Sermon Delivered on Sunday 30th July 2017

Sermon for Sunday 30^th July 2017

1 Kings 3:5-12. Romans 8:26-39’Matthew 13:31-33,44-52

May I speak in the name of the Eternal Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen

Are you confused when you’ve heard a bible reading without knowing the context in which it was written, or it not being clear to you? I know that I have been perplexed, which prompts me to study if further.

I wonder if I were to ask each of you, after this talk, did you understand what I was saying? How many would give a hesitant Yes or No?

The writer of Matthew’s Gospel intention was to point us towards Jesus as the Messiah God’s Messenger and towards God’s Kingdom¹.

In todays’s reading from Matthew Chapter 13, Jesus is teaching in parables², a method common in his’ time. Jesus’ teaching helps us to understand about him, and God’s Kingdom.

Some of those listening to Jesus, misunderstood his meaning, or chose to ignore it as they disagreed with him, unable to believe he was the promised Messiah.

At the end of last Sundays Gospel reading. , Jesus said,

“Let those with ears, hear^{3 4}”

A term, often used by Jesus as he demanded their attention! In Mark’s Gospel, in the Parable of the Sower and Seed, Jesus actually compares those who “let the word of God pass through their ears and those who truly listen and seek understanding⁵.”

He wanted people to receive his message to ‘seek first the Kingdom of God⁶”

Jesus is saying that

“the Kingdom is here, we are building it as we live out our faith⁷⁸⁹”.

Two of the parables concern someone making a great discovery, in one case a treasure of enormous value and in the other a pearl beyond price.

Jesus’ speaks of a man who finds hidden treasure in a field and sells everything to buy the field¹⁰. Then there’s a jeweller who comes across a costly and rare pearl and sells his entire stock in order to buy it¹¹.

In both these stories, there’s an element of giving up everything to possess the treasure or pearl - ownership changes everything.

Their example of joyfully and decisively selling all that they have to obtain that treasure or pearl they so are desperate to possess.

Jesus, tells us that’s how we should to react when “we discover the Kingdom of God”.

That most precious of possessions -

The Kingdom of God is beyond price -

it outweighs any other value.

Seeking the Kingdom of God means sacrifice,

giving up everything for entry to it.

 Think for a moment, of your longing or searching for something outside or greater than themselves. Not content until they find it..................

Out of the blue a sudden revelation happens!

The light shines - they Discover Jesus - The Word of God.

Divine truth becomes an live giving, reality.  

To their own surprise they able to make that remarkable statement “I believe.”

To find the pearl of great price is a Gift of God.

It is a case for astonishment and awe.

Did you feel full or joy, and wanting to change everything,

when you first knew or experienced Jesus? Like those two seekers?

I certainly did.

 But belief comes at a price!

The price for the treasures of God’s Kingdom is everything we have.

 Ourselves, entirely devoted to God, through Jesus Christ as his disciples.

The cost of discipleship is our whole life; we cannot be partial followers of Jesus!

Jesus challenges us to give all for God’s Kingdom. God’s Kingdom is here and now, for us to build in this world, in preparation for the next.¹².

What might hinder us in finding that great treasure?

We might be wavering in our faith?

 measuring it against our lives, or

our place in the world, or

our worries, cares and concerns,

can shape or mould our faith to fit in around them.

 

Squeezing the time for thanks giving,

prayer and worship to a bare thread, until nothing is left.

We might be inattentive to our gift of faith,

and come to regard it as an add-on!

a hobby for our spare time! Only on Sundays!!!

These or other failings, may separate us from Jesus, and the Kingdom of God. That treasure freely given and received and cherished, is no longer perfect and we risk losing that treasure - the Joy, wonder awe and excitement of our discovery of Jesus as part of our life and our very identity in him.

Paul in today’s epistle, seeks to encourage us:

“The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints(us) according to the will of God¹³”

 

Several Pope’s have given us some pointers?

In 1965, Pope Paul 6^th pointed out that “Only the Reign of God is absolute. Everything else is relative.¹⁴”

In 1990, Pope John Paul said: “The Church exists not just for herself, since she is oriented toward the Reign of God, of which she is the seed, sign and instrument¹⁵.”

Pope Francis recently said¹⁶: ” “for us, Jesus’ project is to inaugurate the Reign of God”.

It seems clear to me, that the price of this precious treasure is Eternal life itself.

Jesus sacrificed his life on the cross for our Salvation,

that precious gift demands our faith,

belief and action to fulfil God’s plan.

to build his Kingdom on him, to promote that The Reign of God is all¹⁷.

Understanding Jesus’ words!!

Jesus, asks the listeners “Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe (a sort of Clerk or Lawyer) who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old¹⁸.”

You can imagine the faces of his hearers. They’d been hanging on to Jesus’ every word, they confirmed that they’d understood. But now...... he brings in another concept - a Good Scribe? What????

In Jesus’ day, most people had only the most elementary education, the literate person, the Scribe, who made that skill available was highly esteemed. They wrote letters for people and seem to have acted for clients in local courts. Jesus usually presented a rather low view of the scribes, lumping them together with Pharisees.

In this parable, Jesus talks about good scribes, just as there were also good Pharisees like Nicodemus¹⁹ and Gamaliel²⁰. What, then, is a scribe who has been trained for the Kingdom of Heaven²¹?

He or she is someone who has decided to dedicate her or his life to being part of the Kingdom of God, here and now, ME and YOU. The good scribe is open minded, fresh and willing to surrender to God’s will, wherever it may take them.

The fishing parable too holds a sting in its tail. It talks about judgment, when Jesus compares the discarding of the ‘bad fish’ (which we sometimes choose to i snore with his description of the end of times. A final reckoning based on our choices²²:²³

“The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth²⁴.” 

One of the stumbling blocks we face is our Individualism, putting ourselves first. Individual rights trump the rights of others - me first, everyone else, including God last²⁵.

The Gospel dispels such ideas; for Kingdom people. God’s people, God’s reign is first. ..... Life needs us to make sacrifices to serve God’s Kingdom.

The sacrifices mean a holy uncompromising life, lived for Jesus, that, if practised, helps build God’s Kingdom wider than the bubble that we live in. For all of God’s people, Christian or not.

We are called to be those ‘fishers of men and women²⁶.

We are called to be workers for God’s Kingdom, who live out His teaching and pray, praise and worship God in in the unity of all of God’s people and ultimately God’s world²⁷.

If we plant little seeds of goodness and mercy and they blossom into visible signs of God’s presence. .............. If we live life knowing that we belong to Christ, we are herald’s for the return of Christ.

It we live, selflessly and serve each other²⁸, we are serving Christ, hoping that the watching world may catch a glimpse of what God intends.

 This is holiness in action, not an abstract concept, only for the Saintly. ...

This is seeking, finding and Building God’s Kingdom, here and now.

Jesus is continually saying to us “seek first the kingdom of God.” I pray that we do it as individuals, as a Church and as Partners in building the Kingdom, today, tomorrow and ever more.

 Amen

1215

1 Kings 3:5-12

At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask what I should give you.” And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?”

It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you.”

Romans 8:26-39

The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he fore knew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.

What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written,

              “For your sake we are being killed all day long;
we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 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.

Matthew 13:31-33,44-52

Jesus put before the crowds another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

“ So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

“Have you Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad., “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

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¹ R. E. Nixon. "Matthew"; in Donald Guthrie, et al., The New Bible Commentary: Revised. (London: Inter-Varsity Press, 1970), p. 813.

² his method of teaching was not peculiar to Jesus—it was common among Easterns—but His use of it was unique in felicity and in the importance of the lessons conveyed. abstract a priori definitions of the word serve little purpose; we learn best what a parable is, in the mouth of Jesus, by studying the parables He spoke. Thence we gather that to speak in parables means to use the familiar in nature or in human life (in the form of a narrative or otherwise) to embody unfamiliar truths of the spiritual world.

³ Matt 11:15

⁴ Matthew 11:15. proverbial form of speech often used by Jesus after important utterances, here for the first time in Matt. The truth demanding attentive and intelligent ears (ears worth having; taking in the words and their import) is that John is Elijah. It implies much—that the kingdom is here and the king, and that the kingdom is moral not political.

⁵ Mark 4:13-20. “A man’s reception of God’s Word is determined by the condition of his heart.” A secondary lesson would be “Salvation is more than a superficial, albeit joyful, hearing of the gospel. Someone who is truly saved will go on to prove it.” May our faith and our lives exemplify the "good soil" in the Parable of the Sower.https://www.gotquestions.org/parable-sower.html

⁶ Matt 6.33

⁷ In their book, Talking About God in Practice, Cameron et al identify the ‘espoused theology’ of a local church as the theology contained in the church’s articulation of its beliefs, and the ‘operant theology’ of that church as the theology which is embedded in its practices. The difference between these theologies can be an invisible source of tension within a church community and,therefore, enabling discussion of the theological convictions perceived to be underpinning your engagement, and their implications with all those involved, can provide important ground on which to work and grow together. Cameron, Bhatti, Duce, Sweeney, & Watkins. Talking about God in Practice. (2010) London: SCM. p53.

⁸ Craig Bartholomew and Michael Goheen’s The Drama of Scripture: Finding our place in the biblical story (2014) Grand Rapids: Baker Academic. “The journey of discipleship is to have our world view increasingly shaped by God’s ‘Big Story”

⁹  Wright, T. Surprised by Hope (2007) London: SPCK. p245

¹⁰ while, the treasure being a pure gain. The point of the parable is that the kingdom of heaven outweighs in value all else, and that the man who understands this will with pleasure part with all. It helps to show the reasonableness of the sacrifice for the kingdom Jesus demanded.

¹¹ The treasure in the field was a sure gain for the finder, but it remained to be seen what the pearl merchant would get for his one pearl. After the sale of his stock the purchase of the one pearl was a matter of course. In the former of these two parables the Kingdom of Heaven appears as the object of a glad though accidental finding of a sure possession; in the latter as the object of systematic quest and venturesome faith. The difference between seekers and finders must not be exaggerated. The pearl merchant was also a finder. No one would set out on a journey to seek one unique pearl (Koetsveld). The spiritual class he represents are seekers after God and wisdom, finders of the Kingdom of God, of a good beyond their hope. Such seekers, however, are on the sure way to find.

¹² Rev 20:11

¹³ Romans 8:26-27

¹⁴  http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_cons_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html Dec 1965.”These theologies carry two defining convictions; firstly, that God is at work in the world and in all people, and secondly, that God is most likely to be found at the margins http://www.faith2share.net/perch/resources/building-kingdom-communities-2016.pdf p13.

¹⁵ http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_07121990_redemptoris-missio.html

¹⁶ https://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_letters/documents/papa-francesco_bolla_20150411_misericordiae-vultus.html

¹⁷ ”Building Kingdom Communities 2016, p13. http://www.faith2share.net/perch/resources/building-kingdom-communities-2016.pdf

¹⁸ One remains in possession of the old, recognised as of permanent value, yet is not restricted to it, but along with it possesses a precious new element”.—μαθητεύειν is here used transitively as in Matthew 28:19, Acts 14:21.—ἐκβάλλει points to free distribution of treasures by the householder. He gives out new or old according to the nature of the article. The mere scribe, Rabbinical in spirit, produces only the old and stale. The disciple of the kingdom, like the Master, is always fresh-minded, yet knows how to value all old spiritual treasures of Holy Writ or Christian tradition.

¹⁹ John 3. 7:50-51, 19:39-42. “Nicodemus may have been similar to Joseph of Arimathea in that perhaps he, too, was a disciple of Jesus but had not yet mustered the courage to declare his faith openly. Perhaps Nicodemus’s final recorded act was his declaration of faith”. https://www.gotquestions.org/Nicodemus-in-the-Bible.html

²⁰ Acts 5:34., 5:38-39, ”t is clear that Gamaliel and his family were revered as men of wisdom and prudential judgment. In God’s sovereign plan, this Jewish rabbi preserved the lives of the apostles in the early church and helped equip the greatest Christian missionary.”https://www.gotquestions.org/Gamaliel-in-the-Bible.html

^{21 Matthew 13:48}. καθίσαντες συνέλεξαν: equally a matter of course; a thing to be done deliberately, of which the sitting attitude is an emblem. There is a time for everything; the time for sorting is at the end of the fishing.—σαπρὰ, vide on Matthew 7:17. Matthew 13:49-50 contain the interpretation in much the same terms as in Matthew 13:41-42

²² Matthew 13:43. ἐκλάμψουσι: vide Daniel 12:2, which seems to be in view; an expressive word suggestive of the sun emerging from behind a cloud. The mixture of good and evil men in this world hides the characters of both.

²³ Matthew 13:48. καθίσαντες συνέλεξαν: equally a matter of course; a thing to be done deliberately, of which the sitting attitude is an emblem. There is a time for everything; the time for sorting is at the end of the fishing.—σαπρὰ, vide on Matthew 7:17. Matthew 13:49-50 contain the interpretation in much the same terms as in Matthew 13:41-42

^{24 Matthew 13:43}. ἐκλάμψουσι: vide Daniel 12:2, which seems to be in view; an expressive word suggestive of the sun emerging from behind a cloud. The mixture of good and evil men in this world hides the characters of both.

²⁵  Personhood is not the same as individualism. A part of the image of God in us is our need for community. Our choices have an impact on others,whether personally among our friends and family, locally in our community or globally through our consumption or purchasing habits. Relating as persons, respecting choice and agency, is, therefore, set in the context of community wellbeing, with both responsibility and agency working together for the good of one another” Ann Morrisey, http://www.faith2share.net/perch/resources/building-kingdom-communities-2016.pdf p21

²⁶ Matt 4;19

²⁷  “we come back to the primary purpose of the church: to be a worshipping community shaped by Jesus’ priorities, expressing and anticipating the in-breaking kingdom of God and the future renewal of all things.”Wright, T. Surprised by Hope (2007) London: SPCK. p245

²⁸ Phillipians 2:5-8

Memorial Services

Today our Parish Church is to hold a Memorial Service for someone who died and whose funeral took place abroad.  Families members living locally, have decided that his life should be commemorated formally with a Christian Service.  So, here we go.


Some years ago, my sole surviving relative from my Paternal line, died at the age of 92, a good age.

He, like his siblings had been raised as a Catholic, but his experiences in WW2 had caused him to lose faith in Organised religion,  but not his belief in God.  His family, however, when it came to his funeral denied that he was a Christian, although everything about his personal life style, spoke loudly of him abiding by Christian ethics and beliefs - he just didn't attend any Church.

I had got to know him well in his later years, and we'd often discussed his faith, which he held, but he also thought that because of the people he had killed during the course of his army service, that God wouldn't forgive him, no matter how much he repented.   This led to many discussions about the nature of God's infinite mercy and forgiveness, and I sought to reassure him that he was forgiven, even if he still carried a burden of guilt.

In my mind, he was clearly a Christian and the secular funeral planned and held with a Civil Celebrant would not and was not appropriate.   His partner of some 35 years was sorely distressed by this, but as they were unmarried in the eyes of the law, her wishes carried no weiight.

The funeral was dismal, devoid of hope and full of plaitudest, which no doubt comforted some, but comfort without hope for the new life, renewed in Jesus Christ was missing and the service felt empty and forlorn.

I decided that a Memorial Service for his Partner and ourselves would be appropriate and might bring us some closure.   This was arranged and held in our own parish church, without the faith deniers relatives, but with his partner.   It felt the right things to do, and enabled him to be remembers as a good Christian, who'd lived his life as one, without the comfort and support of his Church.

So, today's memorial service will be for me, a reminder that not all people who are not in church, are living a secular life.  Yes, Church is part of our Christian fellowship and community, our corporate prayer and worship are central to this, but some are unable to share (like my Uncle).  Today's family will be welcomed and comforted as if the deceased were present, albeit, his Ashes will be.  Afterwards, it is planned to inter his ashes in our memorial garden, a whole different service, for another day.

Memorial services are important for those unable to attend a funeral, they assist the grieving process and provide the same hope as a Christian funeral in the renewal of life among the Saints and in company with the living, left behind.

I pray that it goes well.

Epiphany 2017

Homily for Epiphany 2017 - Sunday 8^th Jan 2017

Readings:

Is 60: 1-6

Eph 3:1-12

Mt 2:1-12

May I speak in the Name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Today we are celebrate the feast of the Epiphany, but what exactly does the word ‘epiphany’ mean? It comes from the Greek word ‘epiphainein  it literally means ‘reveal’ or ‘manifestation. It has entered the English language with the well known saying “an Epiphany moment”¹.

The Franciscan Priest and Theologian Richard Rohr says:

“An epiphany is an experience that transforms everything, and before you can do anything with it, it does something to you. It’s not something that can be controlled, and it always seems to demand a change in people‘s lives²”.

For us as followers of Christ, Epiphany, means the the manifestation of the light of Christ to the Gentiles, as represented by the Magi³, in Matthew’s Gospel. He spells out how they followed the Bethleham star to find the Holy Family and to worship Jesus. The Magi were gentiles, a first sign that Jesus came for all, Jew and Gentile alike.

Matthew in today’s gospel, doesn’t describe the Magi as King, rather as Wise Men. The words of Psalm 72-10 & 11, echo this “The kings of Arabia and Saba will offer gifts; all kings will bow down before him⁴”

By the sixth century, the wise men had been given names and descriptions, often seen in artistic representations. One is named Caspar, meaning “Treasurer,” and is imagined as a beardless young man. Melchior means “King of Light,” or “King of the City,” and is portrayed as a bearded old man. Balthasar means “God protect the king,” is portrayed as a black African man⁵.

The well know hymn “We three Kings of Orient Are’, written by John Henry Hopkins in 1857, was perhaps an extension of this sort of tradition⁶. I have even seen the story of them following the Star described as “The Original Star Trek⁷”.

The Magi were astrologers from the royal court of the king of Persia. Their role was as ‘seers’ for the King of Persia, but here in Matthew’s narrative, they come to honour another king - Jesus.

Kings would often send congratulations to new rulers in other realms, but the king of Persia called himself "king of kings," that is, the highest of kings⁸. Although we see in the book of Daniel’ Daniel telling that King that:

"No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about”. (ie, the Mystery of God).

Artaxerxes, Persian king of kings, wrote to the prophet Ezra as the the “priest, teacher of the Law of the God of heaven⁹”. Acknowledging that there was something greater than himself in the scheme of things.

Expecting to find the King in a palace, in Jerusalem, The Magi found only Herod.¹⁰ He sent them, for his own reasons, to Bethleham. There they found Jesus, not in a palace, but in a Stable, the humblest of births. A sign that Jesus came to minister to the lowest not highest in our society.

The Magi, although Gentiles, recognised Jesus’ Divinity. They worshiped and offered their gifts – gold, for a king; frankincense, to honor his divinity; myrrh, because this divine king will die and myrrh is used to anoint the body of a king. The wise men achieved their goal: worshipping the true king of the Jews - they were the first of all the gentiles, through the generations and throughout the world, to worship Jesus Christ.

How is the prophet Isiah speaking to us today?

60 Arise, shine; for your light has come,
    and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.² For darkness shall cover the earth,
    and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
    and his glory will appear over you.³ Nations shall come to your light,
    and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

In this reading from Isiah, we see the prelude to Jesus’s coming. The prophet speaks God’s powerful words to a nation that had been permitted by the Persian King Darius. to return from subjection in exile in Babylon, but they are still living in darkness. The prophet seeks rouse them, to rally them to live in God’s coming light - it responds to their hope for the Restoration of Jerusalem, to restore it’s Glory and to make a home for all of God’s people.

What can we take away today?

We can see the light of the Glory of God through Jesus, through the Gentile Magi, worshiping Jesus. Can we shine as we are urged by Isiah. “Shine for your light has come”.

Our shining takes effort, there is so much to distract us, and dim our light. We need patience and perseverance to allow our light to shine. It does seem to me that the witness of a Christian life transformed by Jesus’ love, can allow the light to shine and flourish within us and to cascade out to others.

Celebrating Epiphany helps us appreciate more fully the meaning of Christ's birth and help us rediscover what worshiping Christ means to us individually and as a worshiping community.

Canon Kathryn Fleming, Canon Pastor at Coventry Cathedral wrote¹¹:

“So, as you go forward into this new year, be alert to celebrate epiphany wherever you encounter God. It won't be just in this building, that's for sure...nor simply at the the high moments of life, In all times and places and people, even the most ordinary, even in our own lives, we may come to experience the glory of God through Jesus Christ”

Finally the words of John’s Gospel that we heard at Christmas

“What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it¹²”.

Amen

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¹ an appearance or manifestation especially of a divine being https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epiphany

² http://goodinparts.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/epiphany-evensong-sermon-for-all-saints.html accessed 2/1

³ Mat 2:1-12

⁴ Psalm 72, verse 10:11

⁵ John Hull, Hellenistic Magic and the Synoptic Gospels (London, UK: SCM-Canterbury, 1974), 126.

⁶  RH Morgan, Come Let Us Adore Him: Stories Behind the Most cherished Christmas Hymns (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2005), 81.

⁷ http://www.crosswalk.com/church/pastors-or-leadership/how-zoroastrian-magi-made-the-original-star-trek-11639937.html

⁸  Dan 2:37

⁹  Exra 7:12

¹⁰ Matt 2:2

¹¹ http://goodinparts.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/epiphany-evensong-sermon-for-all-saints.html

¹² John 1:1-3

Jury Service

I have just completed nearly two weeks of serving on a Jury at a Crown Court in London. I am unable to identify the court or the trials involved, due to rules on my conduct as a juror, but I can comment on the requirement to serve on juries and the need for juries to make a judgement on the guilt or innocence of someone charged with an offence against the law of the country.

This is the fourth time in the last 10 years that I have been called for Jury service, and the second time that I actually served. Previously, I had work or personal commitments, which prevented me from serving. Any Juror can be summoned at random, to serve at any court in the geographic area that they live in. The restrictions on people serving on juries were relaxed a couple of years ago, to broaden the pool of potential jurors who can be called to serve.  Previously excluded professions such as serving armed forces members, doctors, nurses, police oficers and even members of the clergy and legal professions may serve, as long as they have no connection with the actual court that they are called forward to serve on. Even convicted felons may serve if their offences spent are under the rehabilitation of offenders act, although someone who has received or served a sentence of imprisonment will be excluded.

My experience was of the first five days, of 90 new people being called as a group to serve for up to two weeks (or longer if needed) from a widely disparate group of men and women, aged over 18 and up to and including age 70. As might be expected, there were people from all of the ethnic groups represented in our local community and from a wide range of backgrounds. I was called to serve with 11 others on a trial on the first day, which lasted for five days, that consisted of 7 men and 5 women. We bonded quickly as we went to and from court, interrupted often by being asked to leave the court while points of law were discussed or the admissibility of a particular piece of evidence was challenged. It was intellectually stimulating at times as we listened carefully to the Judge giving us direction, to the advocates for the prosecution and the defence and individual witnesses as they gave their evidence and responded to cross examination. We had physical evidence to consider as well as agreed facts and statements, and other documents. We were briefed and guided by the judge on points of law in the particular case and given an excellent summary by him of the evidence and what we needed to establish in fact to enable to be sure of the evidence on each of the indictments made pointed to the guilt or innocence of the defendant.

It was heavy going at times, and we were not allowed to discuss the evidence until we were sent out to deliberate on the fifth day. But the time spent together wasn't wasted. Our inter-personal relationships developed and we spoke widely about our individual experiences, work, families, context of our lives and inevitably about our personal faith. We included 4 Anglican Christians, 2 Muslims and six people who were either agnostic about faith, or were lapsed in their faith. The thing that delighted me was that people were open and frank about their lives and faith experiences, and twelve strangers became friends, albeit, we will probably never meet each other again in the future. We were united in purpose for the five days, which demonstrated to me, that community is about the people in it, not the bubble that it lives in - we were community with each other, even when we left at the end of each day, to return to our homes and families.

Once we delivered our verdict on the first case, we returned to the pool of jurors, described as 'jurors in waiting' and we didn't expect to serve together again. But 10 of us were selected for a new jury the following week, and again six for a third jury in the same week. I for my part was left waiting, but as a group, we gravitated together when we met, whatever jury we were later allocated too.

My one regret was that yesterday after returning home the Jury manager rang me to say that due to the bank holiday coming up, no new trials were being started and that I could end my Jury service here and now. I agreed to that, but I was than unable to return to court to say good bye to my group of friends. No doubt those who live locally might bump into each other, but it felt like a real loss to me yesterday afternoon. Sadness that new relationships had been severed so abruptly.

What did I learn from this?

First it is a privilege to do my civic duty in this way. The initial resentment on the impingement of my time, disipated in the experience of working together with others of a like mind, but a disparate background, to debate and to share and to laugh together (lots of laughter) and to grow together in ways that I had not expected.

Second - that the criminal justice system isn't perfect, but the Jury provides a check and balance to the enforcement and judiciary to moderate and make an informed, independent assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of a particular case and at least gives the defendant the opportunity to convince us of their guilt or innocence. It has been going for hundreds of years and is proven to be the best way of dealing with crime and those who commit them.

Third - I have learned more about myself this time around than I expected. This quite (at times) introverted individual, was able to open up and to share my life experience, particularly my faith journey with others I had never met before, and am unlikely to meet again. God puts these opportunities for us to either ignore or to be open to. I thank God that I was receptive and responded.

Ego Trip or Ambition

Inspired by a post by Dame Catherine Wybourne on her blog here I wrote this response to her, than thought it deserved it's own airing.

I suspect that within each of us is the seed of wanting to ‘get on in life’, most certainly when I was younger I wanted to progress in my career. In those days, it was because the Army is a very competitive environment and your progress up the ranks meant the better provision for your family and membership of the elitist Warrant Officer and Sergeants Mess or even the Officers Mess if you were successful enough to earn a Commission. It was also the key to a higher pension and probably not having to work that hard following retirement.

There was such a thing as ‘Rank’ or ‘Position’ envy where some people resented the progress of others, thinking that they didn’t deserve to hold the rank or position that they had achieved. In an environment when the concentration was entirely on team cohesion and effective working as a disciplined fighting force, such dissension was quickly dealt with and those people weeded out or given a role elsewhere to avoid the problems that could arise in a situation where unit cohesion and discipline were key to the success of the unit on operations or training.

In the end, you tire of the relentless pressure to succeed and normally find a niche in which you are comfortable – but the system isn’t content with that. If your lack of ambition is discerned you receive poor performance reports, which can easily lead to negative consequences for your future employment. A for instance would be having to achieve a certain rank by a given year of service or you could be discharged under rules designed to protect the pyramid and maintaining the fitness of the fighting element of the Army or unit.

I eventually reached a point, where I was told that no further progress was possible (brutal honesty) and I looked around for other employment. Strangely enough, I found it in similar employment in one steady rank, with the reserve forces, which held the prospect of continuing employment in one role, in one place and the opportunity to settle down. I grabbed it eagerly. Of course that wasn’t the end of the story, as eventually someone decided that commissioning me and sending me to another job was a good idea, which meant staying put in the same home, and four years later a promotion took me to another post, where I served until my retirement in 2009.

The moral (perhaps) of this story is that ambition can be useful, but it’s also destructive to life and personal relationships, certainly in a highly competitive working environment. If you’re always looking five or 10 years ahead to see where you might be, and at the same time, looking over your shoulder to see who is coming up faster than you and might superced you in time. Such an aggressive approach to life is wearing as I have said, and set backs and disappointments can sour relationships and make you bitter.

But along the way, you learn an enormous amount about yourself and about others. You have choices to make when you lead people. You can nurture and encourage them, and lead them by example, or under the guise of discipline, attempt to drag them in your wake. I met many of both types of leader in my 43 years in the service, and I know that I strove to be the nurturing, encourager, rather than the disciplinarian. You certainly needed discipline, but the key to any organisation is the self discipline and feeling of self-worth of each member. Feeling that they are valued and respected and led by people with integrity and a solid sense of humour.

I do know that I learned that respect for others and having a high sense of integrity was essential to being the type of leader that was needed. And, when eventually I came back to faith, the groundwork was already there for me to move forward and to grow as a Christian.

Do I regret having ambition to succeed. To some extent yes, but without it, I wouldn’t be the person that I am today.

Thoughts on a Day in Canterbury

I spent the best part of yesterday in Canterbury, meeting my SD, attended HC at my old parish and met up with friends from those days. Since my SD took that service it was a double bonus for praying with him twice in the morning, followed by a lovely quiet, soup lunch at his home.

The sad thing was to meet S, a lovely lady, whose been suffering from Alzieimers disease for a year or so. In the month since we last met, she has become more confused and dependent. But brought to church by her daughter, she was able to follow the service with gusto and without the aid of a service book, respond appropriately – the familiar words and rythms haven’t left her, after a lifetime of Christianity.

Sometimes I feel questions arising in my mind about dementia and how God can allow good people to suffer. The reality is that S still knows who she is, but has increasing short term memory issues which are frustrating for her husband, who is himself not well – and is her carer. My younger sister too suffers from this horrible disease and has been in residential care for the past three years – as her husband could no longer cope with her. She doesn’t recognise anyone at all, which has been a painful journey for him and her children.

I know that God isn’t causing the suffering, which is a human condition, which medical science is making strides to help people in the future, but for those suffering now, there is so little hope. In S’s case, her church community have rallied around to help, but their friendship and support can only stretch so far. It appears that S may soon need to be provided with more support in respite residential care, and there is a very good unit in the village that does just that thing. When I was there, I had the privilege to take home communion to them and with prayer and some music, they despite their condition would remember the words of the BCP and the hymns we sang and join in.

My day – some walking about 1/2 mile.

Rating Lovely, mixed with Sad.

Would I do it again – yes, next month in fact.

Sermon Given at All Saints' Church on Bible Sunday, 25 Oct 2015

Sermon for Bible Sunday 25 Oct 2015

All Saints’ Church,

Readings Is 55:1-11        2 Tim 3:14-4:5 Jn 5:36b-47

May I speak in the Name of the Eternal Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Today is Bible Sunday. I had little knowledge of this celebration in my days as a Catholic, as my experience of the Bible in those days was minimal.

The Priest at Mass read the Epistle and Gospel. We the laity, were taught the tenets of faith, using the the Catechism¹ and prayer. We learned the Catechism by rote, Question and Answer, a little like the Catechism in the Book of Common Prayer, but more detailed. Those words remain embedded in my mind 60 years later.

We heard some of the Bible Stories, mainly the old Testament such as Adam and Eve, Cain and Able, Noah and of Jesus Christ. Childhood and young adulthood was spent in ignorance of the bible and most of it’s contents.

After I joined the Army they gave me a copy of the New Testament. This was the first time that I actually owned any part of the bible, and to be frank, I didn’t know what to do with it.

Was I supposed to read it?

Was I supposed to learn it’s contents?

Totally confused I stuck it in the bottom of my kit bag, where it remained until I had completed training and got a posting. It didn’t go with me. I left it in the Camp chapel, thinking that someone there might find it of some use.

That was perhaps my great mistake, I missed the opportunity to know more about scripture, the nature and character of Jesus Christ through the Gospels.

I compare my experience, raised as a Christian to that of many people today, who’ve never opened a bible in their life,Bible Society  research shows that

9 out of 10 adults never have any regular engagement with the Bible.

46% of children never read or hear bible stories.

43% of children have never heard or seen the Crucifixion Story.

20 percent of children think that Harry Potter is a bible story?

This shows that millions live without the ‘The Word²’ probably without a thought to it’s significance or importance in our lives.

When I became an Anglican, I realised just how seriously reformed Christianity took the Bible and scripture. The three legged stool of Scripture, Tradition and Reason - each in balance³, that under pins the Anglican identity within the Universal Church.

It was like a ‘light’ going on in my heart and my mind.

More recently I’ve heard of the thinking of those theologians⁴ who believed or believe that we need to add a fourth leg or even fifth leg to that stool, one of Godly Experience, and yet another of Revelation (of God’s action in nature) ^I. This shows that theologians and academic study of scripture continues today, as they try to work out God’s action in the world through his Story, the Bible as they’ve done for the past 2000 years.

I think that I’ll stick to the three legged stool for now.

I have to admit now that I have an addiction!   I love the bible and have been guilty of buying or being given, many copies, at last count, I own about 15 versions, some of which are displayed on the table at the front of Church.

So what exactly is the bible to us as Christians?

Today's reading. from 2 Timothy is the second of two letters written by the Apostle Paul to his young friend and disciple, Timothy is a a leader in the church, trained and nurtured by Paul.

Paul in prison for the Gospel, is probably nearing the end of his life. So far in the letter Paul has instructed Timothy to remember what he taught him about the Gospel. Paul then tells Timothy to pass on this teaching to reliable people who are qualified to teach others. Paul warns Timothy against false teachers, and emphasises the importance of holding on to the trust of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy’ verse 3.15, it tells us of, ‘… the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus’’ . In reading, meditating and acting on God’s instruction, we are led to look to Jesus to restore our relationship with God the Father, who reorients us to how we were meant to live.

Literally translated, the word Bible means ‘book’ or ‘books’. It’s a collection of narrative books written over the course of more than 1,000 years. It includes poetry, legal documents, songs, letters, eyewitness accounts, people stories, historical documents and advice literature. It’s in 2 parts, old and new Testaments. There are 39 OT and 27 NT books for Anglicans, other denominations have different numbers of books, dependent on which denomination you belong to⁵.

But it’s not just a list of laws and commands, it’s estimated that up to 75% of the Bible is story telling. it resembles a collection of biographies (life stories) rather than an official rule book

Additional books are known as the apocryphal or deuterocanonical books. Parts of them will appear in the Lectionary occasionally. The commonly held view is that while they are not part of our standard tenets of faith, “they may be read for spiritual edification”.

What do we believe about the bible and scripture?

We understand that it is God inspired or as Paul describes it as ‘God Breathed⁶’ as he told us in 2 Timothy:

^“All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work”.

The Bible needs to be interpreted, it was written by different authors, in historic contexts far removed from ours 2000 years ago. there are three different starting points for interpretation that people often use.

Put simply, these are:

· what the author may have originally meant; in their context;

· what the text actually says;

· and also how the reader interprets it in today’s context.

Treating the bible as the literal word of God without relevant interpretation, particularly as much, including the Parables, is written as metaphor, can distort the text and context and may cause real harm.

For instance slavery and the subjugation, of women are two instances which are not acceptable to us in our context and culture today.

It seems to me that the Bible might be described as “God’s instructions on how to live life to its fullest – as it was designed to be. It’s simply the best manual for life there ever could be”⁷.

 Somebody did a pneumonic on social media! B.I.B.L.E. = Basic. Information. Before. Leaving. Earth.

How we can or do use the Bible:

In Community : The bible figures prominently in our communal worship, particularly in the Book of Common Prayer Services. The whole of the BCP is scripturally literate, carefully crafted for the edification of worshippers.

We follow the lectionary (a table of Readings) on a three year cycle, with a specific Gospel for each cycle. The table includes use for the Daily office, which ensures that the full text of books are read over the cycle of three years.

Personally:

Reading. Uses the timeless narrative of the Bible. Stories that were as received about God’s goodness, used to illuminate our faith, to guide us in ethical living and to proclaim to others.

Biblical study and reflection in small groups will help us with spiritual growth and maturity in faith.

AS A PRAYER BOOK : Lectio Divina. Find a quiet moment, or listen to something gentle with no words on your music player, and while gently breathing, really read the words, then reflect – what does that mean for me, for others, for God. Pray into the words that might come. Repeat for new insights.

How can we access the bible.

There are so many ways to access the bible these days. The development of digital technology and the internet has provided many different ways to access it, in text, audio, video, text message, mobile app, downloads and 88 different languages - the choice is endless. Perhaps we should pray for those who don’t have the freedom to read their bible or for those who reach out to distribute bibles free to those areas of the world.

One way to make the Bible more accessible and to assist with interpretation are the ‘Bible Reading Fellowship (BRF) Bible Reading Notes, which the parish subscribe too. Speak to Clive or myself later if you would like to take part. There are some handouts available at the back of church.

In summary, Bible Sunday gives us the opportunity to reflect together on God’s inspired word given to us in a form of divine revelation, which reveals the nature of God and of his creation and his great love to us. I commend it to each of you and to proclaim the good news it as widely as possible.

Some words from Psalm 19 verse 7 about God’s word;

Look inside: the Law of the Lord is Perfect

The law of the Lord is perfect,

refreshing the soul.

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,

making wise the simple.

Amen

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¹ http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM

² In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1)

³ The threefold sources of authority in Anglicanism are scripture, tradition, and reason. These three sources uphold and critique each other in a dynamic way. Scripture is the normative source for God's revelation and the source for all Christian teaching and reflection. Tradition passes down from generation to generation the church's ongoing experience of God's presence and activity. Reason is understood to include the human capacity to discern the truth in both rational and intuitive ways. It is not limited to logic as such. It takes into account and includes experience. Each of the three sources of authority must be perceived and interpreted in light of the other two.

⁴ John Wesley - The Wesleyan Quadrilateral http://www.virtueonline.org/three-legged-stool-anglicanism-robert-s-munday

⁵ Western and Orthodox Christians disagree agree on the number of books in the Old Testament. Protestants recognise 39, Catholics include 46 and Ethiopian Orthodox have as many as 54.

⁶ 2 Tim 3:16-17

⁷ Bible Society Sermon Outline 2015.