Sunday 19 August 2012

Holy Picnic

Sunday 19 August – 4 churches together at St Giles

Reading Ephesians 5.15-20

Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Gospel John 6.51-58

When the Gospel is announced the reader says

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to N.
All Glory to you, O Lord.

Jesus said: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you can eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.”

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
All Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon

Mary Berry – secondary modern – good for nothing except nursing or cookery. Sent to France by father. First night – ate horse meat – had left much loved pony behind – sobbed throughout evening – hosts thought her home sick.

A levels – Bromley – heart – Methodist couple – duty to eat what God put in front of me and be thankful.

Horror was mild compared to the reaction of the Jews to Jesus’ invitation that we eat his flesh. We are horrified by Shylock’s pound of flesh – something abhorrent about that demand for restitution – but if the Jews who followed strict rules concerning the preparation and consumption of meat were shocked by what Jesus said, then it was adding insult to injury to require of them that they also drink his blood. Scholars to this day argue whether his language was incarnational, or whether he was speaking figuratively of the Eucharist.

Just 4 weeks ago we read of the feeding of the 5,000 when those who sat down to lunch misunderstood what was going on. For them it was a miracle they all were satisfied – next day came back for more. But what was actually going on was the institution of Holy Communion, more important than the miracle of feeding, and a sacrament we still rehearse week by week to this day.

This time Jesus is not offering his hearers any choice. The first part of what he promises is positive. “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.” Sounds like good choice – free, full of grace, why would anyone not rejoice?

What follows is a double negative. No choice this time. An absolute command. “…unless you can eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.”

Many people say – “you don’t have to go to church in order to be a Christian.” What would they make of this verse? “…unless you can eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” How do we explain it?

If you were put off by the double negative, Jesus immediately follows up with “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” So the reference to “you have no life in you” does not refer to our life here on earth, but life eternal.

Don’t forget – this life is not attained through any form of doctrine – no need to believe in anything – this is achieved through a relationship. A personal experience of being with Christ which demands living in a particular way. Feeding that relationship with God through prayer. Nurturing that relationship with him through constant communication, listening, seeking and finding.

In case you thought the Christian life is all about self-denial and constant striving against sin, the prize offered is much more than you could ever imagine. Throughout chapter 6, Jesus develops his theme. We are offered:

· Life ongoing (v52)

· Raised up on the last day (v52)

· To abide in Jesus (v53)

· To have Jesus abide in me (v53)

· To live because of and for his sake (v53)

· To live forever (v58)

For those who during feeding of 5,000 misunderstood what was going on, now all is clear. It’s not about the bread. It’s not about the wine. It’s not even about what they represent – the body and blood of Christ. It’s about life with him.

Those picnickers interpreted what was happening literally, and came back for more. Like them, we can interpret the Eucharist at a literal level – argue about what is actually going on – fall out about the significance of the words and actions – and make the same mistake. We can see the literal level and miss the depth of riches that lurks just below the surface, unseen by those who take the literal interpretation.

Thursday 16 August 2012

Forgiveness

Midweek communion at St Giles – Thursday 16 August 2012

Gospel Matthew 18

When the Gospel is announced the reader says

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to N.
All Glory to you, O Lord.

The parable of the unmerciful servant

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’

22 Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

23 ‘Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

26 ‘At this the servant fell on his knees before him. “Be patient with me,” he begged, “and I will pay back everything.” 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, cancelled the debt and let him go.

28 ‘But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. “Pay back what you owe me!” he demanded.

29 ‘His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, “Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.”

30 ‘But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

32 ‘Then the master called the servant in. “You wicked servant,” he said, “I cancelled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?” 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

35 ‘This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.’

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
All Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon

People ask about forgiveness. Marital affairs. Forgive once, but not twice. Yellow card. Jesus says 77 times. Or 70 times 7 – depending on translation. 7 a magic number. Both ways of expressing how many times = infinite.

Does this mean you will be taken for a mug, as a soft touch, a doormat? Maybe, or maybe not. We all know those lovely people who would forgive anyone anything. They are not treated worse necessarily, or taken advantage of.

That’s not the point, though. As Christians, our whole aim is to be like Jesus. WWJD?? He is incarnate God. How often do we expect our sins to be forgiven. Twice? Seventy times seven, and you’ve used up your lives. Or times without end?

If that’s what we expect of God, and that’s what we are taught, then that’s how we must behave towards our neighbours. Forgiveness is not unconditional though. You can only forgive when repentance is real and true. And that often means restitution. Putting matters right, as far as you can, to the best of your ability.

As the Lord’s Prayer says, “forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us” Repentance, restitution, reconciliation – all ingredients leading to putting matters right with God and our neighbour, as far as we are able.

The point of the parable is clear. God forgave the servant a huge debt. One he could never repay in several lifetimes. In return, he was expect to forgive his fellow servants smaller debts, not by mere word, but ‘from your heart.’ Amen