I would like to continue today on our exploration about the character of God. We saw that God was one who calls and sends; that God was the one who involves humanity in his purposes. Today I would like to look at the God who divides, and in particular the one who divides households. This is the story in both the Old and the New Testament readings.

Over the last couple of weeks, we have had it easy. The concept that God calls us and God engages us in the work that he is doing is quite comforting. This week we encounter a harsh reality. Perhaps it seems that this even a God whom we do with out. After all, we all know that God's values are family values aren't they?

Now I have said, that what we are doing is Theology; developing our understanding of God - so before I deal with the issues in these readings, perhaps it is worth our while to look at some common mistakes in developing our understanding of God.

First, there is a tendency to look at God in our own perspective. If you like, we decide what we like, what our priorities are etc. and apply these to God. If we have a high value in family, the God is the God who promotes the family. It is a bit like the current batch of Mormon ads on TV promoting family values. You know the ones - everything is sweetness and light and religion is defined in terms of the old-fashioned values, or perhaps I should say the old-fashioned White American values. We can solves the worlds problems if we only sat around and said Grace.

It is these attitudes that lead to religious imperialism - God is an Englishman or God stand truth justice and the American way.

Now although Christianity has been foundational in both American and English Cultures, so is slavery in the case of the Americans and class in the case of Brits. These so called harsh words of Jesus are the ones that clash with our culture and our concepts of what is good and we always face the choice between change God to suit our views or changing our views to suit God.

Second is the sense that we assume we know the whole picture. We judge with a limited perspective. Often it is only later that we understand what it is that is significant. Consider the story of Joseph. He was sold into slavery and then when things seemed to be working out all right, he was falsely accused and put into prison. But in his imprisonment, he was connected with the Pharaoh through the cupbearer and ended up not only as the second in command, but became the saviour of the promised line of Abraham.

Only in the big picture did the sufferings come into a perspective. It is easy for us to get caught up in the moment and lose sight of the fact that we do not know the whole story - and isn't this hard for us. We always find it difficult to admit that we don't understand it all.

And it is no comfort in the dark places to assume that something good will happen from it, (and it is wrong for us to tell a person this). We can only remind them that God will walk with them in the sorrows as well as the joys. At this time, I have a close friend whose life seems to be falling apart, with one blow after another. I don't understand what is happening, but this is true definition of faith, that in this lack of understanding, I have to trust that God is there.

Really, these two misconceptions can be summarised in saying that we need to be flexible, to be open to a new way of understanding God. Theology is a dynamic conversation with God and not a static knowledge. It feeds off our experience as well as our learning.

Now to the difficulty at hand - the readings. Perhaps it easiest to start with the story of Hagar. Now in case you have forgotten, this is the story of Abraham.

God said Go and I will give you descendants - Abraham went, but there were no descendants - Again God said Follow and you will have an innumerable number of descendants. As Sarah grew old, things were not looking to good, so Abraham and Sarah conceived a plan to help God. Hagar, Sarah's maid could have a child on behalf of Sarah - then Abraham could have these promised descendants. (But God had all along promised descendants through Sarah). When God fulfilled his promise, with the arrival of Isaac when Sarah was ninety, Ishmael became a problem. As first born, he had the claim of inheritance.

Ishmael and his mother had to go because they would interfere with the fulfillment of the promise. But note, God did not abandon them. And He provided for them, but they had no part in the inheritance.

At another time, it might be worthwhile exploring how the 'assistance that Abraham offered God', not only was a weak point in faith, but became the major source of many of the problems of the Jews even until now, as there continues enmity between Jew and Arab even today.

It is best to say that often God seems to remove what is good in order to achieve what is best. This helps us to understand the second passage. It is not that there is anything inherently wrong with home or family, but these things can prevent us from achieving the best for God. To take up one's cross is to lay aside everything else. This is the distinction that God makes - the division between those who give their all for him and those who are tied to more temporal things.

So our God is a demanding God, brooking no rivals to our affection for him - wanting us to put him in first place.

If this so - this God who calls and sends and desires us to get involved in his work also demands our separation from other things.

We, you and I, are called to look at ourselves and ask, what is our first priority when making decisions? And if it is not God, then 'Why not?' Let us not fool ourselves to choose the good rather than the best is equally as bad as choosing the bad.

Let us pray that God will guide us to the very best.

AMEN.