'Promised Land'...
...and all who are to follow...
...and that includes all Christians...
In exercising our rights, we are to be thoughtful of others.
Sticking to the letter of the law...
...demanding - and getting - justice, when someone has wronged you (in any way) is NOT within the power of human beings.

As it says to God's people, the people of Israel (and us today), in the first reading today:
If we make a loan of money to someone...   ..anyone...   ...we must not go chasing after it...   ...we must wait until that person comes to us. In fact, we should do everything we can to help them.
We are told they will bless us...   ...and we will be in credit before the LORD our God.

We are told we must make special provision for poor people who work for us, whatever faith they are, ensuring that they get their pay, daily if necessary, so that they won't go short or suffer just because we will only pay at the end of the week.

In fact the whole reading is full of instructions to God's people to care for, share with, and help, anyone - and indeed - everyone!

It does not matter if the person is Jewish, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Agnostic, Athiest...

the law...    ...God's Law...   ...says that you must show them kindness, consideration and fairness...   ...caring and sharing with everyone.

Not that the Nation of Israel today is showing any kindness, consideration or fairness to, or caring and sharing with, the residents of the Holy Land - the Palestinians.

Millions of Jews all over the world look on in horror at the behaviour of the Nation State of Israel.

A Jewish friend of mine is almost certainly dead now...
...she is almost certainly dead because she believed that Jesus is the Son of God - and was helping poor Palestinian families survive through their poverty.

I haven't heard from Mary for a long time now...   ..although I always pray for her every day.

None of her friends have seen her. Her house is derelict. Letters are returned "unknown". Her mobile telephone number, which I used many times, never existed according the the telephone company...   ...and even her email address has now shut down.

The world is getting into a mess.
Israelis are persecuting others...
Muslims are executing hostages...
Nations are waging war against nation.
People claiming to be Christians are even at war with each other.

What do we do?

What can we do?

Lets have a look at the second reading:

Luke gives a superb account of Paul's eventful journey to Rome, and a vivid impression of his outstanding courage and leadership under great strain.

We take up the story, today, where Paul's party reach safety after being shipwrecked and discover they are in Malta - where the natives show them "unusual kindness".

As Luke tells us, "Since it had begun to rain and was cold, they kindled a fire and welcomed all of us around it."

But things get a bit eventful.

Luke continues, "Paul had gathered a bundle of brushwood and was putting it on the fire, when a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand."
When the Maltese saw what had happened, they believed that Paul must be a murderer or something, because, as they said, "though he has escaped from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live."

The islanders believed that justice and punishment naturally came upon anyone who had done anything wrong.

Paul, however, shakes the creature off into the fire, and is not harmed.

The people think he must be a god.

Paul, and his friends, stay with the people and show them that their kindness, consideration and fairness...
...their sharing and caring with Paul and his friends...
is the true way, but that there is only one God.

A God of Love, Kindness and Caring.

Paul helps, and heals, the island leader's father, as well as many of the other islanders.

The Maltese people continue to show kindness, as Paul and his friends finally prepare to continue their journey to Rome on an Alexandrian ship that had spent the winter there.

They give them all the provisions they needed and even as they continue to Rome, more people show their kindness.

At Puteoli, now known today as Pozzuoli (a port near Naples), they found Christians and stayed with them for a week.

Even when they got to Rome, they come among more Christians who had heard of them - and travelled some distance to see them.

This gives Paul great encouragement.

Things continue to go well for Paul.

Kindness and considerations are still bestowed on him.

Even though he was under arrest, he was allowed to live by himself with the soldier who was guarding him.

Kindness, consideration and fairness...

...sharing and caring with anyone and everyone.

So, those Jewish laws...   ...those rules of life...   given to the Jewish Nation (and all Christians) by Moses...

The spreading of kindness, consideration, fairness, sharing and caring with everyone is central to the Jewish and Christian faiths.

Jesus made it plain when He gave us a new commandment.

Jesus said, "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

And, as we have learned from Paul's adventures on his way to Rome, if we let this love for one another become love for everyone...

...for all people.

Only good can eventually come from it.

But, it's s tall order... ....It isn't easy to love everyone.

But I can tell you now...

When I look at all of us...   ...I have hope for the future...

...Like Paul - it gives me great encouragement...

...and don't forget to wear your badges!

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.