Thought for the parish pew slip – 3rd June 2007 – Trinity Sunday
Readings: Proverbs 8:1-4&22-31, Romans 5:1-5, John 16:12-15
Today we reflect upon the most Holy Trinity; God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Within the oneness of God there are these three persons, perfectly united as one God. The life of God therefore includes an aspect of community; a shared life of perfect love and communion.
Our Old Testament reading reminds us that Wisdom (who we think of as Christ) has been present and working with God since the beginning of creation. In our gospel reading Jesus tells us that everything that is of the Father, is also of the Son and is declared to us by the Spirit. As St Paul puts it, in our reading from Romans, “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.” God wants to share his life of love and communion with us!
Let us therefore make our church community into a community where love is shared, following the model of the Trinity. Even in sufferings and troubles, let’s keep on building a community of love. In fact St Paul teaches us to boast of such troubles because, over time, they become the source of our hope; our outrageous Christian hope of sharing in the glory of God! - Fr Gerard
03 June 2007
30 May 2007
Funeral homily - Nothing can separate us
From homily on 30th May 2007 at Robin Hood Crematorium
Romans 8:31-end
When someone close to us dies we become aware of the importance of our relationships. Death brings about separation and loss, but the love that we have for one another remains, and continues to be important to us.
Ultimately all love comes from God, who is love. We know that ???? had a strong belief in God. In the reading that we had earlier we heard St Paul affirm that nothing in creation can separate us from the love of God. He said, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
I don’t know about you, but I find this tremendously reassuring. What ever disasters come (including death) I can continue to trust in the love of God. I can continue to believe that he wants my good, and works for my good. And I can try to love other people as God loves me, and, if by God’s grace I manage that a little, then that love starts to take on the supernatural and eternal qualities of God’s love for me.
So as we go away from this place, let us feel confident that we have entrusted ??? to God’s great mercy. Let us feel confident that the true love that we have shared is something that will remain. Let us allow the love of God to penetrate and sustain all our relationships so that when we in our due turn come to die, something of enduring value will remain.
Romans 8:31-end
When someone close to us dies we become aware of the importance of our relationships. Death brings about separation and loss, but the love that we have for one another remains, and continues to be important to us.
Ultimately all love comes from God, who is love. We know that ???? had a strong belief in God. In the reading that we had earlier we heard St Paul affirm that nothing in creation can separate us from the love of God. He said, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
I don’t know about you, but I find this tremendously reassuring. What ever disasters come (including death) I can continue to trust in the love of God. I can continue to believe that he wants my good, and works for my good. And I can try to love other people as God loves me, and, if by God’s grace I manage that a little, then that love starts to take on the supernatural and eternal qualities of God’s love for me.
So as we go away from this place, let us feel confident that we have entrusted ??? to God’s great mercy. Let us feel confident that the true love that we have shared is something that will remain. Let us allow the love of God to penetrate and sustain all our relationships so that when we in our due turn come to die, something of enduring value will remain.
13 May 2007
Admission to Holy Communion - part 1 (text)
Sermon - 13/05/07 – Easter 6 – Year C
Admission of Young People to Communion – preached at St Alphege 9.15am
Readings: Acts 16:9-16 Revelation 21:10,22-27 John 14:23-29
Sermon delivered without notes so text is approximate.
As Fr Patrick was saying earlier, today is a very exciting day because we are about to admit, I think it is 23, children and young people to Holy Communion. Today they start receiving Jesus, present in the consecrated bread and wine of the Eucharist.
They have all been baptised, Prudence was baptised just last week.
They have all attended a course so help then understand the Eucharist and to make the most of the gifts they receive.
They all come from families that are committed to supporting them in their faith and in their attendance at the Eucharist.
So now a question: Why do we want admit young people to Holy Communion?
Many answers are possible.
For me, I remember the start of the first epistle of John. It says something like, “What we have seen and heard we share with you, so that you may join with us in the life that we share with the Father and with Jesus Christ…so our joy may be complete.”
Because when we receive Holy Communion, Christ shares his life with us. We receive his body and blood; his very life. And this is very good for us. It draws us into communion with him; into the life that he shares with the Father, and as we all start to share in that life, it draws us into communion with one another. If we think of life as a spiritual journey, a journey that starts here on earth and continues and we draw closer to God, and finally ends in heaven where we share in the life of God in a much fuller and more complete way, then Holy Communion is the food for the journey. It nurtures us in the shared life of heaven. It nourishes us, giving us strength for our holy journey. It keeps our souls healthy and our spirits full of the life of Christ. And we all know that we need that, living in the very secularised world that we live in.
But, a word of caution.
In past years we have received young people into communion, and they have received with us and it has been wonderful, but then after a few months they have stopped coming. We don’t see them and they start to miss our on all the benefits that the Eucharist brings.
Well this is very sad. It’s a bit like passing your driving test and then never bothering to drive. And I don’t think it is that people make a conscious decision not to come. I think rather they have busy lives, full of many good things and these grow and take over and squeeze out the most important thing, the source of all life. So how do we avoid this trap. The answer is to build a habit of coming to the Eucharist, build a discipline. Each of us, and especially the new communicants, need to work out how often we want to come; perhaps once a week, perhaps twice a month. It is important that we are realistic, but once we have made that choice, then let’s commit to it and build it into a habit. That we can prevent the many good things in life from squeezing out the one thing that is essential.
I was listening to the radio recently and I heard some good news. Apparently as a nation we are doing better in the battle against heart disease. There are several reasons for this, but one of them is diet. Apparently, as a nation we are eating better and this is helping us to be healthy.
Perhaps you are familiar with this symbol [image - "five a day" logo]. This was a campaign that the NHS launched a few years ago to get us to eat more fruit and veg; “five a day”. Well it seems that this has been very successful. We are eating more fruit and veg and we are healthier. I was discussing this with Fr Patrick [whose idea this was!] and we were saying that if a campaign like this can improve the heath of our early bodies, which we have for perhaps 70 or 80 years, how much more important it is to improve our spiritual heath, and the life of our souls, which are promised eternal life? Perhaps we need a campaign like this [image - “just receive more”]. “Just receive more – Holy Communion”.
So let’s finish with this image in our minds. Let’s work out how often we can come to communion and then let’s make a commitment, and keep to it, so that it becomes a habit. And let’s use that habit to support us in our spiritual lives and to draw ourselves into the shared life of God. In this way we can be nourished and strengthened on our holy journeys towards heaven. Amen.
Admission of Young People to Communion – preached at St Alphege 9.15am
Readings: Acts 16:9-16 Revelation 21:10,22-27 John 14:23-29
Sermon delivered without notes so text is approximate.
As Fr Patrick was saying earlier, today is a very exciting day because we are about to admit, I think it is 23, children and young people to Holy Communion. Today they start receiving Jesus, present in the consecrated bread and wine of the Eucharist.
They have all been baptised, Prudence was baptised just last week.
They have all attended a course so help then understand the Eucharist and to make the most of the gifts they receive.
They all come from families that are committed to supporting them in their faith and in their attendance at the Eucharist.
So now a question: Why do we want admit young people to Holy Communion?
Many answers are possible.
For me, I remember the start of the first epistle of John. It says something like, “What we have seen and heard we share with you, so that you may join with us in the life that we share with the Father and with Jesus Christ…so our joy may be complete.”
Because when we receive Holy Communion, Christ shares his life with us. We receive his body and blood; his very life. And this is very good for us. It draws us into communion with him; into the life that he shares with the Father, and as we all start to share in that life, it draws us into communion with one another. If we think of life as a spiritual journey, a journey that starts here on earth and continues and we draw closer to God, and finally ends in heaven where we share in the life of God in a much fuller and more complete way, then Holy Communion is the food for the journey. It nurtures us in the shared life of heaven. It nourishes us, giving us strength for our holy journey. It keeps our souls healthy and our spirits full of the life of Christ. And we all know that we need that, living in the very secularised world that we live in.
But, a word of caution.
In past years we have received young people into communion, and they have received with us and it has been wonderful, but then after a few months they have stopped coming. We don’t see them and they start to miss our on all the benefits that the Eucharist brings.
Well this is very sad. It’s a bit like passing your driving test and then never bothering to drive. And I don’t think it is that people make a conscious decision not to come. I think rather they have busy lives, full of many good things and these grow and take over and squeeze out the most important thing, the source of all life. So how do we avoid this trap. The answer is to build a habit of coming to the Eucharist, build a discipline. Each of us, and especially the new communicants, need to work out how often we want to come; perhaps once a week, perhaps twice a month. It is important that we are realistic, but once we have made that choice, then let’s commit to it and build it into a habit. That we can prevent the many good things in life from squeezing out the one thing that is essential.
I was listening to the radio recently and I heard some good news. Apparently as a nation we are doing better in the battle against heart disease. There are several reasons for this, but one of them is diet. Apparently, as a nation we are eating better and this is helping us to be healthy.
Perhaps you are familiar with this symbol [image - "five a day" logo]. This was a campaign that the NHS launched a few years ago to get us to eat more fruit and veg; “five a day”. Well it seems that this has been very successful. We are eating more fruit and veg and we are healthier. I was discussing this with Fr Patrick [whose idea this was!] and we were saying that if a campaign like this can improve the heath of our early bodies, which we have for perhaps 70 or 80 years, how much more important it is to improve our spiritual heath, and the life of our souls, which are promised eternal life? Perhaps we need a campaign like this [image - “just receive more”]. “Just receive more – Holy Communion”.
So let’s finish with this image in our minds. Let’s work out how often we can come to communion and then let’s make a commitment, and keep to it, so that it becomes a habit. And let’s use that habit to support us in our spiritual lives and to draw ourselves into the shared life of God. In this way we can be nourished and strengthened on our holy journeys towards heaven. Amen.
06 May 2007
Mutual Love
Thought for Pew Slip - Easter 5 – Year C – 6th May 2007
Readings: Acts 11:1-18 Revelation 21:1-6 John 13:31-35
Our first reading, from Acts, reminds us that the message of Christ is for all peoples. The call to follow Christ stretches out to everyone, irrespective of their birth and their circumstances.
Our second reading from Revelation tells that at the end of time God will renew the whole of his creation. There will be a new heaven and a new earth. People will dwell with God himself and there will be no more death, or crying, or pain anymore.
In our gospel reading we hear Jesus speaking at the last supper. He gives the disciples the New Commandment; “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” He explains that it is through our love for one another that people will recognise us as disciples of Christ.
So mutual love is central in our witness to Christ! Even very great acts, done without love, count for nothing (c.f. 1Cor 13:1-3). As we think about Going for Growth and the quality of our Christian witness, let’s remember that we can’t “love one another” on our own. Let’s think about the other Christians who we love and who love us, and let’s renew our commitment to loving in the way that Jesus has loved us.
Readings: Acts 11:1-18 Revelation 21:1-6 John 13:31-35
Our first reading, from Acts, reminds us that the message of Christ is for all peoples. The call to follow Christ stretches out to everyone, irrespective of their birth and their circumstances.
Our second reading from Revelation tells that at the end of time God will renew the whole of his creation. There will be a new heaven and a new earth. People will dwell with God himself and there will be no more death, or crying, or pain anymore.
In our gospel reading we hear Jesus speaking at the last supper. He gives the disciples the New Commandment; “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” He explains that it is through our love for one another that people will recognise us as disciples of Christ.
So mutual love is central in our witness to Christ! Even very great acts, done without love, count for nothing (c.f. 1Cor 13:1-3). As we think about Going for Growth and the quality of our Christian witness, let’s remember that we can’t “love one another” on our own. Let’s think about the other Christians who we love and who love us, and let’s renew our commitment to loving in the way that Jesus has loved us.
26 April 2007
Funeral homily - The way, the truth and the life
Extract from funeral homily, preached 26 04 07
Readings "She is Gone" (see below) and John 14:1-7
A few moments ago we read the poem “She is Gone” which was taken from the order of service for the Queen Mothers funeral. It contains the line “or you can be full of the love you shared”. This reminds us of St Paul’s affirmation in 1 Corinthians 13, that Faith, Hope and Love remain. When we die we lose all our lose all our earthly possessions and our body returns to dust and ashes, but in the Christian Faith we believe our soul returns to God and in some sense its faith and hope and love are retained.
In the paragraph from the gospel of John that we read at the start of this service we heard Jesus speaking to his disciples shortly before his death. He said, “In my Fathers house there are many dwelling places…I go and prepare a place for you.”. This once again affirms the Christian hope that the essential part of us survives death and goes to dwell with Jesus. Thomas struggles to understand this and asks, “Lord, how can we know that way”. And Jesus answers, “I am the way, the truth and the life”. To us with our very material understanding of the universe it is not easy to understand this comment, but it seems that it is Jesus himself, the man who conquered death, who shows us the true way, and who shares his resurrection life with us. So this is our hope for ????. May she follow Jesus, the way the truth and the life. It is also the hope for each one of us. May we too grow in Christian love so that when we die the love may remain, and go to dwell with Jesus in one of the Father’s many rooms.
Readings "She is Gone" (see below) and John 14:1-7
A few moments ago we read the poem “She is Gone” which was taken from the order of service for the Queen Mothers funeral. It contains the line “or you can be full of the love you shared”. This reminds us of St Paul’s affirmation in 1 Corinthians 13, that Faith, Hope and Love remain. When we die we lose all our lose all our earthly possessions and our body returns to dust and ashes, but in the Christian Faith we believe our soul returns to God and in some sense its faith and hope and love are retained.
In the paragraph from the gospel of John that we read at the start of this service we heard Jesus speaking to his disciples shortly before his death. He said, “In my Fathers house there are many dwelling places…I go and prepare a place for you.”. This once again affirms the Christian hope that the essential part of us survives death and goes to dwell with Jesus. Thomas struggles to understand this and asks, “Lord, how can we know that way”. And Jesus answers, “I am the way, the truth and the life”. To us with our very material understanding of the universe it is not easy to understand this comment, but it seems that it is Jesus himself, the man who conquered death, who shows us the true way, and who shares his resurrection life with us. So this is our hope for ????. May she follow Jesus, the way the truth and the life. It is also the hope for each one of us. May we too grow in Christian love so that when we die the love may remain, and go to dwell with Jesus in one of the Father’s many rooms.
22 April 2007
Homily for St George's Day Parade (Scouting)
Preached at Solihull School Chapel, 22nd April 2007
Reading John 6:5-14 (Feeding of the five thousand)
Let’s spend a moment reflecting on the story.
As much as anything the story is about sharing.
Jesus thanks God for the bread and the fish, and he then shares them out.
It appears that there is virtually no food, but miraculously it turns out that there is plenty for everyone, and twelve baskets left over.
It is never very clear where all the extra food came from. Perhaps some people had brought food in secret, perhaps some miraculously appeared, perhaps a bit of both, but the point is that when Jesus gave thanks and shared, everyone had plenty.
Sharing things, especially food is an important part of being a family. If we share things our lives grow closer together. We start to feel that we belong to one another. If something good happens to one of us, then we all benefit, if some bad happens we are all affected.
The Scout Law affirms that a Scout belongs to the worldwide family of Scouts. This is why the Scout law also tells us that we have to be friendly, considerate, trustworthy, loyal and respectful. These are the qualities that are needed if sharing is to occur. These are the qualities that are needed to be part of a family.
Usually the sharing in Scouting occurs at the section or group level. We spend time together, share experiences, share equipment, share buildings and leaders even. In the best sections and groups we start to feel like family. But today we are also sharing as all the Scouts in the County, and if we do that well, we will feel like family. Later this year there will be an international sharing at the World Scout Jamboree. That is when we really remember that we all belong to the worldwide family of scouting.
So lets remember to be god at sharing. Sharing turns into brothers and sisters. It makes us into family, gives us a sense of home, a sense of belonging, in which problems, like the shortage of food disappear.
Reading John 6:5-14 (Feeding of the five thousand)
Let’s spend a moment reflecting on the story.
As much as anything the story is about sharing.
Jesus thanks God for the bread and the fish, and he then shares them out.
It appears that there is virtually no food, but miraculously it turns out that there is plenty for everyone, and twelve baskets left over.
It is never very clear where all the extra food came from. Perhaps some people had brought food in secret, perhaps some miraculously appeared, perhaps a bit of both, but the point is that when Jesus gave thanks and shared, everyone had plenty.
Sharing things, especially food is an important part of being a family. If we share things our lives grow closer together. We start to feel that we belong to one another. If something good happens to one of us, then we all benefit, if some bad happens we are all affected.
The Scout Law affirms that a Scout belongs to the worldwide family of Scouts. This is why the Scout law also tells us that we have to be friendly, considerate, trustworthy, loyal and respectful. These are the qualities that are needed if sharing is to occur. These are the qualities that are needed to be part of a family.
Usually the sharing in Scouting occurs at the section or group level. We spend time together, share experiences, share equipment, share buildings and leaders even. In the best sections and groups we start to feel like family. But today we are also sharing as all the Scouts in the County, and if we do that well, we will feel like family. Later this year there will be an international sharing at the World Scout Jamboree. That is when we really remember that we all belong to the worldwide family of scouting.
So lets remember to be god at sharing. Sharing turns into brothers and sisters. It makes us into family, gives us a sense of home, a sense of belonging, in which problems, like the shortage of food disappear.
Prayers for St George's day Parade (Scouting)
A Prayer of Thanksgiving for St George
Heavenly Father, we thank you for your servant St George.
We thank you for his skill as a solider
We thank you for his great courage in the face of danger
We thank you that he refused to persecute others,
even when this cost him his life.
As we remember St George we pray for all the people and groups that he patrons.
We pray for this country of England.
We pray for the worldwide Scout Movement.
May his example and prayers help us to become ever better Scouts,
to live better our promise and our law,
and to take forward the work of the Scout Movement.
Amen.
A Prayer for our Section Meetings
Heavenly Father, we thank you for our section meetings,
for the fun that we have and for the things that we learn.
We thank you for the equipment, skills and experiences
that we share in our sections.
As we remember the wonderful miracle that Jesus performed
by giving thanks for and sharing the bread and the fish,
so we pray that you will help us to grow ever better at sharing.
Help us to get better at giving and at receiving
so that the shared life of Scouting might be built up among us
and our sections may become what you want them to be.
Amen.
A Prayer for the worldwide Scout Movement as it celebrates its Centenary
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the centenary of Scouting.
We thank you for our founder Baden-Powell
for his vision, his charisma and his commitment to young people.
We thank you for our leaders who share in that vision and charisma.
We thank you for their commitment to us,
and for the many ways in which they help us.
We thank you for the extraordinary success of the Scout Movement,
We thank you for the 500 million people who have made a Scout Promise.
Dear Lord, we have renewed our promise today,
Help us to live by that promise,
to do our duty to God and the Queen
to help other people and to keep the Scout Law.
We pray that, by your grace, we might live well the ideals of Scouting,
so that the Scout Movement might continue to flourish and grow
in accordance with your desires.
Hear our prayer good Lord.
Amen.
A Prayer for the 21st World Scout Jamboree
Heavenly Father, we pray for our 40,000 representatives who will meet together at Hylands Park, Chelmsford for the 21st World Scouting Jamboree.
We pray for this celebration of the worldwide family of Scouts.
We pray that the participants may have respect for themselves and for others
so that people who are very different may work harmoniously together
so that international friendships can be built
so that the dream of a “world village” can be realised
so that the world can be changed for the better.
We ask you Good Lord, to hear this and all our prayers.
Amen.
Heavenly Father, we thank you for your servant St George.
We thank you for his skill as a solider
We thank you for his great courage in the face of danger
We thank you that he refused to persecute others,
even when this cost him his life.
As we remember St George we pray for all the people and groups that he patrons.
We pray for this country of England.
We pray for the worldwide Scout Movement.
May his example and prayers help us to become ever better Scouts,
to live better our promise and our law,
and to take forward the work of the Scout Movement.
Amen.
A Prayer for our Section Meetings
Heavenly Father, we thank you for our section meetings,
for the fun that we have and for the things that we learn.
We thank you for the equipment, skills and experiences
that we share in our sections.
As we remember the wonderful miracle that Jesus performed
by giving thanks for and sharing the bread and the fish,
so we pray that you will help us to grow ever better at sharing.
Help us to get better at giving and at receiving
so that the shared life of Scouting might be built up among us
and our sections may become what you want them to be.
Amen.
A Prayer for the worldwide Scout Movement as it celebrates its Centenary
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the centenary of Scouting.
We thank you for our founder Baden-Powell
for his vision, his charisma and his commitment to young people.
We thank you for our leaders who share in that vision and charisma.
We thank you for their commitment to us,
and for the many ways in which they help us.
We thank you for the extraordinary success of the Scout Movement,
We thank you for the 500 million people who have made a Scout Promise.
Dear Lord, we have renewed our promise today,
Help us to live by that promise,
to do our duty to God and the Queen
to help other people and to keep the Scout Law.
We pray that, by your grace, we might live well the ideals of Scouting,
so that the Scout Movement might continue to flourish and grow
in accordance with your desires.
Hear our prayer good Lord.
Amen.
A Prayer for the 21st World Scout Jamboree
Heavenly Father, we pray for our 40,000 representatives who will meet together at Hylands Park, Chelmsford for the 21st World Scouting Jamboree.
We pray for this celebration of the worldwide family of Scouts.
We pray that the participants may have respect for themselves and for others
so that people who are very different may work harmoniously together
so that international friendships can be built
so that the dream of a “world village” can be realised
so that the world can be changed for the better.
We ask you Good Lord, to hear this and all our prayers.
Amen.
08 April 2007
Transformation of life
Sermon – Easter Sunday - 08 04 07 – Evensong
Preached at St Alphege, Solihull 6.30pm on Easter Sunday 8th April 2007
Readings: Jeremiah 31:1-6 Acts 10: 34-43
I don’t know if your heard John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, speaking on the Today Programme yesterday morning. He made several very good points about contemporary culture, the desire for self-fulfilment and the problem of what he calls “secular illiberalism”. However the point he made that really caught my attention was this. He said,
The church has not been very good at clearly spelling out what the message of Jesus is about … God in Jesus has come in a human form, has died, rose again and his presence, in terms of the spirit, actually transforms lives.
What caught my attention was the outstanding one sentence summary of Christianity, “God in Jesus has come in a human form, has died, rose again and his presence, in terms of the spirit, actually transforms lives.” I thought this was brilliant.
Our second reading today also includes a very brief summary of Christianity. Peter, as recorded by Luke in the Acts of the Apostles, sums up Christianity in seven sentences. At the heart of it Peter says, “and they killed him by hanging him on a tree yet on the third day God raised him to life and allowed him to be seen.” Peter does not talk about the transformation of lives, but he does talk about the forgiveness of sins.
Yet, as I reflect on what John Sentamu said, and as I examine my conscience about the Church’s failure to get its message across, the bit that stands out to me is the bit about the transformation of lives. I think, on the whole, most people know what the church teaches about the death and resurrection of Jesus. Of course there some people just don’t believe it, but I think that the much bigger problem is that an awful lot of people don’t see why the death and resurrection of Jesus is relevant. Perhaps Jesus did die and rise again, but so what? Why does that make such a big difference? Why is it worth my while spending time on that question?
Well many evangelists make the point that the death and resurrection of Jesus are relevant and important because if you do not believe in them and call upon the forgiveness that they reveal, then you will rot for all eternity in the fires of hell. Well that certainly makes Christianity relevant! I have heard evangelists say that if you can persuade someone to believe in hell, then you can persuade them to accept Christ.
Now I don’t want to knock this tradition of fearing hell. It is a profound part of our Christian heritage. St Peter himself in his seven sentence summary reminds us that God has appointed Jesus as judge of us all.
However, it does seem to me much, much more important to proclaim our Christianity because of our hope of heaven, rather than because of our fear of hell. As John Sentamu suggests, it is the transformation of lives that makes all the difference, that creates a positive reason to engage with Christianity.
So what about this transformation of life? It may well be that we feel that we have done our best to be good Christians for many years, and in some ways we feel we succeed, but in other ways really don’t feel very “transformed” at all. In fact we feel very ordinary, mundane even. I think this is a very common situation in our churches today. Certain I, personally, have spent many years feeling like this. So how do we move on from this? How do we come to experience God’s transformation in our lives? What do we need to do to make it work?
Well based on my personal experience I would like to offer a couple of top tips!
First top tip! Seek always to grow in love for God and love for neighbour. As John puts it, “My dear friends, let us love one another because love comes from God. Whoever loves is a child of God and knows God” (1 John 4:7). To love other people means to want their good, to seek to help them and support them in practical ways. We are called to love everyone, but to make that real and concrete the most important people to love are those who are right beside us, right now; our own family, our work colleagues, the people we meet on the street. And notice that this growth in love needs to be a mutual thing. “Love one another” is something we can’t do on our own. We need to seek out other Christian people who will try to love us, as we try to love them. We also need to love ourselves, forgive ourselves, be generous to ourselves and to be prepared to risk pain and difficulty in order to be true to ourselves.
My second top tip is to learn to believe in and trust ever more fully in God’s love for us. To trust that Jesus took on human flesh out of love for us. To trust that he died on the cross out of love for us. To trust that God raised him from the dead out of love for him but also out of love for all of us. And this is what we celebrate today – on Easter day. That God brings new life, new hope into even the most desperate and hopeless of all situations.
As we try to grow in love we encounter all kinds of difficulties and sorrows. We encounter people who we do not instinctively like. We encounter ambitions, or greeds or hurts or insecurities within ourselves or within others that can cause us to lash out at one another. We encounter people in situations that are sad or lonely or debilitating, and we find that we can’t solve these problems. These are our Good Friday moments. We need to learn to accept these sufferings, as Jesus accepted his sufferings on the cross. We need to learn to carry on loving through these sufferings, as Jesus carried on loving whilst on the cross. We need to continue to trust in God, even when we do not understand, just as Jesus commended his soul to God, even as he cried out “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
And if we live our Good Friday moments well, then God will act. Unexpectedly we shall have our Easter moments. Moments of new life, new hope and new possibilities. Just as Christ conquered death, never to die again so will find that our own new life in Christ has an eternal quality, a quality that will survive death. This is what we celebrate today; Easter Day. This is what it means to be baptised into the death and resurrection of Christ. This is the pattern that we re-enact and mould ourselves into through our liturgies of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter. This is how God transforms lives. So let’s seek this transformation of life. By loving others, let’s help other too to be transformed. If we do this then the Church will properly get its message across, as John Sentamu has suggested. But more than that we will also make our contribution to the renewal of society and contemporary culture that is so badly needed.
Preached at St Alphege, Solihull 6.30pm on Easter Sunday 8th April 2007
Readings: Jeremiah 31:1-6 Acts 10: 34-43
I don’t know if your heard John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, speaking on the Today Programme yesterday morning. He made several very good points about contemporary culture, the desire for self-fulfilment and the problem of what he calls “secular illiberalism”. However the point he made that really caught my attention was this. He said,
The church has not been very good at clearly spelling out what the message of Jesus is about … God in Jesus has come in a human form, has died, rose again and his presence, in terms of the spirit, actually transforms lives.
What caught my attention was the outstanding one sentence summary of Christianity, “God in Jesus has come in a human form, has died, rose again and his presence, in terms of the spirit, actually transforms lives.” I thought this was brilliant.
Our second reading today also includes a very brief summary of Christianity. Peter, as recorded by Luke in the Acts of the Apostles, sums up Christianity in seven sentences. At the heart of it Peter says, “and they killed him by hanging him on a tree yet on the third day God raised him to life and allowed him to be seen.” Peter does not talk about the transformation of lives, but he does talk about the forgiveness of sins.
Yet, as I reflect on what John Sentamu said, and as I examine my conscience about the Church’s failure to get its message across, the bit that stands out to me is the bit about the transformation of lives. I think, on the whole, most people know what the church teaches about the death and resurrection of Jesus. Of course there some people just don’t believe it, but I think that the much bigger problem is that an awful lot of people don’t see why the death and resurrection of Jesus is relevant. Perhaps Jesus did die and rise again, but so what? Why does that make such a big difference? Why is it worth my while spending time on that question?
Well many evangelists make the point that the death and resurrection of Jesus are relevant and important because if you do not believe in them and call upon the forgiveness that they reveal, then you will rot for all eternity in the fires of hell. Well that certainly makes Christianity relevant! I have heard evangelists say that if you can persuade someone to believe in hell, then you can persuade them to accept Christ.
Now I don’t want to knock this tradition of fearing hell. It is a profound part of our Christian heritage. St Peter himself in his seven sentence summary reminds us that God has appointed Jesus as judge of us all.
However, it does seem to me much, much more important to proclaim our Christianity because of our hope of heaven, rather than because of our fear of hell. As John Sentamu suggests, it is the transformation of lives that makes all the difference, that creates a positive reason to engage with Christianity.
So what about this transformation of life? It may well be that we feel that we have done our best to be good Christians for many years, and in some ways we feel we succeed, but in other ways really don’t feel very “transformed” at all. In fact we feel very ordinary, mundane even. I think this is a very common situation in our churches today. Certain I, personally, have spent many years feeling like this. So how do we move on from this? How do we come to experience God’s transformation in our lives? What do we need to do to make it work?
Well based on my personal experience I would like to offer a couple of top tips!
First top tip! Seek always to grow in love for God and love for neighbour. As John puts it, “My dear friends, let us love one another because love comes from God. Whoever loves is a child of God and knows God” (1 John 4:7). To love other people means to want their good, to seek to help them and support them in practical ways. We are called to love everyone, but to make that real and concrete the most important people to love are those who are right beside us, right now; our own family, our work colleagues, the people we meet on the street. And notice that this growth in love needs to be a mutual thing. “Love one another” is something we can’t do on our own. We need to seek out other Christian people who will try to love us, as we try to love them. We also need to love ourselves, forgive ourselves, be generous to ourselves and to be prepared to risk pain and difficulty in order to be true to ourselves.
My second top tip is to learn to believe in and trust ever more fully in God’s love for us. To trust that Jesus took on human flesh out of love for us. To trust that he died on the cross out of love for us. To trust that God raised him from the dead out of love for him but also out of love for all of us. And this is what we celebrate today – on Easter day. That God brings new life, new hope into even the most desperate and hopeless of all situations.
As we try to grow in love we encounter all kinds of difficulties and sorrows. We encounter people who we do not instinctively like. We encounter ambitions, or greeds or hurts or insecurities within ourselves or within others that can cause us to lash out at one another. We encounter people in situations that are sad or lonely or debilitating, and we find that we can’t solve these problems. These are our Good Friday moments. We need to learn to accept these sufferings, as Jesus accepted his sufferings on the cross. We need to learn to carry on loving through these sufferings, as Jesus carried on loving whilst on the cross. We need to continue to trust in God, even when we do not understand, just as Jesus commended his soul to God, even as he cried out “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
And if we live our Good Friday moments well, then God will act. Unexpectedly we shall have our Easter moments. Moments of new life, new hope and new possibilities. Just as Christ conquered death, never to die again so will find that our own new life in Christ has an eternal quality, a quality that will survive death. This is what we celebrate today; Easter Day. This is what it means to be baptised into the death and resurrection of Christ. This is the pattern that we re-enact and mould ourselves into through our liturgies of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter. This is how God transforms lives. So let’s seek this transformation of life. By loving others, let’s help other too to be transformed. If we do this then the Church will properly get its message across, as John Sentamu has suggested. But more than that we will also make our contribution to the renewal of society and contemporary culture that is so badly needed.
02 April 2007
Funeral Homily - The New Jerusalem
Extract from a funeral homily 02 04 07
Reading: Reverlation 21:1-7
It was ????’s specific request that we should all sing William Blake’s hymn “Jerusalem” at his funeral, and we shall be doing that after the prayers. It is not very clear what the hymn is all about, but it seems that Blake is pondering a medieval legend that suggests that Christ visited Glastonbury as a youth with Joseph of Arimathea. Blake does not tell us whether he believes the legend is true or not, but rather he moves straight on to his compelling desire to build the new Jerusalem here in England’s green and pleasant land. Blake sees this process of building as “mental strife”. It may be that he sees his gold and his desires as weapons with which the battle can be fought.
The reading that we listened to a few moments ago picks out that theme of the new Jerusalem. It talks of the end of time, immediately after the last judgement, when God makes a new heaven and a new earth. In the new earth God dwells continually with his people. He is their light and mourning and crying and pain and death are no more, because the old things have passed away and God has made all things new.
And this is our Christian hope. Death is not the end, but rather is the entrance to everlasting life. Our soul returns to God our creator, and at the end of time we will regain our bodies and dwell with God in the new Jerusalem. So this is our hope for ???, and our hope for each one of us. And like William Blake, let us commit ourselves to the building of the New Jerusalem. Let us prepare ourselves to dwell always with God. Let us learn to live and work in harmony with all that God desires, and let’s develop our own personal relationships with God through prayer.
Reading: Reverlation 21:1-7
It was ????’s specific request that we should all sing William Blake’s hymn “Jerusalem” at his funeral, and we shall be doing that after the prayers. It is not very clear what the hymn is all about, but it seems that Blake is pondering a medieval legend that suggests that Christ visited Glastonbury as a youth with Joseph of Arimathea. Blake does not tell us whether he believes the legend is true or not, but rather he moves straight on to his compelling desire to build the new Jerusalem here in England’s green and pleasant land. Blake sees this process of building as “mental strife”. It may be that he sees his gold and his desires as weapons with which the battle can be fought.
The reading that we listened to a few moments ago picks out that theme of the new Jerusalem. It talks of the end of time, immediately after the last judgement, when God makes a new heaven and a new earth. In the new earth God dwells continually with his people. He is their light and mourning and crying and pain and death are no more, because the old things have passed away and God has made all things new.
And this is our Christian hope. Death is not the end, but rather is the entrance to everlasting life. Our soul returns to God our creator, and at the end of time we will regain our bodies and dwell with God in the new Jerusalem. So this is our hope for ???, and our hope for each one of us. And like William Blake, let us commit ourselves to the building of the New Jerusalem. Let us prepare ourselves to dwell always with God. Let us learn to live and work in harmony with all that God desires, and let’s develop our own personal relationships with God through prayer.
26 March 2007
Slavery and Freedom
Preached at Solihull School Chapel, 25th March 2007, 6.30pm (evensong)
Fifth Sunday in Lent – Year C
Readings: Isaiah 43:16-21, John 12:1-8
As I am sure you can’t help but have noticed, today is the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade in the British Empire. This important anniversary has been marked in many different ways. For example, there is the new film Amazing Grace, which follows the years of struggle by William Wilberforce, John Newton and the many other abolitionists leading up to the passing of the Abolition Act in parliament. I have not seen the film, but it appears to convey a sense of thanksgiving for the progress that humanity has made in recognising that God created all people equal and realising that Christian morality could not sanction the cruel and debilitating domination of one race by another.
Beyond thanksgiving, the archbishops of Canterbury and York have emphasised a need for repentance. The slave trade may have been abolished 200 years ago but in many ways our society still benefits from the wealth created by that trade. Similarly the legacy of the slave trade can still be felt in Afro-Caribbean communities that often remain under-educated and under privileged to this day. The archbishops also draw attention to present day practices like the trafficking of sex workers which have exploitative and dehumanising characteristics comparable with the slave trade of old. In repentance we are called to acknowledge past wrongs. We are called to recognise the equal dignity of all peoples. We are called to commit ourselves anew to the service of others rather than the domination of others.
In his sermon at St Alphege this morning, Fr Tim Pilkington drew attention to another form of slavery that is alive and well in our society today. He was talking about our own slavery to consumer expectations; and certainly I felt he made an important point. We all see dozens of advertisements every day. These build in us the desire to have a bigger house, a better car, a smarter kitchen, a more exotic holiday and so on. Over time these desires turn into needs, real needs. We really need a flashier mobile phone or people will think we are out of touch. We really need some designer clothes to feel good about ourselves. We really need a holiday home so that we can escape from all the stress in our lives. We really need a bigger salary in order to feel valued. Over time we find we find that we focus more and more of our time and energy on our financial and material well being and we lose sight of other factors which are in fact much more important to our long term happiness. Spending time with our families, serving our communities and developing the spiritual aspect of lives would almost certainly contribute far more to our long term happiness than an extension to the conservatory, and yet we find it almost impossible to make that kind of choice. Somehow the conservatory is much more tangible and real. It is more visible, it gives more to show for our efforts. Its financial value can be quantified. It can be explained to the neighbours.
Perhaps we feel like a slave to the mortgage, or the school fees! Perhaps we feel like a slave to our employer. Perhaps we feel like a slave to the expectations of others. I don’t know if your saw the film The Devil Wears Prada. In it a young woman gets a top job with a fashion magazine. She struggles hard to live an authentic life in a very competitive environment, where everything is about outward show, and inward realities count for nothing. The job makes extreme demands on her. She always says “yes” to these demands, explaining the high cost to others by saying, “I have no choice!” Eventually she realises that she does not want the life that that particular career maps out for her. She realises that she does have a choice and she quits the job. She is older and wiser, but by this time some real damage has already been done. She has betrayed her colleague and destroyed her relationship with her long-term boyfriend.
Hopefully we have already learnt to protect the things that really matter from the endless demands of the consumer society. Hopefully we have learnt to see the limitations of what we can achieve with money. Hopefully we have not forgotten to value the things that money cannot buy. Hopefully we have learnt to build our identity through service to other people, and are not dependent on consumer branding to tell us who we are.
I have been interested to watch a TV programme called The Trap – What Happened to Our Dreams of Freedom. You can catch the third and final part on BBC2 at 9pm tonight. In it, Adam Curtis argues that human freedom and fulfilment are being destroyed by a view of human beings as self interested robots responding to market forces. I think he makes some important points. Certainly I notice that my children have far, far less freedom than I enjoyed as a child thirty odd years ago.
In my opinion we have also been tricked by some very mistaken views about what freedom is. Some people seem to think that “Freedom means I can do what I like”. This is not right. This idea of freedom gives me licence to drop litter, to tell lies, to be rude and selfish, to damage myself through drugs or frivolous sexual relationships. In the extreme it allows me to dominate and exploit other people, to enslave them even. This is not really freedom at all. It leads to a world in which we damage the lives of other people, and ultimately damage ourselves. It is much more like the slavery to sin that St Paul talks about in Romans chapter 7.
So what is freedom? Freedom is the ability to become the person God created you to be. When we think of freedom we might think of the birds of the air, or the fish of the sea. A bird is free to be a bird, but it is not free to be a fish. A fish is free to be a fish, but it cannot fly and behave like a bird. Freedom therefore involves being true to what God created us to be. God, in his great love has created us in his own image and likeness and wants our good. He has prepared for us a place in heaven where we shall live in perfect harmony with the people around us. He calls us to be filled with his divine spirit and to share in his divine life. This is true freedom; responding to God’s love for us and following God’s plans for us. This is what makes us whole. This is what fulfils all our potential. Our own dreams for ourselves are empty delusions by comparison.
So as we think about the abolition of slavery let’s commit ourselves anew to freedom. Let’s seek to be the people God wants us to be. Let’s believe in God’s plan for us, and let’s follow that plan. Above all let’s believe in God’s great love for us, and let’s share that love with the people around us. By growing in his love and growing in obedience to God we can become agents of freedom, both for ourselves and for the people around us.
I would like to finish by quoting John Sentamu, Archbishop of York. He says,
“For me, Faith is the spiritual engine of change. … We need to rediscover a new faith-based movement for social and economic justice, which has hope, rather than anger, at its core. I believe that movement is the Church and it is my hope that as we commemorate the achievements of the abolitionists over the coming months we might also re-dedicate ourselves to being that change which we want to see in the world.”
Fifth Sunday in Lent – Year C
Readings: Isaiah 43:16-21, John 12:1-8
As I am sure you can’t help but have noticed, today is the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade in the British Empire. This important anniversary has been marked in many different ways. For example, there is the new film Amazing Grace, which follows the years of struggle by William Wilberforce, John Newton and the many other abolitionists leading up to the passing of the Abolition Act in parliament. I have not seen the film, but it appears to convey a sense of thanksgiving for the progress that humanity has made in recognising that God created all people equal and realising that Christian morality could not sanction the cruel and debilitating domination of one race by another.
Beyond thanksgiving, the archbishops of Canterbury and York have emphasised a need for repentance. The slave trade may have been abolished 200 years ago but in many ways our society still benefits from the wealth created by that trade. Similarly the legacy of the slave trade can still be felt in Afro-Caribbean communities that often remain under-educated and under privileged to this day. The archbishops also draw attention to present day practices like the trafficking of sex workers which have exploitative and dehumanising characteristics comparable with the slave trade of old. In repentance we are called to acknowledge past wrongs. We are called to recognise the equal dignity of all peoples. We are called to commit ourselves anew to the service of others rather than the domination of others.
In his sermon at St Alphege this morning, Fr Tim Pilkington drew attention to another form of slavery that is alive and well in our society today. He was talking about our own slavery to consumer expectations; and certainly I felt he made an important point. We all see dozens of advertisements every day. These build in us the desire to have a bigger house, a better car, a smarter kitchen, a more exotic holiday and so on. Over time these desires turn into needs, real needs. We really need a flashier mobile phone or people will think we are out of touch. We really need some designer clothes to feel good about ourselves. We really need a holiday home so that we can escape from all the stress in our lives. We really need a bigger salary in order to feel valued. Over time we find we find that we focus more and more of our time and energy on our financial and material well being and we lose sight of other factors which are in fact much more important to our long term happiness. Spending time with our families, serving our communities and developing the spiritual aspect of lives would almost certainly contribute far more to our long term happiness than an extension to the conservatory, and yet we find it almost impossible to make that kind of choice. Somehow the conservatory is much more tangible and real. It is more visible, it gives more to show for our efforts. Its financial value can be quantified. It can be explained to the neighbours.
Perhaps we feel like a slave to the mortgage, or the school fees! Perhaps we feel like a slave to our employer. Perhaps we feel like a slave to the expectations of others. I don’t know if your saw the film The Devil Wears Prada. In it a young woman gets a top job with a fashion magazine. She struggles hard to live an authentic life in a very competitive environment, where everything is about outward show, and inward realities count for nothing. The job makes extreme demands on her. She always says “yes” to these demands, explaining the high cost to others by saying, “I have no choice!” Eventually she realises that she does not want the life that that particular career maps out for her. She realises that she does have a choice and she quits the job. She is older and wiser, but by this time some real damage has already been done. She has betrayed her colleague and destroyed her relationship with her long-term boyfriend.
Hopefully we have already learnt to protect the things that really matter from the endless demands of the consumer society. Hopefully we have learnt to see the limitations of what we can achieve with money. Hopefully we have not forgotten to value the things that money cannot buy. Hopefully we have learnt to build our identity through service to other people, and are not dependent on consumer branding to tell us who we are.
I have been interested to watch a TV programme called The Trap – What Happened to Our Dreams of Freedom. You can catch the third and final part on BBC2 at 9pm tonight. In it, Adam Curtis argues that human freedom and fulfilment are being destroyed by a view of human beings as self interested robots responding to market forces. I think he makes some important points. Certainly I notice that my children have far, far less freedom than I enjoyed as a child thirty odd years ago.
In my opinion we have also been tricked by some very mistaken views about what freedom is. Some people seem to think that “Freedom means I can do what I like”. This is not right. This idea of freedom gives me licence to drop litter, to tell lies, to be rude and selfish, to damage myself through drugs or frivolous sexual relationships. In the extreme it allows me to dominate and exploit other people, to enslave them even. This is not really freedom at all. It leads to a world in which we damage the lives of other people, and ultimately damage ourselves. It is much more like the slavery to sin that St Paul talks about in Romans chapter 7.
So what is freedom? Freedom is the ability to become the person God created you to be. When we think of freedom we might think of the birds of the air, or the fish of the sea. A bird is free to be a bird, but it is not free to be a fish. A fish is free to be a fish, but it cannot fly and behave like a bird. Freedom therefore involves being true to what God created us to be. God, in his great love has created us in his own image and likeness and wants our good. He has prepared for us a place in heaven where we shall live in perfect harmony with the people around us. He calls us to be filled with his divine spirit and to share in his divine life. This is true freedom; responding to God’s love for us and following God’s plans for us. This is what makes us whole. This is what fulfils all our potential. Our own dreams for ourselves are empty delusions by comparison.
So as we think about the abolition of slavery let’s commit ourselves anew to freedom. Let’s seek to be the people God wants us to be. Let’s believe in God’s plan for us, and let’s follow that plan. Above all let’s believe in God’s great love for us, and let’s share that love with the people around us. By growing in his love and growing in obedience to God we can become agents of freedom, both for ourselves and for the people around us.
I would like to finish by quoting John Sentamu, Archbishop of York. He says,
“For me, Faith is the spiritual engine of change. … We need to rediscover a new faith-based movement for social and economic justice, which has hope, rather than anger, at its core. I believe that movement is the Church and it is my hope that as we commemorate the achievements of the abolitionists over the coming months we might also re-dedicate ourselves to being that change which we want to see in the world.”
Old things pass away so that new things can come
Thought for pew slip – 25th March 2007
Fifth Sunday in Lent – Year C
Readings: Isaiah 43:16-21, Philippians 3:4b-14, John 12:1-8
Our readings remind us that old things need to pass away so that new things can come to life. Through Isaiah, the Lord says, “Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing.” In his letter to the Philippians St Paul tells us that he has come to regard all his old merits as loss, in order to attain the surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ. In the gospel reading Mary anoints Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume and Jesus interprets this as her preparing his body for burial.
Of course, when the old things pass away we experience this as loss, or pain or suffering, and we find it very difficult. Fortunately St Paul shows us how to turn these difficulties to our advantage. Like St Paul, we can see our sufferings as a sharing in the sufferings of Christ, and becoming like Christ in his death. If we live our sufferings in this way then we can also hope to be joined to Christ in his resurrection. We start to share in Christ’s new life, and become part of the new order with the new righteousness that comes from faith in Christ. (See also 2 Cor 1:5, 1 Peter 4:13.)
Fifth Sunday in Lent – Year C
Readings: Isaiah 43:16-21, Philippians 3:4b-14, John 12:1-8
Our readings remind us that old things need to pass away so that new things can come to life. Through Isaiah, the Lord says, “Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing.” In his letter to the Philippians St Paul tells us that he has come to regard all his old merits as loss, in order to attain the surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ. In the gospel reading Mary anoints Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume and Jesus interprets this as her preparing his body for burial.
Of course, when the old things pass away we experience this as loss, or pain or suffering, and we find it very difficult. Fortunately St Paul shows us how to turn these difficulties to our advantage. Like St Paul, we can see our sufferings as a sharing in the sufferings of Christ, and becoming like Christ in his death. If we live our sufferings in this way then we can also hope to be joined to Christ in his resurrection. We start to share in Christ’s new life, and become part of the new order with the new righteousness that comes from faith in Christ. (See also 2 Cor 1:5, 1 Peter 4:13.)
01 March 2007
Parish Magazine Editorial - March 2007
The month of March comes as winter is giving way to spring. The days lengthen and the weather improves. It is a month that draws us out of the darkness and monotony of winter towards new starts, fresh beginnings and spring cleaning! March falls in the Church’s season of Lent. Lent also calls us to move our spiritual lives forwards, leaving behind our selfish and inward looking ways, and drawing us forward to live by the fresh hope and new creation of Easter. We call this renewal repentance.
Repentance means putting God in the first place in our lives, and setting aside everything that gets in the way of God. Repentance is the only logical and sensible way to live our lives. God created us and loves us immensely. The deepest desires of our hearts were made by him and it is his purpose to bring them to fulfilment. If we trust God and follow him we can be confident that God will work on us and bring us to the fullness of life that that he intends. Unfortunately we always have a tendency to put our faith in our own agenda and our own self understanding, but this can never deliver to us the good which God intends. Worse still, our pride stops us from admitting this, even to ourselves.
Repentance is a lifelong process that we need to engage with all the time, but especially in Lent we are reminded of its importance. Repentance can sometimes feel costly because we have to let go of things which we hold dear, or own up to sufferings that we have caused others. Repentance calls us to devote ourselves to loving God and other people (e.g. Matt 22:37-40) and to spend less time thinking about ourselves. Obviously we have to love ourselves too, forgive ourselves and make sure that our own needs are met, but the purpose of doing this is to serve God better, and especially to serve him in the brothers and sisters we meet around us.
This year, in the Parish of Solihull we have wonderful Lent time resources to help us do just this. Many of us are involved in the “Life Source” home groups looking at prayer. In these groups we explore some of the different patterns of prayer that have arisen within the tradition of the church. Prayer helps us to focus more on God and to be more attentive to God. Through prayer we start to know God better and to understand more clearly the things that he wants from us in each present moment of our lives.
Another resource that we have is the Love Life Live Lent booklets. These suggest lots of simple, practical ways of loving our neighbours. By loving and serving our neighbour we are loving and serving Jesus (see Matt 25:31-46). All too often, our Christianity remains a spiritual thing which does not transform our outward lives. However by loving Jesus in the people around us, little by little, we start to build authentic relationships and to transform the world we live in. Loving the people around us requires us to laugh with those who laugh and weep with those who weep and this can require us to put aside our own joys and sorrows, as required by repentance. The booklets are especially good at challenging us to love people who are very different from us; from a different generation, culture or religion. This challenges us to make our love grow and become universal, like the love of Christ. This too requires repentance.
So this Lent may God’s grace help us to move forwards in true repentance. May we practice growing in love for God and growing in love for our neighbour, so that we can become ever more an influence for good in the world around us. - Fr Gerard
Repentance means putting God in the first place in our lives, and setting aside everything that gets in the way of God. Repentance is the only logical and sensible way to live our lives. God created us and loves us immensely. The deepest desires of our hearts were made by him and it is his purpose to bring them to fulfilment. If we trust God and follow him we can be confident that God will work on us and bring us to the fullness of life that that he intends. Unfortunately we always have a tendency to put our faith in our own agenda and our own self understanding, but this can never deliver to us the good which God intends. Worse still, our pride stops us from admitting this, even to ourselves.
Repentance is a lifelong process that we need to engage with all the time, but especially in Lent we are reminded of its importance. Repentance can sometimes feel costly because we have to let go of things which we hold dear, or own up to sufferings that we have caused others. Repentance calls us to devote ourselves to loving God and other people (e.g. Matt 22:37-40) and to spend less time thinking about ourselves. Obviously we have to love ourselves too, forgive ourselves and make sure that our own needs are met, but the purpose of doing this is to serve God better, and especially to serve him in the brothers and sisters we meet around us.
This year, in the Parish of Solihull we have wonderful Lent time resources to help us do just this. Many of us are involved in the “Life Source” home groups looking at prayer. In these groups we explore some of the different patterns of prayer that have arisen within the tradition of the church. Prayer helps us to focus more on God and to be more attentive to God. Through prayer we start to know God better and to understand more clearly the things that he wants from us in each present moment of our lives.
Another resource that we have is the Love Life Live Lent booklets. These suggest lots of simple, practical ways of loving our neighbours. By loving and serving our neighbour we are loving and serving Jesus (see Matt 25:31-46). All too often, our Christianity remains a spiritual thing which does not transform our outward lives. However by loving Jesus in the people around us, little by little, we start to build authentic relationships and to transform the world we live in. Loving the people around us requires us to laugh with those who laugh and weep with those who weep and this can require us to put aside our own joys and sorrows, as required by repentance. The booklets are especially good at challenging us to love people who are very different from us; from a different generation, culture or religion. This challenges us to make our love grow and become universal, like the love of Christ. This too requires repentance.
So this Lent may God’s grace help us to move forwards in true repentance. May we practice growing in love for God and growing in love for our neighbour, so that we can become ever more an influence for good in the world around us. - Fr Gerard
19 February 2007
Working through the law
Sermon preached at St Alphege, Solihull, 6.30pm, Sunday 18/02/07
Year C – Sunday before Lent
Readings: Deuteronomy 11:18-21&26-28 Romans 1:16-17 & 3:26-28
Over the last week the young people of the UK have been in the news. The main reason has been gun crime; tragically, three teenagers have been killed in separate gun incidents in London. The other big news story featuring young people has been a new UNICEF report, that suggests that the UK has the lowest level of child well being among all of the rich nations of the world. The report suggests that countries such as Poland and the Czech Republic, despite being significantly poorer than the UK, provide much better environments for children and young people to grow up in.
I don’t know about you, but I have been fascinated to watch the political reaction to these two news topics. Tony Blair has discounted the UNICEF report, saying that it is based on out of date data. He has said that the gun crime is not part of a general problem but is a specific difficulty affecting certain young people in parts of London. He proposes tougher laws on young people caught holding illegal firearms. He also wants to see gang membership as a factor to be taken account in sentencing. David Cameron says that he has grown tired of changes to the law, and extra money to finance new initiatives. He emphasises the importance of a change in values so that family life is given higher priority. He wants to see a broader cultural change in which relationships are properly valued.
These two contrasting political positions are very different in their approach to law. Mr Blair believes that the law, or changes to the law, can be used to directly address particular problems in our society. Mr Cameron sees law very differently. He wants the law to concentrate on building a healthier value based culture in our society, so that problems like gun crime do not arise in the first place.
A similar contrast in approach to the law is evident in the two readings that we heard earlier in this service. In the first reading Moses is reminding the Israelites just how important the Law is. In the second reading St Paul is telling us that our salvation comes from faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and not by obedience to the Law. We are therefore invited to reflect on the Jewish Law, on law in general and on law as we experience it today.
The first five books of the bible, which Christians often call the Pentateuch, are known by Jews as the Torah, which means “teaching” or “law”. They contain stories like the call of Abraham and the exodus from Egypt, which define the Israelites as God’s chosen people. The five books also contain lots of rules and regulations which God asks the Israelites to live by. These rules and regulations were known as “the law”. In the part of the book of Deuteronomy that we have just read, God’s deal with the Israelites is set out very clearly. The Israelites were to keep all the commandments of the law and if they did then God would bless them and give them possession of the promised land, the land flowing with milk and honey, but if they did not follow the ways of the Lord and keep his commandments then they would be cursed and would loose the promised land.
Much of the Old Testament is precisely the story of that deal. The Israelites alternately seem to drift away from God, who strips them of the promised land. Over a period of time they repent, return to God and eventually are returned to the promised land.
When Jesus comes, his attitude towards the law is very interesting. Jesus strongly emphasised the importance some of the underlying principles set out in the law. For example the commandments “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deut 6:5, cf 11:13) and “Love your neighbour as yourself” (Lev 19:18). Jesus strongly affirmed these principles, saying “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matt 22:40). The law also contained the Ten Commandments and held these as central. Jesus upheld the Ten Commandments and even developed them further. For example, he said, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, `Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.” (Matt 5:21 see also 5:27).
Jesus lives most of his life in simple obedience to the law. As a baby he was presented in the temple, in accordance with the law. With his disciples, he observed the religious festivals set down in the law. However there are times when Jesus appears to go deliberately against the law. He allows his disciples to pick wheat on the Sabbath, and he works healing miracles on the Sabbath (Matt 12:3-14). Jesus is extremely critical of Pharisees who use the detailed regulations of the law to avoid fulfilling the more central obligation to “honour you father and mother”. He also pronounces all food as “clean” contrary to the detailed regulations (Matt 15:1-20). And yet Jesus remains a strong supporter of the law. He tells us that he has not come to abolish the law, but rather to fulfil it. “Not a single jot or pen stroke of the law will disappear until everything has been accomplished,” he tells us (Matt 5:17-20).
Jesus seems to be telling us how to interpret the law. He is always emphasising that the central obligation is to love God and to be obedient to God’s will. The love of neighbour is another central obligation and these central obligations always take precedence over the detailed regulations. Jesus also emphasises that he himself is of greater significance than the law. “The son of man is the Lord of the Sabbath,” he tells us (Matt 12:8) He also tells us that his disciples are correct not to fast when the bridegroom is still with them, although they will fast when he is gone (Mark 2:19-20).
And it is this point about the overriding value of the person of Christ that Paul makes in the reading that we had from the book of Romans. It is faith in Jesus Christ and in the gospel that brings us righteousness and justification. Paul is at pains to point out that this is true both for Jews, who grew up under the law, and for gentiles, who did not. So where does this leave us in the debate about gun crime, and the well being of children. Well it seems to me that Mr Cameron has a very good point. We should seek to use the law to build a healthy society based on good values, rather than hoping that we can solve our problems through detailed regulations. However the key question for Mr Cameron has to be “What are the underlying values on which this healthy renewed culture is to be based?” Are they solid and enduring Christ like values; love for God, obedience to God’s will and love for neighbour? Or are they based on nothing more substantive than Mr Cameron’s own personal opinions.
Who knows if we will ever find out? In the mean time, however, let’s make sure that we base our own lives on the substantive and solid values that we find in the person of Christ.
Year C – Sunday before Lent
Readings: Deuteronomy 11:18-21&26-28 Romans 1:16-17 & 3:26-28
Over the last week the young people of the UK have been in the news. The main reason has been gun crime; tragically, three teenagers have been killed in separate gun incidents in London. The other big news story featuring young people has been a new UNICEF report, that suggests that the UK has the lowest level of child well being among all of the rich nations of the world. The report suggests that countries such as Poland and the Czech Republic, despite being significantly poorer than the UK, provide much better environments for children and young people to grow up in.
I don’t know about you, but I have been fascinated to watch the political reaction to these two news topics. Tony Blair has discounted the UNICEF report, saying that it is based on out of date data. He has said that the gun crime is not part of a general problem but is a specific difficulty affecting certain young people in parts of London. He proposes tougher laws on young people caught holding illegal firearms. He also wants to see gang membership as a factor to be taken account in sentencing. David Cameron says that he has grown tired of changes to the law, and extra money to finance new initiatives. He emphasises the importance of a change in values so that family life is given higher priority. He wants to see a broader cultural change in which relationships are properly valued.
These two contrasting political positions are very different in their approach to law. Mr Blair believes that the law, or changes to the law, can be used to directly address particular problems in our society. Mr Cameron sees law very differently. He wants the law to concentrate on building a healthier value based culture in our society, so that problems like gun crime do not arise in the first place.
A similar contrast in approach to the law is evident in the two readings that we heard earlier in this service. In the first reading Moses is reminding the Israelites just how important the Law is. In the second reading St Paul is telling us that our salvation comes from faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and not by obedience to the Law. We are therefore invited to reflect on the Jewish Law, on law in general and on law as we experience it today.
The first five books of the bible, which Christians often call the Pentateuch, are known by Jews as the Torah, which means “teaching” or “law”. They contain stories like the call of Abraham and the exodus from Egypt, which define the Israelites as God’s chosen people. The five books also contain lots of rules and regulations which God asks the Israelites to live by. These rules and regulations were known as “the law”. In the part of the book of Deuteronomy that we have just read, God’s deal with the Israelites is set out very clearly. The Israelites were to keep all the commandments of the law and if they did then God would bless them and give them possession of the promised land, the land flowing with milk and honey, but if they did not follow the ways of the Lord and keep his commandments then they would be cursed and would loose the promised land.
Much of the Old Testament is precisely the story of that deal. The Israelites alternately seem to drift away from God, who strips them of the promised land. Over a period of time they repent, return to God and eventually are returned to the promised land.
When Jesus comes, his attitude towards the law is very interesting. Jesus strongly emphasised the importance some of the underlying principles set out in the law. For example the commandments “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deut 6:5, cf 11:13) and “Love your neighbour as yourself” (Lev 19:18). Jesus strongly affirmed these principles, saying “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matt 22:40). The law also contained the Ten Commandments and held these as central. Jesus upheld the Ten Commandments and even developed them further. For example, he said, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, `Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.” (Matt 5:21 see also 5:27).
Jesus lives most of his life in simple obedience to the law. As a baby he was presented in the temple, in accordance with the law. With his disciples, he observed the religious festivals set down in the law. However there are times when Jesus appears to go deliberately against the law. He allows his disciples to pick wheat on the Sabbath, and he works healing miracles on the Sabbath (Matt 12:3-14). Jesus is extremely critical of Pharisees who use the detailed regulations of the law to avoid fulfilling the more central obligation to “honour you father and mother”. He also pronounces all food as “clean” contrary to the detailed regulations (Matt 15:1-20). And yet Jesus remains a strong supporter of the law. He tells us that he has not come to abolish the law, but rather to fulfil it. “Not a single jot or pen stroke of the law will disappear until everything has been accomplished,” he tells us (Matt 5:17-20).
Jesus seems to be telling us how to interpret the law. He is always emphasising that the central obligation is to love God and to be obedient to God’s will. The love of neighbour is another central obligation and these central obligations always take precedence over the detailed regulations. Jesus also emphasises that he himself is of greater significance than the law. “The son of man is the Lord of the Sabbath,” he tells us (Matt 12:8) He also tells us that his disciples are correct not to fast when the bridegroom is still with them, although they will fast when he is gone (Mark 2:19-20).
And it is this point about the overriding value of the person of Christ that Paul makes in the reading that we had from the book of Romans. It is faith in Jesus Christ and in the gospel that brings us righteousness and justification. Paul is at pains to point out that this is true both for Jews, who grew up under the law, and for gentiles, who did not. So where does this leave us in the debate about gun crime, and the well being of children. Well it seems to me that Mr Cameron has a very good point. We should seek to use the law to build a healthy society based on good values, rather than hoping that we can solve our problems through detailed regulations. However the key question for Mr Cameron has to be “What are the underlying values on which this healthy renewed culture is to be based?” Are they solid and enduring Christ like values; love for God, obedience to God’s will and love for neighbour? Or are they based on nothing more substantive than Mr Cameron’s own personal opinions.
Who knows if we will ever find out? In the mean time, however, let’s make sure that we base our own lives on the substantive and solid values that we find in the person of Christ.
Creation by God's will
Thought for Pew Slip - Sunday 11th February 2007 – Second Sunday before Lent
Readings Genesis 2:4b-9&15-25 Revelation 4 Luke 8:22-25
Today our reading from Revelation presents us with a vision of heaven. There the elders continually worship God saying, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
It is all too easy for us to get bogged down thinking about scientific mechanisms and lose sight of the underlying reality that all things come into being because God wills them to be. God’s will is the driving force behind all creation. When Jesus, who is God, commands the winds and the waves, they inevitably obey him.
As human beings we achieve the fullest potential of our creation when we move in harmony with what God wills. We have the capacity to sin, that is to go against the will of God, but this undermines our own being. Rather the way to fullness of life is to follow the path that God wills for us. We do this moment by moment in our daily lives. Let’s use the grace that God gives us in each present moment of our lives to be and do precisely what God wants from us in that moment. This way we make our lives a series of many small steps on the pathway to heaven.
Readings Genesis 2:4b-9&15-25 Revelation 4 Luke 8:22-25
Today our reading from Revelation presents us with a vision of heaven. There the elders continually worship God saying, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
It is all too easy for us to get bogged down thinking about scientific mechanisms and lose sight of the underlying reality that all things come into being because God wills them to be. God’s will is the driving force behind all creation. When Jesus, who is God, commands the winds and the waves, they inevitably obey him.
As human beings we achieve the fullest potential of our creation when we move in harmony with what God wills. We have the capacity to sin, that is to go against the will of God, but this undermines our own being. Rather the way to fullness of life is to follow the path that God wills for us. We do this moment by moment in our daily lives. Let’s use the grace that God gives us in each present moment of our lives to be and do precisely what God wants from us in that moment. This way we make our lives a series of many small steps on the pathway to heaven.
06 February 2007
Prayer for family life
Evensong prayer
Almighty God, your son Jesus Christ grew up in a human family learning to walk and talk, to read and to think, learning a trade and learning what it is to live a human life. Help us to be good members of our families. Help us to love and serve like the Holy Family of Nazareth, so like them we may help many people on their journey to you. We make out prayer through the same Lord Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Almighty God, your son Jesus Christ grew up in a human family learning to walk and talk, to read and to think, learning a trade and learning what it is to live a human life. Help us to be good members of our families. Help us to love and serve like the Holy Family of Nazareth, so like them we may help many people on their journey to you. We make out prayer through the same Lord Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Prayer for help to keep loving when sufferings come
Prayer for evensong
Heavenly Father, your son’s apostle Paul preached to us the wisdom of Christ crucified. Help us to see and to love the face of Christ crucified in all the sufferings that we meet in our lives, day to day, so that we may know the crucified Christ as the power of God and as the wisdom of God (1Cor 1:24), and may dare to hope in the great inheritance that he has won for us. We make our prayer in the name of the same Lord Jesus Christ and in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Heavenly Father, your son’s apostle Paul preached to us the wisdom of Christ crucified. Help us to see and to love the face of Christ crucified in all the sufferings that we meet in our lives, day to day, so that we may know the crucified Christ as the power of God and as the wisdom of God (1Cor 1:24), and may dare to hope in the great inheritance that he has won for us. We make our prayer in the name of the same Lord Jesus Christ and in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen
04 February 2007
The Wisdom of God
Evensong Sermon 04/02/07
Preached at St Alphege, Solihull, 6.30pm, Sunday 04/02/07
Year C – Third Sunday before Lent
Readings: Isaiah 58:1-9a 1Cor 2:1-12
Many years ago I attended a Christian conference for young people. We listened to a big speech and then divided into small groups to do some work arising from the speech. I was responsible for leading one of these small groups. In our group there was a particular girl who said that she disagreed with one of the points made in the big speech. She explained what she thought. I thought that he was overlooking something, so I explained this back to her. I can’t remember what I said, but I do remember that I thought it dealt very well with her objection, and I really hoped that she would come to understand the important point that was being made. In stead, of course, I got a flee in my ear, and I suppose really, I might have expected this.
It was a difficult moment. There was no time to continue the conversation because we needed to get on with our tasks. I remember making a little prayer, offering to God the suffering of this gap in understanding and praying for the grace to carry on loving through that suffering. I explained to the girl that we needed to get on with the tasks and we did this as best we could.
A couple of days later the conference came to an end. People were invited to go on stage and share their impressions. To my horror the first person up on stage was this same girl, and she started talking about the incident she had had with me. It turned out that it had been an important moment for her, not at all because of what I said, but rather because she could see that I had faith and she realised that she could have faith too.
I was deeply struck by this. It turned out that I had helped the girl, but in a completely different way from the way which I had intended. The point that she had come to understand concerned faith, and had nothing to do with the words I had used, even though I had thought my words had been quite good. Probably had far more to do with the little prayer and with the intention of continuing to love, despite the suffering of misunderstanding.
In the second reading that we hear today Paul seems to be making a similar point. He says, “I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” In the first three chapters of I Corinthians, Paul’s whole theme is to point out the difference between human wisdom and God’s wisdom. The wisdom of God is the crucified Christ (1 Cor 1:23-24) and is taught to us, not by human wisdom, but by the Spirit (1Cor 2:13). It is not through great arguments that people come to understand the Christian message. Rather it is when Christ is loved in them, and especially when Christ crucified is loved in them.
If only I had known this when I was a student! We used to stay up all night arguing about the existence of God. I used to put all my energy into finding the best arguments. Instead I would have done much better to concentrate on loving the others as Christ loves them, and especially loving them in the suffering of their atheism. This would have communicated much, much more.
And this is very reassuring and liberating. Many of us find it very difficult to articulate our Christian faith. Sometimes it can be very difficult to say anything at all about our Christian life. It seems that even Paul had this problem. In 2Corithians 10:10 we hear that people say “Paul’s letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing”. When we struggle in this way let us remember that it is much more important to love Christ present in the other person, and especially to love Christ crucified, than it is to find the rights words to express our faith. Obviously there is a time for words, but it is love that prepares the ground.
I have referred a few times to loving Christ crucified in the other people. I want to explain what I mean by that. I mean be ready to accept, out of love, the sufferings that arise when we love other people. Perhaps we try to love someone and they snap back at us. Perhaps we try to love someone, but we find them a bit boring, and it really costs us to spend time with them. Perhaps to love someone we have to listen to then properly, and have to hold off talking about ourselves or our agenda. Perhaps loving someone requires us to stand with them and share their grief, when it would be much easier to make an excuse and walk away. The supreme example of this costly love is Jesus, who accepts the hostility and rejection of others, to the point of dying on a cross. Another key example is Mary, who continues to stand by Jesus on the cross, even though she can do nothing to help.
Costly love is also a theme of our first reading from Isaiah. Isaiah is talking about people who seek to draw near to God through fasting. God tells them that the fast required by God is to stop oppressing other people. It is to share your bread with the hungry. It is to share your home with the homeless, to cloth the naked and to spend time with the family. If you do this, then you will experience God’s light and God’s healing and God’s righteousness and his Glory; you will call and he will answer. So says Isaiah (Is 58:6-9a).
These are costly acts of love. Am I ready to share my house with the homeless? I’m not sure that I am. Fortunately God often does not ask this from us. Although it happens, it is relatively rare in Solihull to meet someone who is homeless, or naked or hungry. However it is very common to meet people with prickly personalities, lonely people who need to talk, people who annoy us for one reason or another, and these are the people with whom we can practice loving.
And this leads to real progress on our spiritual journeys. Learning to love even difficult people builds in us the mindsets and values of heaven. We start to build ourselves up in the secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glorification (1 Cor 2:7). This is the Christian paradox. It is precisely in the cross of Christ, that is so frightening, and unappealing that our true hope lies. So let is cling fast to this hope, which is sure. In our daily lives let us grow in love, by continuing to love through sufferings. In this way we are assured that “No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor heart conceived, what god has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Cor 2:9).
Preached at St Alphege, Solihull, 6.30pm, Sunday 04/02/07
Year C – Third Sunday before Lent
Readings: Isaiah 58:1-9a 1Cor 2:1-12
Many years ago I attended a Christian conference for young people. We listened to a big speech and then divided into small groups to do some work arising from the speech. I was responsible for leading one of these small groups. In our group there was a particular girl who said that she disagreed with one of the points made in the big speech. She explained what she thought. I thought that he was overlooking something, so I explained this back to her. I can’t remember what I said, but I do remember that I thought it dealt very well with her objection, and I really hoped that she would come to understand the important point that was being made. In stead, of course, I got a flee in my ear, and I suppose really, I might have expected this.
It was a difficult moment. There was no time to continue the conversation because we needed to get on with our tasks. I remember making a little prayer, offering to God the suffering of this gap in understanding and praying for the grace to carry on loving through that suffering. I explained to the girl that we needed to get on with the tasks and we did this as best we could.
A couple of days later the conference came to an end. People were invited to go on stage and share their impressions. To my horror the first person up on stage was this same girl, and she started talking about the incident she had had with me. It turned out that it had been an important moment for her, not at all because of what I said, but rather because she could see that I had faith and she realised that she could have faith too.
I was deeply struck by this. It turned out that I had helped the girl, but in a completely different way from the way which I had intended. The point that she had come to understand concerned faith, and had nothing to do with the words I had used, even though I had thought my words had been quite good. Probably had far more to do with the little prayer and with the intention of continuing to love, despite the suffering of misunderstanding.
In the second reading that we hear today Paul seems to be making a similar point. He says, “I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” In the first three chapters of I Corinthians, Paul’s whole theme is to point out the difference between human wisdom and God’s wisdom. The wisdom of God is the crucified Christ (1 Cor 1:23-24) and is taught to us, not by human wisdom, but by the Spirit (1Cor 2:13). It is not through great arguments that people come to understand the Christian message. Rather it is when Christ is loved in them, and especially when Christ crucified is loved in them.
If only I had known this when I was a student! We used to stay up all night arguing about the existence of God. I used to put all my energy into finding the best arguments. Instead I would have done much better to concentrate on loving the others as Christ loves them, and especially loving them in the suffering of their atheism. This would have communicated much, much more.
And this is very reassuring and liberating. Many of us find it very difficult to articulate our Christian faith. Sometimes it can be very difficult to say anything at all about our Christian life. It seems that even Paul had this problem. In 2Corithians 10:10 we hear that people say “Paul’s letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing”. When we struggle in this way let us remember that it is much more important to love Christ present in the other person, and especially to love Christ crucified, than it is to find the rights words to express our faith. Obviously there is a time for words, but it is love that prepares the ground.
I have referred a few times to loving Christ crucified in the other people. I want to explain what I mean by that. I mean be ready to accept, out of love, the sufferings that arise when we love other people. Perhaps we try to love someone and they snap back at us. Perhaps we try to love someone, but we find them a bit boring, and it really costs us to spend time with them. Perhaps to love someone we have to listen to then properly, and have to hold off talking about ourselves or our agenda. Perhaps loving someone requires us to stand with them and share their grief, when it would be much easier to make an excuse and walk away. The supreme example of this costly love is Jesus, who accepts the hostility and rejection of others, to the point of dying on a cross. Another key example is Mary, who continues to stand by Jesus on the cross, even though she can do nothing to help.
Costly love is also a theme of our first reading from Isaiah. Isaiah is talking about people who seek to draw near to God through fasting. God tells them that the fast required by God is to stop oppressing other people. It is to share your bread with the hungry. It is to share your home with the homeless, to cloth the naked and to spend time with the family. If you do this, then you will experience God’s light and God’s healing and God’s righteousness and his Glory; you will call and he will answer. So says Isaiah (Is 58:6-9a).
These are costly acts of love. Am I ready to share my house with the homeless? I’m not sure that I am. Fortunately God often does not ask this from us. Although it happens, it is relatively rare in Solihull to meet someone who is homeless, or naked or hungry. However it is very common to meet people with prickly personalities, lonely people who need to talk, people who annoy us for one reason or another, and these are the people with whom we can practice loving.
And this leads to real progress on our spiritual journeys. Learning to love even difficult people builds in us the mindsets and values of heaven. We start to build ourselves up in the secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glorification (1 Cor 2:7). This is the Christian paradox. It is precisely in the cross of Christ, that is so frightening, and unappealing that our true hope lies. So let is cling fast to this hope, which is sure. In our daily lives let us grow in love, by continuing to love through sufferings. In this way we are assured that “No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor heart conceived, what god has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Cor 2:9).
21 January 2007
Christianity and Contemporary Society
Sermon - Christianity and Contemporary Society – Preached at St Alphege on 21/01/07 (Epiphany 3)
Readings: Nehemiah 8:1-3,5-6,8-10, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a, Luke 4:14-21
Today I have been asked to preach on the theme of “Christianity and Contemporary Society.” After the service there will be an opportunity to discuss this topic further in room 1 of the OBH. I have never been involved in a post sermon discussion before, but I do think it is a wonderful opportunity. The G4G feedback suggests that in this church we need more opportunities to talk about our faith among ourselves, so I hope that we can make good use of the opportunity we get today. I hope that you will be interested in the topic, and maybe even in the sermon!
So Christianity and Contemporary Society; where to start? Well I think it is important to start by recognising and celebrating some of the great achievements of contemporary Western society. It is all too easy to take these for granted and to forget that many good and wonderful things have been achieved.
For example in the field of healthcare we have come a very long way in the last two hundred years. The same is true of education, democracy, civil rights, equality of women, wealth, housing, safety and security, transport, communications and technology.
In almost any of these fields of activity our present day society in the Western world is incomparably better than almost any other society that has ever existed on this planet. Because we live immersed in these benefits all of the time, it is very easy for us to forget how good it really is. The two years that our family spent living in India certainly helped me to understand that we take many good things for granted, living in the West.
And as well as reminding ourselves just how lucky we are in Western society, I think is important that we recognise that these great achievements of our society are in many ways attributable to Christian culture. And here in lies the rub. Our culture is certainly far less Christian than it used to be. The 2001 census tells us that 70% of the population of the UK still thinks of itself as Christian, but the evidence of this in terms of public life, daily living and Sunday worship is far weaker than it was 50 or 100 years ago.
For example, let’s consider a big feature of Western society today; the problem of consumerism. We all see dozens of advertisements every day. We have endless advertising telling us that we need a new car, a holiday, a better house, or a particular gadget. And these advertisements affect society very profoundly and create needs that become very real. When I was young I lived quite happily with no computers; now I absolutely must have a PC and a laptop!
Whether we like it or not we are consumers. We do want to try out the products that are on the market. We feel we want to experience what the world has to offer. We also find that other people want this too, and we can very quickly start to feel left behind if we are the only people who don’t take a foreign holiday or send our children to dancing lessons. Consequently we work ourselves very hard to sample all the different products and experiences on offer. We start to find that we are very busy, and other things get squeezed out. All to easily it is our relationships that get squeezed out.
How much time and energy do we invest in our relationship with God, or in our family relationships, our church relationships, or our community? I realise that I might be talking to the converted here but we need to be aware of the paradox. Investing in our relationships certainly requires time and effort, but by and large it does not demand money. Nobody sells us our personal relationships. This means that there are no TV ads promoting family life. There are no billboards that tell us to be good neighbours. And yet our personal relationships have far, far more to do with our happiness than the shampoo we use or the electricity supplier we select.
One of the sad, sad things about Western society today is that despite the many huge advantages that we have, there seems to be a general perception that we are much less happy that we were 50 years ago.
In fact, if we watch the television news, or read the papers it becomes easy to fall into fear and despair. What can be done about global warming? How will the problem of Iraq ever be resolved? What should happen about immigration? Will I be mugged by a youth wearing a hoodie? Does God really have anything to do with all this?
It is very important to realise that the modern news media systematically searches out and presents to us the most dramatic, outlandish and disturbing material it can find, because this, it would seem, this boosts newspaper sales and TV ratings. Many important religious events go completely unnoticed by the media, but a religious controversy can be big news. Although we live in dark times, the word is not as dark and confused as we might think from watching the television.
Pope John Paul II famously compared the dark troubles of contemporary Western society with the dark night of the soul sometimes experienced by great saints as they journey towards God. Such saints, and the archetypical example is St John of the Cross, sometimes experience long periods where God seems to be completely absent from their lives. During these periods, which are spiritually very painful and difficult, the saint is forced to trust God in his absence, and to continue growing in love, particularly by developing a love for the cross. And then, sometimes quite suddenly, the dark night ends and God reveals himself back to the saint, who in the mean time has become more perfect in love and more perfectly united to Christ.
I believe that the comparisons with Western society are profound. God seems increasingly absent from our society, but we are called to respond in the same way as the saint. When the time suits him, God will reveal himself again, but in the mean time we must learn to trust and must grow in love. In particular we must grow in love for the cross, accepting with love the sufferings that God sends us. Jesus on the cross is the picture of despair. He is rejected by the people, betrayed and denied by his friends and even feels forsaken by God. Yet he continues to love by forgiving his tormentors. He continues to trust God, commending his spirit to God as he dies. At this point it looks as though everything has been in vain, but the suffering and love cause God to act. The resurrection is revealed, death is conquered and hope is born.
So as we strive to live out our Christianity in this Godless age, let us follow the example of Christ. Let us continue to love, seeking to renew and deepen our personal relationships. Let’s love everyone, even our tormentors. Let us trust God, knowing that he has the power to transform all our failures, weaknesses and doubts. Let’s go forward in confidence, knowing that whatever deaths our contemporary society might be heading for, they will be followed by resurrections which reveal God’s power and renew all things.
Readings: Nehemiah 8:1-3,5-6,8-10, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a, Luke 4:14-21
Today I have been asked to preach on the theme of “Christianity and Contemporary Society.” After the service there will be an opportunity to discuss this topic further in room 1 of the OBH. I have never been involved in a post sermon discussion before, but I do think it is a wonderful opportunity. The G4G feedback suggests that in this church we need more opportunities to talk about our faith among ourselves, so I hope that we can make good use of the opportunity we get today. I hope that you will be interested in the topic, and maybe even in the sermon!
So Christianity and Contemporary Society; where to start? Well I think it is important to start by recognising and celebrating some of the great achievements of contemporary Western society. It is all too easy to take these for granted and to forget that many good and wonderful things have been achieved.
For example in the field of healthcare we have come a very long way in the last two hundred years. The same is true of education, democracy, civil rights, equality of women, wealth, housing, safety and security, transport, communications and technology.
In almost any of these fields of activity our present day society in the Western world is incomparably better than almost any other society that has ever existed on this planet. Because we live immersed in these benefits all of the time, it is very easy for us to forget how good it really is. The two years that our family spent living in India certainly helped me to understand that we take many good things for granted, living in the West.
And as well as reminding ourselves just how lucky we are in Western society, I think is important that we recognise that these great achievements of our society are in many ways attributable to Christian culture. And here in lies the rub. Our culture is certainly far less Christian than it used to be. The 2001 census tells us that 70% of the population of the UK still thinks of itself as Christian, but the evidence of this in terms of public life, daily living and Sunday worship is far weaker than it was 50 or 100 years ago.
For example, let’s consider a big feature of Western society today; the problem of consumerism. We all see dozens of advertisements every day. We have endless advertising telling us that we need a new car, a holiday, a better house, or a particular gadget. And these advertisements affect society very profoundly and create needs that become very real. When I was young I lived quite happily with no computers; now I absolutely must have a PC and a laptop!
Whether we like it or not we are consumers. We do want to try out the products that are on the market. We feel we want to experience what the world has to offer. We also find that other people want this too, and we can very quickly start to feel left behind if we are the only people who don’t take a foreign holiday or send our children to dancing lessons. Consequently we work ourselves very hard to sample all the different products and experiences on offer. We start to find that we are very busy, and other things get squeezed out. All to easily it is our relationships that get squeezed out.
How much time and energy do we invest in our relationship with God, or in our family relationships, our church relationships, or our community? I realise that I might be talking to the converted here but we need to be aware of the paradox. Investing in our relationships certainly requires time and effort, but by and large it does not demand money. Nobody sells us our personal relationships. This means that there are no TV ads promoting family life. There are no billboards that tell us to be good neighbours. And yet our personal relationships have far, far more to do with our happiness than the shampoo we use or the electricity supplier we select.
One of the sad, sad things about Western society today is that despite the many huge advantages that we have, there seems to be a general perception that we are much less happy that we were 50 years ago.
In fact, if we watch the television news, or read the papers it becomes easy to fall into fear and despair. What can be done about global warming? How will the problem of Iraq ever be resolved? What should happen about immigration? Will I be mugged by a youth wearing a hoodie? Does God really have anything to do with all this?
It is very important to realise that the modern news media systematically searches out and presents to us the most dramatic, outlandish and disturbing material it can find, because this, it would seem, this boosts newspaper sales and TV ratings. Many important religious events go completely unnoticed by the media, but a religious controversy can be big news. Although we live in dark times, the word is not as dark and confused as we might think from watching the television.
Pope John Paul II famously compared the dark troubles of contemporary Western society with the dark night of the soul sometimes experienced by great saints as they journey towards God. Such saints, and the archetypical example is St John of the Cross, sometimes experience long periods where God seems to be completely absent from their lives. During these periods, which are spiritually very painful and difficult, the saint is forced to trust God in his absence, and to continue growing in love, particularly by developing a love for the cross. And then, sometimes quite suddenly, the dark night ends and God reveals himself back to the saint, who in the mean time has become more perfect in love and more perfectly united to Christ.
I believe that the comparisons with Western society are profound. God seems increasingly absent from our society, but we are called to respond in the same way as the saint. When the time suits him, God will reveal himself again, but in the mean time we must learn to trust and must grow in love. In particular we must grow in love for the cross, accepting with love the sufferings that God sends us. Jesus on the cross is the picture of despair. He is rejected by the people, betrayed and denied by his friends and even feels forsaken by God. Yet he continues to love by forgiving his tormentors. He continues to trust God, commending his spirit to God as he dies. At this point it looks as though everything has been in vain, but the suffering and love cause God to act. The resurrection is revealed, death is conquered and hope is born.
So as we strive to live out our Christianity in this Godless age, let us follow the example of Christ. Let us continue to love, seeking to renew and deepen our personal relationships. Let’s love everyone, even our tormentors. Let us trust God, knowing that he has the power to transform all our failures, weaknesses and doubts. Let’s go forward in confidence, knowing that whatever deaths our contemporary society might be heading for, they will be followed by resurrections which reveal God’s power and renew all things.
07 January 2007
Epiphany - Showing Christ to the World
Thought for Pew Slip - 7th January 2007 – Epiphany (trsfd from 6th Jan)
Readings: Isaiah 60:1-6, Ephesians 3:1-12, Matthew 2:1-12
Today we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany, when Christ is shown to the world. We think especially of the moment when Jesus is shown to the wise men from the East.
I love to imagine that scene in Bethlehem. I imagine the wise men entering the stable and finding themselves in the midst of the holy family, united in mutual love. I imagine that the presence of the baby Jesus filled them with joy and made their hearts burn within them. They understood that they were in the presence of a great king. They knelt, paid homage and gave gifts suitable for a king.
When we gather together in the name of Jesus, then he is present in the midst of us (Matt 18:20). This is especially true when we gather in worship, putting Jesus in the first place and being united in his love, like the holy family. Let us worship like this, obedient to Christ’s command of mutual love (John 13:34, 15:12), so that visitors to our worship will enter into the presence of Christ, just as the wise men did. If we do this then people will recognise and honour the King. We will be making our own little epiphany; showing Christ to the world.
Readings: Isaiah 60:1-6, Ephesians 3:1-12, Matthew 2:1-12
Today we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany, when Christ is shown to the world. We think especially of the moment when Jesus is shown to the wise men from the East.
I love to imagine that scene in Bethlehem. I imagine the wise men entering the stable and finding themselves in the midst of the holy family, united in mutual love. I imagine that the presence of the baby Jesus filled them with joy and made their hearts burn within them. They understood that they were in the presence of a great king. They knelt, paid homage and gave gifts suitable for a king.
When we gather together in the name of Jesus, then he is present in the midst of us (Matt 18:20). This is especially true when we gather in worship, putting Jesus in the first place and being united in his love, like the holy family. Let us worship like this, obedient to Christ’s command of mutual love (John 13:34, 15:12), so that visitors to our worship will enter into the presence of Christ, just as the wise men did. If we do this then people will recognise and honour the King. We will be making our own little epiphany; showing Christ to the world.
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