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It’s not complicated, God loves us

By Grahame Stap

Published: September 2008

It is hard to realize that I have been retired for three months. No getting up at six thirty on a Sunday morning. No preparing a sermon or getting ready for a service. It has been wonderful to just go to church and worship; to actually listen to what is going on and not have to participate. At least it was like that for the first month and if I am honest a little like that in the second month.

During the third month I came to understand that something was missing. I started to realize what a huge part of my life is involved in being a priest and how difficult it is to leave it all behind. I also realized that I can't go back nor do I particularly want to but I needed something to fill the void and for me the answer is writing.

Then the question came, 'Writing what?' Well you might find this a little strange but a lot of what is said in church I still find hard to get my head round. The politics and that run rampant biased on each person's interpretation of scriptures.

The unbelievable difficulty in getting people to understand that change must take place if we are going to do what we are called to do and help all people understand God loves them and wants them to know they are loved. We find it more important to cling to the old ways.

If they are honest, most would like to bring back the Book of Common Prayer because it is what we grew up with and feel comfortable with. We forget that even Thomas Cranmer wrote in the thirty-nine articles of religion (found at the back of the B.C.P) that the service must be in the vernacular of the people. He understood you cannot attract people if they cannot understand what is being said. They just give up and leave. We seem to put our own ideas and comfort before the needs of those seeking for some thing, but don't know what.

What has all this got to do with writing? Well I believe we have complicated our relationship with God to the extent that we have forgotten that God is our Father in heaven and our relationship it that of Father and child. So I am going to start with year A and write sermons on the lectionary as I see them. Please understand these sermons will only be my interpretation and neither right or wrong or the only way to understand the word of God. I hope to put all this in a book and those who wish will be able get a copy and read my understanding of our relationship with the one who created all things.

My first book is already out and available at www.lulu.com It's called It's Not Complicated, God Loves Us (but it's only my opinion) ' and I thank the one person that has gone to the site and bought a copy. It is in part the story of my own journey to find the God that loves me regardless of all my many faults. My only desire is to help as many people as I can find that no matter who they are or what they might have done God truly does love each and every one of us. Regardless of what we might be told it is not complicated.

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