The Messiah’s Secret – Community Issues: Diversity of People
Following the Lectionary Jeremiah 7: 1-16 Romans 9: 14-26
The Land belongs to the Lord our God.
The Forest of Rossendale was not inhabited prior to the Norman Conquest, after the Conquest the forest became part of a very large estate granted in 1295 to the de Lacys of Clitheroe.
The King used the forest for hunting deer. In 1304 Musbury deer park came into being, it is where the King reared his deer. I’ve walked around the perimeter of the deer park following the ditch that in most parts still remains.
Some of the local farms today are named in connection with the deer: Laund – is a place where the deer were fed: Laund Farm, on Cribden Lane and Laund Cottage Crawshawbooth. Other place names; Deerplay at Bacup, Staghills housing estate at Newchurch and Hart Hill at Loveclough.
Below a deer in our garden. it is one of several sightings of wild deer that today live on the moors of Rossendale.
It is recorded in the de Lacy accounts for 1295 of 11 unnamed vaccaries or cow pastures in the forest, and it gives details of each herdsman who was in the charge of the cow pastures, there were also assistant herdsmen. The herdsman lived in a house that was known as a booth. The dwellings built by these people became the place names that we are familiar with today Crawshawbooth, Rawtenstall, New Hall Hey, Constable Lee and Newchurch.
Rawtonstall is derived from the word ‘rough’ and ‘tun stall’ ‘the site of a farm.
At the junction of St. Mary’s Way, Haslingden Old Road and Newchurch Road and Burnley Road a sheep fair took place, it is still known today as Tup Bridge and nearby a corn mill was established by King Henry V11 in 1436.
Deforestation took place in 1507 allowing more people to build homes and work the land.
St Nicholas Church Newchurch was built in 1511.
The dissolution of Whalley Abbey by Henry V111 took place in 1537.
Commonwealth Church Survey recorded in 1650 that 300 families were living at Newchurch and 300 families at Haslingden.
The population of Rossendale gradually increased as the children of the families settled and built new homes in the valley. Later over a fifty year period 1801 – 1851 the population trebled, Rawtenstall by 45% and Bacup by 42% due to the cotton industry boom. People moved into the valley from surrounding districts and also from Scotland and Ireland to work in the mills.
The 1851 Census records those persons over 20 years who were not born in Lancashire were 3,881. 2,601 came from surrounding districts, 873 came from Scotland and Ireland, and 407 came from other parts of Britain.
Galilee
The Bible records Galilee has been inhabited by people from the time when Noah’s grandson Canaan inhabited the land. Genesis 10: 19
In Roman times the whole northern section of the country was divided into Judea, Samaria and Galilee.
Most of Galilee consists of rocky terrain, there are several high mountains: Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon. The waterfalls and streams of Upper Galilee produce green fields with colourful wildflowers.
The Sea of Galilee, the fish found in the lake: sardines, minnows and the Musht the largest fish in the lake.
“Galilee of the Nations” The “nations” would have been the foreigners who came to settle there, or who had been forcibly deported to the region by the Romans.
Matthew records Jesus fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali towards the sea, across the Jordon, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light.” Matthew 4: 15,16.Isaiah 9:1, 2. The light being the person of Jesus the Messiah.
In Paul’s letter to the Romans he quoted from the writings of the prophet Hosea.
“As indeed he says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call my people,’ and her who was not my beloved I will call my beloved.” “You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’” Hosea 2: 23. 1: 10. The prophesies relating to the Gentiles accepting Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
Jesus’ fame spread throughout all Syria. . . And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordon. Matthew 4: 23-25
Thousands of people of all ages followed Jesus. 
On one occasion it was getting late in the day when Jesus saw the people’s hunger (5,000 plus women and children) and he had compassion on them. The lad brought to the disciples the five loaves and three fishes and Jesus broke them in to pieces and they were distributed among the people.. The people sat down in groups of fifty and the disciples distributed the food and everyone ate and was satisfied. The left over fragments filled the twelve empty baskets; these baskets may have belonged to the disciples. John 6: 5-14 The disciples had nothing to offer of themselves they gave what they received from Jesus.
At the gate beautiful Peter said to the lame man, ”I have no silver or gold, but I give you what I have; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” And he took him by the hand, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong, and leaping up he stood and walked.” Acts 3: 6-8
These people in their diversity were all given the same the bread and fishes. The Jewish person would feel unclean associating with Gentiles and eating with them. The Samaritans had grievances against the Jews.
The Gentiles were accepted into the fold, treated equally by Jesus and his disciples.
Jesus on the mountain side celebrated the diversity of people breaking down the barriers of language, religious divide, cultural differences and he healed all who came to him regardless of race, colour or creed.
Paul in his letter to the church at Rome he explains to them how God planned to call the Gentiles into his kingdom, “Those who were not my people, I will call my people.” Romans 9: 25.
A friend of mine told me during her stay at her daughter’s in Northampton she went to a Christian house group and she was pleasantly surprised to find people who had been brought together through their work from across the world, who also shared their belief in Jesus and had come together to study the Bible and pray.
United by the word and the Holy Spirit the cultural differences in their lives did not matter.
Rossendale
After the Second World War the mills in Rossendale had jobs in abundance so many people from the Commonwealth came to work in the cotton and shoe factories. The people coming from the Commonwealth contributed to the growing affluence of the Rossendale Valley. They also brought their food exotic fruits and spices. Curry has become part of the Rossendale diet; it is almost as popular as fish and chips.
(Dishes prepared before hand to sample after the service)
The origin of the Commonwealth (Diverse nations working together)
The nations that made up the British Empire wanted their independence. It was India’s desire to adopt a republican form of constitution while simultaneously retaining its link with the British Empire this prompted a radical reconsideration of the terms of association and so the Commonwealth came into being. The Balfour Declaration of 1926 had established all member countries as ‘equal in status to one another, in no way subordinate one to another’, and this was in turn adopted into law in 1931
After the second world war in April 1949, 8 heads of Government from Australia, Britain, Ceylon, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and the Canadian Secretary of State for External Affairs met in London and deliberated over six days. The outcome was the Declaration of London.
The Declaration also repeatedly emphasised the freedom and equality of its members a ‘free association of independent nations’ but also in their co-operative ‘pursuit of peace, liberty and progress’ 800 million people had access into the UK.
The Commonwealth comprises of countries from all major continents of the world, rich and poor, small and large, consulting and co-operating in the common interests of their peoples and in the promotion of international understanding.
After the end of World War II the Commonwealth became the natural association of choice for many of the new nations emerging out of decolonisation. Starting with Ghana in 1957, the Commonwealth expanded rapidly with new members from Africa, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and the Pacific.
The creation of the Commonwealth Secretariat in 1965 has expanded number of professional organisations that help to administer human rights development of trade and industry.
After Enoch Powell’s ‘River of Blood’ speech in 1968 were he warned his audience of what he believed would be the consequences of continued unchecked immigration from the Commonwealth of Britain. After great debate over several years in 1972 restrictions were put in place.
Wikipedia ‘Immigration to the United Kingdom since 1922.’
The Commonwealth has now grown from 8 in 1949 to 54 in 2009. The leaders agreed to admit Rwanda as the 54th member at their meeting in Trinidad & Tobago in November 2009.
Queen Elizabeth II the Head of the Commonwealth
The Queen as Head of the Church of England she is the defender of the Christian faith and also ‘of faiths’ including the Commonwealth, this is part of our nation’s commitment to religious freedom. The Queen stated in May 2012 at Lambeth “Its role is not to defend Anglicanism to the exclusion of all other religions, instead the Church has a duty to protect the free practice of all faiths in this country.” BBC News Website 15th May 2012
The Queen as Head of the Commonwealth she does not discriminate against the beliefs of others.
The Commonwealth embraces nations from every continent. Christian ethics and values are at the heart of its conception.
Nearly two billion people now live in the Commonwealth, and half of these are under 25. The future of the Commonwealth belongs with young people, and this is why the theme in 2009 ‘thecommonwealth@60 – serving a new generation’.
Commonwealth Secretariat website.
Refugees
In the lead up to the Second World War, refugees came from Germany and after the war refugees from the Soviet-controlled territories settled in Britain, Poles and Ukrainians. There was also an influx of refugees from Hungary.
Since the expansion of the EU in 2004, one of the four freedoms of the European Union of which the UK is a member is the right to free movement of people throughout the European Union. Since then because of the number of people wanting to come and live in the UK restrictions have been put in place.
Wikipedia “Immigration to the United Kingdom since 1922.”
Where we were born
We are stewards of our land where we all live, the Lord our God owns the land. History shows us that the movement of people across the world to find employment and safety against persecution will continue.
Jesus Lord of all
The Lord Jesus embraces all people of the world, in his great love for us; he paid the price for our sin against God and our neighbour on the cross at Calvary. We receive his gift of knowing God our Father through the forgiveness of all that stood against us since the separation of the first human beings from their fellowship with God. The Lord, through the power of the Holy Spirit fills us with his love to know the freedom of forgiveness that we have in Jesus, this freedom has no boundaries or fears, and it can be seen being worked out in the constitution of the Commonwealth and Britain’s role in it.
Prayers June 17 2012
Each of us here tonight have been brought together to celebrate the diversity of people in this place called Rossendale and to pray for all who live here.
The trees that once made up the forest have been used to build dwellings: farms, houses, fences and gates. The sounds of rustling leaves in the trees have been exchanged for the sounds of machinery, cars, buses and trains.
The deer have managed some how to survive through the changes and people from across the world have made this land their home.
The disciple’s empty baskets Jesus filled them with food, bread and fishes, later Jesus’ Disciple Peter had no money to give the beggar, but he gave to him Jesus, the bread of eternal life that gives us wholeness and healing.
Father you depend on us, may our Christian witness reach out to make Christ known through living out and sharing Jesus bread, the Gospel in our community.
Lord in your mercy —graciously hear us.
Lord Jesus we lift to your throne of grace those in our community who are suffering because they are different: whether it is in speaking a different language or wearing different clothes, some follow trends or are wearing religious garments or others from their background culture. May they overcome all anxiety and be given tolerance and strength to forgive those who persecute them.
Heavenly Father we pray for peace and tolerance among all the people of this valley, for the help we need to understand each others’ ways.
Lord in your mercy —graciously hear us
The life of the Queen our monarch has been used by the Lord to bring direction, peace and support to the poorest of nations of the world.
Lord, thank you for all who work for the Commonwealth, who use their skills to help poor nations in agriculture to develop systems that provide all year round food supplies. Those who assist in developing Christian based elections and legal structures. And those who help to sort out problems that arises from inexperienced government officials, by the giving of their knowledge to the well being of a national government.
Lord in your mercy —graciously hear us
Whilst we welcome people from other countries to live and work here, since the 1970’s restrictions have been put in place to reduce the number, as a result there are thousands of illegal immigrants who are finding themselves open to abuse: the trafficking of people, the modern slave trade.
Lord of all people we pray for those who have been tricked, manipulated become slaves to those who promised to help them, we pray that the light of Christ would reveal those who are engaging in this slave trade in our valley and that they would be brought to justice. For those who have been hurt and damaged by their experiences may they find the strength to turn to Jesus and find him at their side as he knows the depths of the human heart.
Lord in your mercy —graciously hear us
Our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ please heal and bless this land, the former forest of Rossendale. May those who have trodden down the poor be forgiven, and may the paths of the righteous be forever blessed.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen