<html><body>Just finished the draft.<div><br></div><div>Bob</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#202020;mso-bidi-font-weight:
bold">THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF ST. ALBAN, ALBANY THE
SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#202020;mso-bidi-font-weight:
bold">JEREMIAH 18:1-11 PROPER 18 c<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#202020;mso-bidi-font-weight:
bold">PHILEMON 1-21
4<sup>th</sup> SEPTEMBER, 2016<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#202020;mso-bidi-font-weight:
bold">LUKE 14:25-33
PSALM 139:1-5, 12-17<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> “What will you be when you grow up?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; vertical-align: top; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> All Saints Church of England Infant
School is in a far outer suburb to the south of London. If you landed by plane
at Gatwick Airport, as opposed to the perhaps better-known Heathrow, you’d
probably drive past the school on your way into the City. The staff and
students are described as<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"> “an inclusive school that
strives to create a challenging learning environment in which every child can
achieve their potential. We promote an atmosphere of encouragement, acceptance,
respect for effort and achievements with sensitivity to the individual needs of
all children. Every teacher is a teacher of children with special educational
needs.” <sup>1<o:p></o:p></sup></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; vertical-align: top; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"> Sounds like a dream come true. I hope
everyone is able to live up to that!</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#333366"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; vertical-align: top; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"> The description goes on, “As a
parent, you are the expert about your child and if you are concerned that he or
she has special educational needs, we encourage you to come and share your
concerns with the class teacher. Similarly, if we identify difficulties, we
will want to discuss them with you. Your child’s class teacher and our Special
Educational Needs Co-coordinator (SENCo) will meet with you so that we can act
together to respond to the needs of your child and ensure that they receive
high quality personalised provision.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; vertical-align: top; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"> That sounds remarkable. It’s been a
while since I was in Primary School, so my recollection is a little vague, but
when was the last time someone came out publicly and said that you were the expert
in your child’s needs and moods? When was the last time that an invitation
seemed to be offered to ensure that you had a serious input into the education
of your child? Yet, at the same time, note that this is a two-way street. The
Head Teacher and all the other staff expect to be able to be completely frank
with the parents on the pluses and minuses of the child’s ongoing educational
experience.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; vertical-align: top; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"> It sounds so much like what is
sometimes idealised as a former age, tight-knit community of whatever size, a
community that gave completely of itself to help one another; a community which
accepted the responsibility and challenge of helping everyone realise her or
his fullest potential, advising but, within limits, seldom dictating, letting
the baby grow through an exciting, exploring childhood into teen-aged years and
into adulthood. Then, in turn, these people become the advisors to the next
group of babies and children.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; vertical-align: top; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"> It’s an awesome task being human.
It’s never been simple and it never will be. There will <b><u>ALWAYS</u></b> be connectedness; there will <b><u>ALWAYS</u></b> be responsibility; there will <b><u>ALWAYS</u></b> be questions with which to wrestle.</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#333366"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> “What will you be when you grow up?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> If you didn’t notice the bulletin
illustration, this is the question asked on the mural at that Infant School
outside London. It reminds us of our ability as humans to develop. It reminds
us of our responsibility as humans to develop, to use our souls, our minds, our
bodies to their fullest extent. It reminds us of our ability to change and to
grow.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> Some friends and I have been commenting
on the first reading, about the potter, working away at the wheel, trying to
transfer from the imagination the dreams of what the clay may become.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> Ann Fontaine, who preached at the Renewal
of our New Ministries several weeks ago, wrote, “<span class="uficommentbody"><span style="color:#1D2129">I used to do pottery. When I took lessons I was shocked
to see the teacher throw a beautiful pot only to cut it in half to see where
the flaws might be. If you fire a pot with any air bubbles in the clay – it will
blow up. That is why the clay has to be slammed about on the table over and
over – to get all the air out.</span>” </span></span><sup><span style="color:#1D2129">2</span></sup><span class="uficommentbody"><span style="color:#1D2129"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span class="uficommentbody"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1D2129"> It’s
amazing how many intricacies and techniques have to come into play in order for
the finished product to b</span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:#202020;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">e presented and brought into full. We
take so much for granted, whether it’s about clay or human beings. So often we don’t
pay attention to what is happening around us, to what we’re doing with our time
and talents and it’s just possible that we don’t think to engage God in our
discussions.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#202020;mso-bidi-font-weight:
bold"> It’s interesting that it
was the prophet who was invited to consider what was going on at the Potters
house. The word that came to him didn’t say, “Get your congregation together
and bring them over here. It’ll be a fun field trip.” Jeremiah must have been
at his wit’s end quite often. He was convinced that God had spoken to him. He
thought he’d made plain what God sought – and God <b><u>WAS</u></b>, indeed,
asking a radical change in the attitude of the government and the general population.
But, at every turn, both the people and a great many of the people, especially
those with power and influence; at every turn Jeremiah was ridiculed. He was
accused of threatening the security of the state, of being a traitor. He was told
that since they were God’s chosen, nothing would ever go against them. <b><u>THAT’S</u></b>
where the illustration of the Potter and the clay came into the picture. The
clay <b><u>COULD</u></b> be so damaged, so ill-formed, that it may need severe
reconfiguration. And if we don’t hold regular chats with God about what’s going
on in our personal and family lives, in our neighbourhood and spiritual group lives;
if we don’t allow the give and take, even the praise and criticism that All
Saints School seems to encourage, then we may not benefit from the marvelous and
loving experience of God for our future.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#202020;mso-bidi-font-weight:
bold"> Rabbi Lawrence Kushner
has a marvelous little story in which he wrote about the house in which he
lived. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#202020;mso-bidi-font-weight:
bold"> “Like all young couples
moving into their first</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(29, 33, 41); background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">, and in our
case, only, home, we naturally developed a long list of modifications,
improvements, repairs – a wish list. … Always, near the bottom of the list, was
the chandelier in the dining room. It wasn’t broken nor did it look particularly
awful. We just didn’t like it very much. It became a sort of family joke.
Friends would tease, …. But the chandelier remained.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></body></html>