Thursday 28 September 2023

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Today is Thursday 28 September, in the 25th week of Ordinary time.

The Porter’s Gate sing, ‘Sing Over Me’.

When I am lost inside my mind

Sing me the hope I cannot find

When my despair has left me blind

Sing me the tune I’ve left behind

Will you sing over me?

Will you sing over me?

Sing of the goodness I cannot see

Will you sing over me?

When all the grief my hands

When I’ve forgotten who I am

I can’t feel anything but shame

Sing out me back my name

Will you sing over me?

Will you sing over me?

Sing of the goodness I cannot see

Will you sing over me?

Will you sing over me?

When I sink down beneath the fear

The weight is more than I can bear

Keep singing low

I cannot hear

Someday I’ll sing for you, I swear

Will you sing over me?

Will you sing over me?

Sing of the goodness I cannot see

Will you sing over me?

Today’s reading is from the Prophet Haggai.

Haggai 1:1-8

In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest: Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house. Then the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai, saying: Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your panelled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider how you have fared. You have sown much, and harvested little; you eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and you that earn wages earn wages to put them into a bag with holes.

Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider how you have fared. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honoured, says the Lord.

This passage begins at a time when God’s people have been in exile in a foreign land for decades. Allowed finally to return to their own country, they find it in ruins. Unsurprisingly, they want to rebuild their own houses as quickly as possible. They don’t feel they have the time, or the resources, to spend on temple-building. Can you get a sense of what this is like for them?

Through Haggai the prophet, God points out to the people that they’re not, in fact, prospering. They have, it is suggested, got their priorities wrong. Can you recall times in your own life when you’ve taken wrong turnings like this?

Presumably the God of the universe has no immediate need of a fine wooden house. Why do you think God might be insisting on this here?

Notice, as the passage is read again, the ways that the dead-ends that the people’s behaviour has led them into are described.

You might like to check out with God, as this time of prayer draws to a close, whether there is anything that God is asking of you that you’re not hearing, or are choosing to ignore.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.