Informal sermon preached at St Alphege 9.15 Eucharist
Sunday 1st November 2009 – All Saints Day – Year B
(A more traditional version of this sermon was also preached at the 11am Eucharist.)
Readings: Wisdom 3: 1-9 Rev 21: 1-6 John 11: 32-44
[AV - Camera]
So it’s All Saints Day; the day when we remind ourselves about all the saints in heaven, both those who are famous and have their own special days in the churches calendar, and especially those who are not so famous, those whose holiness is known to God alone.
And what is a Saint? Well a saint is a person who is holy. A saint is a person who has drawn very close to God, who is illuminated by the holiness of God. A saint is someone who is completely filled with the love of God, who moves in complete harmony with God. A saint is someone who has at last become precisely what God created them to be. God’s creation in them has been realised in all its fullness.
[AV - Picture of saints in heaven]
And here we have a picture of the saints in heaven. In the centre you can see Jesus on the cross, above him God the Father, and above him the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. And around the three persons of God we have countless saints, all looking to Christ and all moving in perfect harmony with God.
And the good news is that we are all saints. In the New Testament, all the baptised people are commonly called saints. And we have been baptised. We are a new creation (2 Cor 5: 17), we are members of Christ’s body (1 Cor 6: 15), children of God, and co-heirs of God with Christ (Roman 8: 16-17). By our baptism we become part of God’s chosen people, part of his royal priesthood, and holy nation (1 Peter 2: 9). And all this because we have believed and been baptised (Mark 16: 16). So there is a sense in which we are all saints, already!
[AV - Camera]
Well you are probably sat there looking at the person next to you and thinking, “Well she’s not a saint. I know that for sure. If my wife was a saint she would be far better at cooking!”
And this is where we get to the bad news. Although all of us in the church are saints, we are also all sinners. We all have this part of us that rebels against God’s love; that says, “No, I want to do it my way.” And this sin affects us in many ways. First of all it clouds our vision. It makes us look at things selfishly and not as God sees them. There is a sense in which your wife really is a saint, but in your sinfulness you don’t see it. You are too busy thinking about your stomach! But then our sinfulness also leads us into bad attitudes and bad behaviours. We treat other people as enemies or threats and not as children of God. And as we all know, it gets worse.
So we are all saints, and we are all sinners. Well we probably knew that already, because we know that everyone has their good points and their bad points. But the very important point that we must not overlook is that the saint within us has an eternal and blessed future with God in heaven, and with the saints, whereas the sinner within us has no future. He can only shrivel up and die. The wages of sin is death (Rom 6: 23). So the skill of life on earth is to always make the saint within us grow, and flourish because the saint is our future. And the sinner we allow to die, because in the end that is all he can do.
And how do we do this? How do we make the saint within us grow? Well we do it by focusing on Christ, who is THE saint, the holy one, the source of our holiness.
Our gospel reading today presented a powerful picture of Christ as the resurrection and the life. Jesus was able to restore the body of Lazarus despite the stench of four days of decay in the tomb. Jesus was able to call Lazarus back from the dead and give him life once more. So it is that Jesus is the source of our resurrection life. He is the one who gives life to the saint within us makes it grow. Our holiness does not come from us, it comes from God. It is the gift of grace. Our part is to want it, to pray for it, and to accept it and co-operate with it. And accepting this grace means accepting the commandments of Jesus, especially the commandments to love other people. If we practise loving then the saint grows within us. The kingdom of God within us might feel like a very small mustard seed, but it has the potential to grow into a great tree (c.f. Matt 13: 31).
And as the saint grows within us, so the sinner within gets marginalised and squeezed out. And this can be painful; it a kind of death. But its worth it because it allows the saint to grow.
[AV - Picture of saints in heaven]
Let’s go back to that picture of the saints. One of the amazing things is that they are all very different. In Revelation 7 (v 9) we are told that they come from every tribe and nation, every people and language, and they all have a specific role in heaven. They all have their own distinctive way of ministering to the other saints. And the church on earth is like this too. We are all very different. We do come from many different tribes and peoples, nations and languages. And we all have a distinctive ministry to one another, each of us our own particular way of helping the others.
[AV - Picture of listening]
And today I would like to emphasise one particular ministry that lies beneath all the others; the ministry of listening. It is so important to listen properly to one another, to create the space for the other person to express themselves. Listening is the basis of so many other ministries because only by listening can we understand the needs of the other person, only by being attentive to them can we be sure that our ministry is exercised for their benefit and not out of our own pride. And listening is also very counter cultural. Our culture always emphasises the importance of getting our message across. Listening, in contrast seeks to hear the truth of the other person; not the bluster and self propaganda, but the truth of the person created by God. In October’s parish magazine we advertised a taster evening of training on Christian listening coming up on 17th November. I commend this to you. Look out for more details in the next weeks pewslip.
[AV - Camera]
So, on All Saints day let us rejoice with the saints in heaven. Let’s praise God for our baptism which like a small mustard seed means that we too can grow up to become great saints. And let’s focus on Christ. Even if our lives are sinful and putrid, like a body four days in the grave, Christ can show us the way and make it happen, so that we grow up to discover our own small place in heaven, along side all the other saints. Amen.
Showing posts with label saint. Show all posts
Showing posts with label saint. Show all posts
01 November 2009
26 December 2008
New years resolutions
Article written for the Faith Matters column of the Solihull News for publication on 26th December 2008. (I am not sure whether this edition ever came out)
Every year I have the same New Year’s resolutions! I always try to eat and drink a bit less, and to exercise and rest a bit more. In fact, I find I have to have this resolution all the year round! It is so easy to fall off the programme! It reminds me of Mark Twain, who said, “Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I've done it thousands of times.” It would be easy to become disheartened, but somehow it is the process of being honest about the consequences when I get it wrong, that builds within me the desire and aptitude to do better. Very slowly, and through all kinds of ups and downs, I do make progress!
Churches are made up of sinners who are learning to be saints. Some people say that it is hypocritical to try to become better than you really are. They suggest it is more honest to behave as the sinner you are. I don’t agree with this. It is not hypocritical for an uneducated person to go to school and slowly to become educated. Neither is it hypocritical for a sinful person to go to church, to practice living the gospel, and to slowly become a saint. In fact I worry that the person who rejoices in just being a sinner is not being completely honest about the pain that sin causes. It is humbly admitting our sinfulness and accepting the pain it causes that somehow allows God to build the saint within us.
So, how about a New Year’s resolution to become a better person? How about a resolution to grow in love for God, and to grow in love for the people around us? Of course, we know before we start that we will fail miserably! But it is by trying, failing, accepting the suffering and trying again that we allow God to work on us, and ultimately God never fails!
Every year I have the same New Year’s resolutions! I always try to eat and drink a bit less, and to exercise and rest a bit more. In fact, I find I have to have this resolution all the year round! It is so easy to fall off the programme! It reminds me of Mark Twain, who said, “Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I've done it thousands of times.” It would be easy to become disheartened, but somehow it is the process of being honest about the consequences when I get it wrong, that builds within me the desire and aptitude to do better. Very slowly, and through all kinds of ups and downs, I do make progress!
Churches are made up of sinners who are learning to be saints. Some people say that it is hypocritical to try to become better than you really are. They suggest it is more honest to behave as the sinner you are. I don’t agree with this. It is not hypocritical for an uneducated person to go to school and slowly to become educated. Neither is it hypocritical for a sinful person to go to church, to practice living the gospel, and to slowly become a saint. In fact I worry that the person who rejoices in just being a sinner is not being completely honest about the pain that sin causes. It is humbly admitting our sinfulness and accepting the pain it causes that somehow allows God to build the saint within us.
So, how about a New Year’s resolution to become a better person? How about a resolution to grow in love for God, and to grow in love for the people around us? Of course, we know before we start that we will fail miserably! But it is by trying, failing, accepting the suffering and trying again that we allow God to work on us, and ultimately God never fails!
24 August 2008
St Bartholomew
Sermon preached at Congregational Evensong at 6.30pm at St Alphege, Solihull
Sunday 24th August 2008 - Trinity 14
Readings: Deuteronomy 18: 15-19 Matthew 10: 1-22
Today, 24th August, is the day when the Western Church remembers Saint Bartholomew one of the apostles. Bartholomew is mentioned four times in the New Testament. Each time he is mentioned it is because the writer is listing the names of the twelve apostles. His name usually comes next to Philip name. And the truth is that we do not know very much more about him, although there are a number of rumours that we receive from some of the less authoritive early Church traditions and writings.
For example, there is some speculation that Bartholomew might be the same person as Nathanael. The speculation arises for two reasons. Firstly because it was Philip who introduced Nathanael to Jesus (John 1:45-51). (You will recall that Jesus saw Nathanael sitting under the fig tree and said of Nathanael, “Here is truly and Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”) Secondly because in John 21 there is a list of apostles, which includes Nathanael (who is not listed elsewhere) but which does not include Bartholomew.
There are several traditions about Bartholomew going on missionary journeys, particularly to India. There are also traditions about his missionary work in Armenia and Azerbaijan. This is the area to the immediate South East of Georgia, much in the news at present. There is a tradition in this area that he was brutally martyred. First flayed (that is skinned alive!) and then crucified upside down. Because of the flaying, St Bartholomew is the patron saint of tanners. In the vast Last Judgement scene in the Sistine Chapel St Bartholomew is shown in a most disturbing way. He is brandishing a knife in one hand and holding his own skin in the other. He has been painted with Michelangelo’s own facial features!
St Bartholomew is also associated with medicine; hence the dedication of St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London. He is also associated with miracles whereby things become suddenly and mysteriously either very heavy or very light.
It is not easy to know how much truth lies behind all these stories, but it is clear that Bartholomew has had a considerable impact in Christian culture and tradition. And yet all this comes from an apostle who the gospels never record as doing anything, except just being there. In this week’s Church Times, John Pridmore describes Bartholomew as the “hidden disciple”. Much of what he said and did seems to have had a hidden quality, yet in the long term it has turned out to have a great impact.
Here we have to pause for a moment and remind ourselves that many of the things that have most value in the Christian life, also have a hidden quality about them. Jesus tells us that the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field (Matt 13). He tells that when we fast or pray or give arms to the poor we should do it in secret (Matt 6) and win a reward in heaven. We should not do these things so that people say how good we are, and if people do praise us on earth then we have already received our reward. Jesus assures us that everything hidden will eventually be made know (Matt 10:26) and St. Paul says that the Lord “will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his reward from God (1 Cor 4:5). Paul always insists that it is our inner prayers and intentions that matter. What we outwardly achieve is less important. This means that we are not wasting time when try to love someone we will never meet, or do something good which no one will hear about.
This is very counter cultural. We live in a television age where only visible things are considered important. The more spectacular something is, the better its chance of being seen on TV. The quiet, ordinary behind the scenes things are not celebrated or valued, but are often ignored. In business or government organizations things that are not objectively quantifiable and measurable tend not to be taken seriously. And the result of forever prioritizing things that can be measured (things like GDP growth or crime rates reduction) is that things that can’t be measured (things like happiness or fulfillment or peace) get de-prioritized.
So let’s take heart from Bartholomew, the hidden apostle. Let’s remember to value things as God values them, not as they might appear on TV or in the papers. Let’s continue with acts of love or honesty that nobody will ever know about. Let’s prepare for the time when all secret things are revealed. Let’s have confidence that we have a reward in heaven, for the good things that we do that are not recognized on earth.
Sunday 24th August 2008 - Trinity 14
Readings: Deuteronomy 18: 15-19 Matthew 10: 1-22
Today, 24th August, is the day when the Western Church remembers Saint Bartholomew one of the apostles. Bartholomew is mentioned four times in the New Testament. Each time he is mentioned it is because the writer is listing the names of the twelve apostles. His name usually comes next to Philip name. And the truth is that we do not know very much more about him, although there are a number of rumours that we receive from some of the less authoritive early Church traditions and writings.
For example, there is some speculation that Bartholomew might be the same person as Nathanael. The speculation arises for two reasons. Firstly because it was Philip who introduced Nathanael to Jesus (John 1:45-51). (You will recall that Jesus saw Nathanael sitting under the fig tree and said of Nathanael, “Here is truly and Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”) Secondly because in John 21 there is a list of apostles, which includes Nathanael (who is not listed elsewhere) but which does not include Bartholomew.
There are several traditions about Bartholomew going on missionary journeys, particularly to India. There are also traditions about his missionary work in Armenia and Azerbaijan. This is the area to the immediate South East of Georgia, much in the news at present. There is a tradition in this area that he was brutally martyred. First flayed (that is skinned alive!) and then crucified upside down. Because of the flaying, St Bartholomew is the patron saint of tanners. In the vast Last Judgement scene in the Sistine Chapel St Bartholomew is shown in a most disturbing way. He is brandishing a knife in one hand and holding his own skin in the other. He has been painted with Michelangelo’s own facial features!
St Bartholomew is also associated with medicine; hence the dedication of St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London. He is also associated with miracles whereby things become suddenly and mysteriously either very heavy or very light.
It is not easy to know how much truth lies behind all these stories, but it is clear that Bartholomew has had a considerable impact in Christian culture and tradition. And yet all this comes from an apostle who the gospels never record as doing anything, except just being there. In this week’s Church Times, John Pridmore describes Bartholomew as the “hidden disciple”. Much of what he said and did seems to have had a hidden quality, yet in the long term it has turned out to have a great impact.
Here we have to pause for a moment and remind ourselves that many of the things that have most value in the Christian life, also have a hidden quality about them. Jesus tells us that the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field (Matt 13). He tells that when we fast or pray or give arms to the poor we should do it in secret (Matt 6) and win a reward in heaven. We should not do these things so that people say how good we are, and if people do praise us on earth then we have already received our reward. Jesus assures us that everything hidden will eventually be made know (Matt 10:26) and St. Paul says that the Lord “will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his reward from God (1 Cor 4:5). Paul always insists that it is our inner prayers and intentions that matter. What we outwardly achieve is less important. This means that we are not wasting time when try to love someone we will never meet, or do something good which no one will hear about.
This is very counter cultural. We live in a television age where only visible things are considered important. The more spectacular something is, the better its chance of being seen on TV. The quiet, ordinary behind the scenes things are not celebrated or valued, but are often ignored. In business or government organizations things that are not objectively quantifiable and measurable tend not to be taken seriously. And the result of forever prioritizing things that can be measured (things like GDP growth or crime rates reduction) is that things that can’t be measured (things like happiness or fulfillment or peace) get de-prioritized.
So let’s take heart from Bartholomew, the hidden apostle. Let’s remember to value things as God values them, not as they might appear on TV or in the papers. Let’s continue with acts of love or honesty that nobody will ever know about. Let’s prepare for the time when all secret things are revealed. Let’s have confidence that we have a reward in heaven, for the good things that we do that are not recognized on earth.
29 June 2008
SS Peter and Paul
29th June 2008, Feast of SS Peter and Paul
Informal sermon with images, preached at St Alphege, Solihull at the 9.15 Eucharist.
Readings: Acts 12: 1-11 2 Timothy 4: 6-8 & 17-18 Matthew 16: 13-19
So today we remember Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Here is a picture of them.
[Picture - SS Peter and Paul]
That is St Peter on the left holding the two keys. St Peter is often depicted holding keys because of the incident that we heard about in our gospel reading today. Jesus declares that Peter is the Rock on which he will build his church. Jesus says, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” It is not easy for us to know exactly what that means, but clearly great authority in heaven and earth has been given to him.
So obviously, that is St Paul on the right. He is often depicted carrying the Word of God, as a book or as a double edged sword. A sharp double edged sword is used as a symbol for the word of the Lord in the book of Hebrews (4:12) and in Revelation (chapters 1 and 2).
But why do we make such a fuss about Peter and Paul? They died almost 2000 years ago, why are they relevant to us now? Well first of all they are important because they are saints, and they show us the way to be saints. We are all called to become saints. We are all called to holiness. God has created us for an extraordinary destiny. We want us to take our place in the kingdom of heaven, and to share in his glory (2 Thes 2:14, 1 Pet 5:1). It is like we are called to be a small crystal of glass in the great chandelier of heaven, where we are illuminated completely by the glory of God.
[Picture - Chandelier]
Of course for this to happen we have to be raised up and cut into shape and cleaned and purified, but eventually will take our place alongside all the other saints around God, the source of all light and life. So the saints are important to us because they show us what our destiny is. They show us how by following Christ and his commandments we can grow in love and become holy.
[Camera on speaker]
But Paul and Peter are also important because they are the great apostles and preachers central to the setting up of the church. Peter was sent (apostle means “sent”) to preach the gospel to the Jews, to the circumcised, and Paul was sent to preach the gospel to the gentiles, the non-Jews, the uncircumcised. (c.f. Gal 2:7ff)
Let’s think about Peter for a moment.
[Picture – icon of Peter]
Peter was originally called Simon. He grew up us as a fisherman, with his brother Andrew. He got to know Jesus, who came to his house and healed his mother-in-law and performed many other miracles (Luke 4: 38ff). Then one day Jesus used Peter’s boat as a platform to preach from.
[Picture – boat]
After this they put out into deep water and caught a miraculous catch of fish. Peter became terrified of the power of Jesus, but Jesus told him not to be afraid, but to follow him and become a catcher of people rather than of fish. (Luke 5: 1-11).
Peter was the leader of the disciples, but he was also the one who made lots of mistakes. Jesus was forever correcting him, and in particular forgave Peter for his three fold denials of Christ, during Christ’s trial. After the day of Pentecost Peter becomes a great preacher and works many wonders. We heard today the story of his miraculous escape from jail. For the apostles he was the first among equals. He was indeed the rock on which the church was founded.
Now let’s think about Paul
[Picture – icon of Paul]
Paul came from an impeccable background. He was a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee and had had a full Jewish religious education. He was also a Roman citizen by birth and had received an Greek education. As a young man his name was Saul. Like many Pharisees he did not approve of the innovations that Jesus proposed within Judaism, and he actively persecuted the Church. He was present at the stoning of Stephen, and was on his way to Damascus to arrest more Christians when he had an extraordinary vision of Christ.
[Picture – conversion of St Paul]
The experience completely transformed Paul, who became a great preacher and teacher of the faith. He undertook three major missionary journeys to visit the fledgling churches in different places. He endured all kinds of sufferings including shipwreck, prison and being floged. He wrote many letters to the young churches and these quickly became important to the whole church and were included in the New Testament. He was the great theologian of the early church.
[Camera on speaker]
Another important reason why we particularly remember Peter and Paul is their importance as martyrs. There is nothing in scripture about how Peter and Paul died, but there are some traditions found in early church writings. In AD 64 there was a terrible fire in Rome, which destroyed a large part of the city. Nero, the unpopular emperor, was accused of playing his fiddle while Rome burned around him. Nero needed a scapegoat, and he blamed the Christians. A terrible persecution followed. Nero devised extraordinary new tortures to inflict on the Christians. The traditions suggest that Peter was crucified upside down on the site which is now St Peter’s basilica in Rome. Paul, who being a Roman citizen could not be crucified, was beheaded. The early church quickly started to remember Peter and Paul together.
[Pictue - Picture of Peter and Paul embracing]
They were the martyrs on whom the church in Rome was founded.
So as we remember Peter and Paul, we need to give thanks for their great witness to Christ. We need to give thanks for the secure spiritual foundations that they laid for the Church, and the church in Rome in particular. As we think about our own spiritual lives, and our own journeys of faith, let’s be inspired by their examples. Let’s each of us follow the path Christ has prepared for us; Peter and Paul show us that what ever the cost, it is worth it!
Informal sermon with images, preached at St Alphege, Solihull at the 9.15 Eucharist.
Readings: Acts 12: 1-11 2 Timothy 4: 6-8 & 17-18 Matthew 16: 13-19
So today we remember Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Here is a picture of them.
[Picture - SS Peter and Paul]
That is St Peter on the left holding the two keys. St Peter is often depicted holding keys because of the incident that we heard about in our gospel reading today. Jesus declares that Peter is the Rock on which he will build his church. Jesus says, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” It is not easy for us to know exactly what that means, but clearly great authority in heaven and earth has been given to him.
So obviously, that is St Paul on the right. He is often depicted carrying the Word of God, as a book or as a double edged sword. A sharp double edged sword is used as a symbol for the word of the Lord in the book of Hebrews (4:12) and in Revelation (chapters 1 and 2).
But why do we make such a fuss about Peter and Paul? They died almost 2000 years ago, why are they relevant to us now? Well first of all they are important because they are saints, and they show us the way to be saints. We are all called to become saints. We are all called to holiness. God has created us for an extraordinary destiny. We want us to take our place in the kingdom of heaven, and to share in his glory (2 Thes 2:14, 1 Pet 5:1). It is like we are called to be a small crystal of glass in the great chandelier of heaven, where we are illuminated completely by the glory of God.
[Picture - Chandelier]
Of course for this to happen we have to be raised up and cut into shape and cleaned and purified, but eventually will take our place alongside all the other saints around God, the source of all light and life. So the saints are important to us because they show us what our destiny is. They show us how by following Christ and his commandments we can grow in love and become holy.
[Camera on speaker]
But Paul and Peter are also important because they are the great apostles and preachers central to the setting up of the church. Peter was sent (apostle means “sent”) to preach the gospel to the Jews, to the circumcised, and Paul was sent to preach the gospel to the gentiles, the non-Jews, the uncircumcised. (c.f. Gal 2:7ff)
Let’s think about Peter for a moment.
[Picture – icon of Peter]
Peter was originally called Simon. He grew up us as a fisherman, with his brother Andrew. He got to know Jesus, who came to his house and healed his mother-in-law and performed many other miracles (Luke 4: 38ff). Then one day Jesus used Peter’s boat as a platform to preach from.
[Picture – boat]
After this they put out into deep water and caught a miraculous catch of fish. Peter became terrified of the power of Jesus, but Jesus told him not to be afraid, but to follow him and become a catcher of people rather than of fish. (Luke 5: 1-11).
Peter was the leader of the disciples, but he was also the one who made lots of mistakes. Jesus was forever correcting him, and in particular forgave Peter for his three fold denials of Christ, during Christ’s trial. After the day of Pentecost Peter becomes a great preacher and works many wonders. We heard today the story of his miraculous escape from jail. For the apostles he was the first among equals. He was indeed the rock on which the church was founded.
Now let’s think about Paul
[Picture – icon of Paul]
Paul came from an impeccable background. He was a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee and had had a full Jewish religious education. He was also a Roman citizen by birth and had received an Greek education. As a young man his name was Saul. Like many Pharisees he did not approve of the innovations that Jesus proposed within Judaism, and he actively persecuted the Church. He was present at the stoning of Stephen, and was on his way to Damascus to arrest more Christians when he had an extraordinary vision of Christ.
[Picture – conversion of St Paul]
The experience completely transformed Paul, who became a great preacher and teacher of the faith. He undertook three major missionary journeys to visit the fledgling churches in different places. He endured all kinds of sufferings including shipwreck, prison and being floged. He wrote many letters to the young churches and these quickly became important to the whole church and were included in the New Testament. He was the great theologian of the early church.
[Camera on speaker]
Another important reason why we particularly remember Peter and Paul is their importance as martyrs. There is nothing in scripture about how Peter and Paul died, but there are some traditions found in early church writings. In AD 64 there was a terrible fire in Rome, which destroyed a large part of the city. Nero, the unpopular emperor, was accused of playing his fiddle while Rome burned around him. Nero needed a scapegoat, and he blamed the Christians. A terrible persecution followed. Nero devised extraordinary new tortures to inflict on the Christians. The traditions suggest that Peter was crucified upside down on the site which is now St Peter’s basilica in Rome. Paul, who being a Roman citizen could not be crucified, was beheaded. The early church quickly started to remember Peter and Paul together.
[Pictue - Picture of Peter and Paul embracing]
They were the martyrs on whom the church in Rome was founded.
So as we remember Peter and Paul, we need to give thanks for their great witness to Christ. We need to give thanks for the secure spiritual foundations that they laid for the Church, and the church in Rome in particular. As we think about our own spiritual lives, and our own journeys of faith, let’s be inspired by their examples. Let’s each of us follow the path Christ has prepared for us; Peter and Paul show us that what ever the cost, it is worth it!
17 February 2008
Transfiguration
Preached at St Alphege Church on Sunday 17th February 2008 at 11am Eucharist
Second Sunday in Lent, Year A
Readings: Genesis 12:1-4a Romans 4:1-5,13-17 Matthew 17:1-9
Perhaps you are familiar with J K Rowling’ series of Harry Potter books? The books are primarily set in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At the school one of the first subjects that a new student is likely to encounter is called Transfiguration. Transfiguration is magic that changes something into something else. Professor McGonagall demonstrates transfiguration by changing her desk into a pig. In their first lesson the students are asked to change a matchstick into a needle.
And so it is that for a whole generation of children, and probably many adults too, the word “Transfiguration” conjures up images of witches and wizards, wands and incantations, which have absolutely nothing to do with the Transfiguration that we heard about in our gospel reading today!
As a child I remember hearing the Transfiguration story from the gospels. I remember thinking that the Transfiguration was just about the strangest story in the whole of the New Testament. Healing miracles I could understand. Bringing people back from the dead was easy to imagine, but the Transfiguration was very hard to picture. It was very hard to imagine what happened, why it happened and why it was necessary.
The story starts as Jesus leads his three most trusted disciples up a high mountain. The scriptures do not tell us which mountain this was, but traditionally it has always been assumed to be Mount Tabor, to the west of the Sea of Galilee, not far from Nazareth. While they are on the mountain, the three disciples witness a most extra ordinary event. It is as though the disciples are briefly allowed to peer into some heavenly realm and see things that are not usually seen from earth. Important things about Jesus are revealed to them.
First of all the disciples see Jesus’ face start to shine like the sun and his clothes turn to a dazzling white. This hints at the divinity of Christ, or at least of his closeness to God. Then the disciples see Moses and Elijah alongside Jesus and talking to Jesus. Moses and Elijah are the two most important prophets in Judaism, so their appearance alongside Jesus emphasises the importance of Jesus, and his relevance to the Jewish tradition. Mark’s account of the transfiguration emphasises that the disciples were overcome by fear. Luke’s account has them overcome with sleep, but in both those accounts Peter hardly knows what he is saying as he offers to build shelters for Jesus, Moses and Elijah.
Then suddenly a bright cloud envelops them and a voice says, “This is my Son, the beloved with whom I am well pleased; listen to him!” This is the voice of God, and a clear affirmation that Jesus is the Son of God.
Then suddenly it is all over. The cloud has gone, Moses and Elijah are gone. It seems that Jesus look like a normal human being once again. He helps the disciples to get up and tells them not to be afraid. He also tells them not to discuss this incident until after the resurrection.
The Transfiguration is very strange, but it clearly tells us some important things about Jesus.
But there are also some aspects of the Transfiguration story that make us think about the very start of Jesus’ public ministry; the moment when Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist in the River Jordon. The most powerful link is the voice from heaven that proclaims “This is my Son, the beloved with whom I am well pleased.” This is almost exactly what is said by the voice from heaven at the Baptism of Christ. But there are other links too. If we had read a few verses further in Matthew’s gospel this morning we would have heard Jesus explaining that John the Baptist has the role of Elijah, the prophet who comes before the Messiah. So Elijah’s presence at the transfiguration can be compared to John the Baptists presence at the Baptism. Moses was present at the Transfiguration. He was not present at the baptism, although passing to new life through the waters of baptism always reminds us of Moses leading the Israelites through the waters of the Red Sea.
There are also things about the Transfiguration that make us think about the very last moments of Jesus’ ministry on earth; the Ascension. The account of the Ascension in the Acts of the Apostles (acts 1) is also set on a mountain; Mount Olivet, near Jerusalem. Jesus is hidden by a cloud and two men in white robes appear to the disciples and talk to them.
So the Transfiguration reminds us of the Baptism of Christ at the start of his ministry and it reminds us of the Ascension at the end of his ministry. It also reminds us of the Most Holy Trinity. God the Father speaks, God the Son, Jesus, is transfigured and God the Holy Spirit is often associated with the bright cloud that envelops them all.
And it seems to me that it is very helpful for us to have this image of Jesus in Glory and to keep this image before us. As Christians we are on a journey towards heaven. We aspire to eternal life, and this life is in Jesus (1John 5:11, 2Timothy1:1). We aspire to share in the holiness of God (Hebrews 12:10), to share in the glory of Jesus (2 Thessalonians 2:15, Romans 8:17) and we don’t necessarily really know what this means or what the experience might be like. And perhaps the Transfiguration starts to give us a glimpse of what it might be like to live in heaven, to dwell permanently close to Jesus with his face shining like the sun and with his clothes dazzlingly white. The disciples seem to have found this experience completely overpowering. Probably there is part of us that wants nothing more than this, that longs for it and waits for it. A yet probably there is also a part of us that finds the idea very exposing, very exhausting, very threatening. We all have our saintly tendencies that rejoice in the presence of Christ, and will all have our sinful tendencies which want to turn from Christ and to hide in the dark. The Transfiguration reminds us that we need to develop and practice and grow in our saintly tendencies that are of Christ, and that rejoice in the presence of Christ and that want to bring us to Christ. Similarly it reminds us that our sinful tendencies have to be left behind. We have to be ready to lose them and to let them die and wither away. We know that it is the pure of heart who will see God. Our impurities might be very hard to live with in the intense light of the glory of Christ.
This is what Lent is about. It is about reminding ourselves anew that we must turn from sin and to follow Christ. This means following in the commandments of Christ and seeking always to grow in love for God and grow in love for our neighbour. Of course we can only do this by the grace of God, but we can pray for that grace and we can make sure that we make the best possible use of the grace that God gives us. Growing in love means living according to our saintly tendencies, it means be generous to others, serving others and wanting their good. It means forsaking our tendencies towards greed and selfishness; our desires to reject, dominate or manipulate others.
So let’s choose to always live in our “saint” so that our saint can grow and develop and come to maturity. Let’s be ready to let our “sinner” wither away, because we know that when we come to encounter Christ in his glory, our “saint” will rejoice to share in the life of heaven, but our “sinner” will find it quite impossible.
Second Sunday in Lent, Year A
Readings: Genesis 12:1-4a Romans 4:1-5,13-17 Matthew 17:1-9
Perhaps you are familiar with J K Rowling’ series of Harry Potter books? The books are primarily set in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At the school one of the first subjects that a new student is likely to encounter is called Transfiguration. Transfiguration is magic that changes something into something else. Professor McGonagall demonstrates transfiguration by changing her desk into a pig. In their first lesson the students are asked to change a matchstick into a needle.
And so it is that for a whole generation of children, and probably many adults too, the word “Transfiguration” conjures up images of witches and wizards, wands and incantations, which have absolutely nothing to do with the Transfiguration that we heard about in our gospel reading today!
As a child I remember hearing the Transfiguration story from the gospels. I remember thinking that the Transfiguration was just about the strangest story in the whole of the New Testament. Healing miracles I could understand. Bringing people back from the dead was easy to imagine, but the Transfiguration was very hard to picture. It was very hard to imagine what happened, why it happened and why it was necessary.
The story starts as Jesus leads his three most trusted disciples up a high mountain. The scriptures do not tell us which mountain this was, but traditionally it has always been assumed to be Mount Tabor, to the west of the Sea of Galilee, not far from Nazareth. While they are on the mountain, the three disciples witness a most extra ordinary event. It is as though the disciples are briefly allowed to peer into some heavenly realm and see things that are not usually seen from earth. Important things about Jesus are revealed to them.
First of all the disciples see Jesus’ face start to shine like the sun and his clothes turn to a dazzling white. This hints at the divinity of Christ, or at least of his closeness to God. Then the disciples see Moses and Elijah alongside Jesus and talking to Jesus. Moses and Elijah are the two most important prophets in Judaism, so their appearance alongside Jesus emphasises the importance of Jesus, and his relevance to the Jewish tradition. Mark’s account of the transfiguration emphasises that the disciples were overcome by fear. Luke’s account has them overcome with sleep, but in both those accounts Peter hardly knows what he is saying as he offers to build shelters for Jesus, Moses and Elijah.
Then suddenly a bright cloud envelops them and a voice says, “This is my Son, the beloved with whom I am well pleased; listen to him!” This is the voice of God, and a clear affirmation that Jesus is the Son of God.
Then suddenly it is all over. The cloud has gone, Moses and Elijah are gone. It seems that Jesus look like a normal human being once again. He helps the disciples to get up and tells them not to be afraid. He also tells them not to discuss this incident until after the resurrection.
The Transfiguration is very strange, but it clearly tells us some important things about Jesus.
But there are also some aspects of the Transfiguration story that make us think about the very start of Jesus’ public ministry; the moment when Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist in the River Jordon. The most powerful link is the voice from heaven that proclaims “This is my Son, the beloved with whom I am well pleased.” This is almost exactly what is said by the voice from heaven at the Baptism of Christ. But there are other links too. If we had read a few verses further in Matthew’s gospel this morning we would have heard Jesus explaining that John the Baptist has the role of Elijah, the prophet who comes before the Messiah. So Elijah’s presence at the transfiguration can be compared to John the Baptists presence at the Baptism. Moses was present at the Transfiguration. He was not present at the baptism, although passing to new life through the waters of baptism always reminds us of Moses leading the Israelites through the waters of the Red Sea.
There are also things about the Transfiguration that make us think about the very last moments of Jesus’ ministry on earth; the Ascension. The account of the Ascension in the Acts of the Apostles (acts 1) is also set on a mountain; Mount Olivet, near Jerusalem. Jesus is hidden by a cloud and two men in white robes appear to the disciples and talk to them.
So the Transfiguration reminds us of the Baptism of Christ at the start of his ministry and it reminds us of the Ascension at the end of his ministry. It also reminds us of the Most Holy Trinity. God the Father speaks, God the Son, Jesus, is transfigured and God the Holy Spirit is often associated with the bright cloud that envelops them all.
And it seems to me that it is very helpful for us to have this image of Jesus in Glory and to keep this image before us. As Christians we are on a journey towards heaven. We aspire to eternal life, and this life is in Jesus (1John 5:11, 2Timothy1:1). We aspire to share in the holiness of God (Hebrews 12:10), to share in the glory of Jesus (2 Thessalonians 2:15, Romans 8:17) and we don’t necessarily really know what this means or what the experience might be like. And perhaps the Transfiguration starts to give us a glimpse of what it might be like to live in heaven, to dwell permanently close to Jesus with his face shining like the sun and with his clothes dazzlingly white. The disciples seem to have found this experience completely overpowering. Probably there is part of us that wants nothing more than this, that longs for it and waits for it. A yet probably there is also a part of us that finds the idea very exposing, very exhausting, very threatening. We all have our saintly tendencies that rejoice in the presence of Christ, and will all have our sinful tendencies which want to turn from Christ and to hide in the dark. The Transfiguration reminds us that we need to develop and practice and grow in our saintly tendencies that are of Christ, and that rejoice in the presence of Christ and that want to bring us to Christ. Similarly it reminds us that our sinful tendencies have to be left behind. We have to be ready to lose them and to let them die and wither away. We know that it is the pure of heart who will see God. Our impurities might be very hard to live with in the intense light of the glory of Christ.
This is what Lent is about. It is about reminding ourselves anew that we must turn from sin and to follow Christ. This means following in the commandments of Christ and seeking always to grow in love for God and grow in love for our neighbour. Of course we can only do this by the grace of God, but we can pray for that grace and we can make sure that we make the best possible use of the grace that God gives us. Growing in love means living according to our saintly tendencies, it means be generous to others, serving others and wanting their good. It means forsaking our tendencies towards greed and selfishness; our desires to reject, dominate or manipulate others.
So let’s choose to always live in our “saint” so that our saint can grow and develop and come to maturity. Let’s be ready to let our “sinner” wither away, because we know that when we come to encounter Christ in his glory, our “saint” will rejoice to share in the life of heaven, but our “sinner” will find it quite impossible.
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