Mothering Sunday

Sermon by Robert Wright at St Giles on 10 March 2013

Gospel Luke 2.33-35

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’ father and mother marvelled at what Simeon said about Jesus. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

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

Sermon

Let me take you back to Christmas for a while. The reading from Luke 2 comes after a passage very familiar to us, which is read every Christmas, sometimes more than once.

Caesar Augustus the Roman emperor called for a census. Joseph and his betrothed, Mary, make the journey to Bethlehem, where the baby Jesus is born.

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.’

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’

As the law required, sometime later Jesus is presented in the Temple. A sacrifice had to be offered. For the poor, a sacrifice of two doves or young pigeons was laid down following the birth of every firstborn male child.

But before this took place, a man called Simeon approached Mary. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel. For years maybe. It had been promised Simeon that he would not die before seeing God’s Messiah. The Holy Spirit, Luke says, was upon him.

When Mary and Joseph approached, Simeon came forward and took the baby Jesus in his arms. He praised God, in the words of the Nunc Dimittis:
²⁹ ‘Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
³⁰ For my eyes have seen your salvation,
³¹ which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.’

All good news, you might think, and it was – except for the cloud that would hang over Mary his mother for the rest of her life. This is the reason for the choice of reading on Mothering Sunday, which reflects on the sacrifice of parenthood and its burdens as well as times of great happiness.

Simeon’s prophecy in the Nunc Dimittis predict salvation for all nations through the Messiah. Atonement offered freely by God, not only for members of the chosen race but for all nations. Jesus is the light of the world. His coming into our space as the light which banishes darkness is what we celebrate at Easter, when we re-enact his coming in our Service of Light, this year in Wing Church on Easter Eve at 10pm.

What follows this good news from Simeon is a number of warnings. For many in Israel, the Christ child is destined to cause a falling away and not a rising to new life. This prophecy reminds us of Mary’s own song, in which she sang that God had put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree. Salvation through Jesus will not be equally well received. This is the first and most ominous prediction that the narrative which follows will be a story of conflict along with the good news of new life for all who call on his name.

Then Simeon turns to Mary, and tells her a sword will pierce her own soul too. The effect on Mary’s life will be devastating, and there’s nothing she can do about it.

I suppose the ritual of purification is a bit like our modern day baptism. Imagine you have arranged the date. Unwrapped from its tissue paper the gown once worn by a great grandparent for their baptism. Invited family and friends to the service. Fulfilled all the obligations, and made vows with godparents and supporters. Only then are you given a glimpse of the ups and downs of your life as a parent, and the joys and sadnesses you will face in the future. Not great timing is it?

But this prophecy does say something about motherhood especially, and fatherhood too. As we remember and celebrate the lives of our mothers – and the great thing here is that we all have a mother and can all, without exception, share in that celebration and thanksgiving, whether our mother is still with us or not.

At the centre of all this action is the child as he is known. Jesus is mentioned by name only once, in verse 27. Elsewhere he is only referred to as the child. So it’s not the baby Jesus who is the centre of attention, but his parents and the prophets Simeon and Anna. Yet what substantial and dramatic words are spoken of someone so small and helpless.

Luke has been showing us the contrasts throughout the infancy narrative. Born in a stable, yet potentially saviour of the world. His offering is not gold, frankincense and myrrh but two pigeons, a sacrifice only for the very poorest families. And his mother’s joy is quickly turned to dismay when told what is in store for her and her son. Yet knowing what the angel promised, Mary would not change anything, even though a sword would pierce her heart. This is the model of sacrifice and obedience to God’s call that we see mirrored in the sacrifice of our own mothers, hopefully in a more muted fashion. And so, as we give thanks for them and give flowers to everyone present in celebration of all our mothers meant to us, let us give thanks not only for them but for Mary also. For their joys. For the pains they bore for us. For their love, and for their endless care and concern. For all they have given to us, we thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Whose fault was it?

Lent 3 – March 3 2013 – Holy Communion at St Giles Cheddington

First Reading Isaiah 55.1-9

Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labour on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
Give ear and come to me;
hear me, that your soul may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.
See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander of the peoples.
Surely you will summon nations you know not,
and nations that do not know you will hasten to you,
because of the LORD your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendour.”
Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way
and the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Gospel Luke 13.1-9

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.

Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them - do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig-tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig-tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

“‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig round it and fertilise it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”

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

Sermon

Vicky tells story – mother’s cherry tree – produced fruit only when about to be chopped down for road widening. No second chance for that tree. Too late. But parable of fig tree tells different story of God’s grace.

Today’s gospel starts with serious questions. Whose fault was it when seemingly random accidents occur? Whose fault when people suffer at the hands of a cruel tyrant? Why were some chosen, and not others?

Same questions posed in Job – Lent Course. Job’s friends, like many people, conclude he must be at least partly to blame.

A few verses before this passage – we read Jesus told crowds they were good at predicting weather – but could not interpret the present time. Similar saying in Matthew 16:

The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.

² He replied, ‘When evening comes, you say, “It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,” ³ and in the morning, “Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.” You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.

The crowds responded with two questions. Two cases of unjust suffering. Told him about Galileans murdered by Pilate in ghastly event. Their blood mixed with sacrifices. Did they deserve it? Was Pilate agent of divine retribution? Were they worse sinners than anyone else?

Second question: a tower fell in Jerusalem, killing 18 people. Were they more guilty than others living in Jerusalem? Or did they just happen to be passing by at the wrong moment?

Those who raised these questions can hardly be faulted. Who was to blame – always first question asked by TV news reporters about almost any event, including natural disasters, acts of God, insane and random shootings, whatever.

The assumption is that we live in a universe of rewards and punishments. That way of thinking is reflected within the Bible itself. The book of Job is a particularly eloquent case. Job suffered severe losses (family, property, and health), and he carried on a long verbal interchange with three friends. According to Job’s friends, he must have done something wrong to deserve his suffering. God is all-powerful. God is not malevolent. Surely God could only allow the suffering of the innocent by deliberate choice, or he would have put a stop to it.

Job throughout maintains his innocence.

How does Jesus respond to these important questions? He addresses the concerns head on. Just like in John 9 when he encounters a man born blind. Whose fault was it? – disciples asked. Who sinned – man or his parents?

Jesus declares Galileans killed were no better or worse than any others. They happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Construction workers, developers or financiers cutting corners, using shoddy workmanship, or cheap materials through corruption may have played a part I suppose – but that’s no reason to blame God for what happened, any more than if the tower had been struck by lightning.

The question of God’s justice persists to the present day. The doctrine is called Theodicy. To think that human suffering is due to divine punishment for sin, or perhaps to some unknown flaw or secret misdeed, is too simple, but very familiar.

Of course, there may be consequences and suffering as a result of risky behaviour. But that’s not the point being made here. Scripture itself has enough instances of divine punishment resulting from human sin, and many of these are much easier to explain. But not the sort of random acts Jesus is being asked about in today’s gospel reading.

Having said those killed by Pilate or the fallen tower of Siloam were not more to blame than any other Galilean, Jesus adds: But unless you repent, you too will all perish. In other words, God is not punishing just those who were killed, but judgement waits for all of us. So don’t focus on seemingly unfair and isolated events – consider your own destiny.

That sounds harsh, but consider the parable which follows. It’s a parable about judgement. The two protagonists are the landowner – that is God – and the caretaker hired to look after the vineyard. The landowner plants a fig tree – that’s probably us - but it never produces any figs. It’s a waste of space, says God, I’ll dig it up and use the land for something more productive.

The caretaker persuades his boss to give the barren fig tree one more chance. He’ll dig round the tree, and fertilise the soil. In a year, the tree might produce fruit, and in any event, a new tree would take several years more to get established. The landowner agrees.

The implication is that God is patient, which gives Jesus’ hearers time for repentance, but there is a limit.

The parable helps place God’s judgment and grace into a wider perspective. God’s grace is greater than God’s judgment. How could it be otherwise? Divine patience is simply another expression of God’s love for us and his grace. As we heard in our first reading from Isaiah:

Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way
and the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Amen

The challenge of Lent

Mentmore Sunday 24 February 2013

First Reading Genesis 15.1-12,17-18

The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:

“Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield,
your very great reward.”

But Abram said, “O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars – if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

He also said to him, “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.”

But Abram said, “O Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I shall gain possession of it?”

So the LORD said to him, “Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.”

Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.

As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him.

When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking brazier with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates.”

Gospel Luke 13.31-35

Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory.
The Lord is a great God, O that today you would listen to his voice.
Harden not your hearts.
All Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory.

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.

At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.”

He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day – for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

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

Sermon

Once you have a reputation – good or bad – it’s hard to shake it off. Take Herod for example. Or the Pharisees. Both loom large in today’s gospel reading.

Why did the Pharisees warn Jesus that Herod was plotting to kill him? Didn’t they themselves want the same thing? What about Herod? Was he as black as history has always painted him?

First of all, the Pharisees may not have been sincere, and they probably only told Jesus what he already knew, but there’s no reason to suppose their caution was not real. After all, didn’t Pharisees invited Jesus to dine with them, so they could hear what he preached for themselves on more than one occasion? And if we read Luke’s sequel, Acts 15 tells us that some Pharisees actually converted to Christianity in the early church.

As for Herod, after beheading John the Baptist he worries that John might have come back to life in Jesus. He’s a superstitious man, unlike his wife. Or Pilate’s wife, who warned the Roman governor to have nothing to do with an innocent man. “Who, then, is this I hear such things about?” says Herod, And he tried to see him. Later on, in chapter 23, during Jesus’ trial by Pilate, we read:

⁸ When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. ⁹ He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer.

Whatever their motives, Jesus made use of the threats by the Pharisees and Herod to say something about his imminent death. Jesus will die – but not at the hands of Herod or the Pharisees. In fact, his death is the expected culmination of his mission on earth. His death is the completion of his purpose in the world.

Jesus describes his ministry as casting out demons and performing cures. The significance of casting out demons for Jesus’ ministry is given in 11:20: “But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you.” Casting out demons is part of Jesus’ battle against evil and so a part of his establishment of the kingdom of God.

Performing cures is likewise a part of the fundamental character of Jesus’ mission, announced in 4:18-19 as being “to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind” (quoting Isaiah). Another statement about the establishment of God’s kingdom.

Despite the threats, Jesus remains in control. The today and tomorrow when he carries on his work will still take place. He must keep going, and finish his work here on earth. But on the third day, Jesus says he will reach his goal. A goal he must achieve in Jerusalem, when his resurrection occurs on the third day.

Today, tomorrow and the next day are one continuity. They go together in sequence. They are linked. Today and tomorrow Jesus heals. On the third day, he completes his mission. In the meantime, Jerusalem will at least first recognise him for what he is. ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’ is of course a reference to Palm Sunday. Jerusalem may have been party to his crucifixion, but at least it first recognised its Messiah.

Throughout Lent, we should be preparing ourselves to experience the cross of Christ alongside and together with our Saviour. Today’s gospel passage invites us to consider whether our lives lead appropriately to the cross? Can we make sense of the way we live our lives as consistent with the establishment of the Kingdom of God in the world?

Would we be frightened away from our mission by the threats of the darkened world? As the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, how readily have we accepted the words of Jesus to change us radically from what we have been to what we will become? How have we recognised God’s Kingdom? By sharing in the cross of Christ, or acting like Jerusalem – at first welcoming him but then denying and condemning when put to the test?

So often in Scripture, we are offered the model of faith against all the odds. Like God’s promise to Abram to make his descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. Yet Abram had no son, and his estate would be inherited by the son of a servant in his household. Still against all the odds, Abram believed, and God credited his faith as righteousness.

What is asked of us seems to me rather less farfetched. We have the historical records of the life and death of Jesus. Most of us have been brought up in the church. So our welcome for the Kingdom is far less that even the people of Jerusalem who welcomed Christ as Messiah, even though they turned on him so soon afterwards. What is harder is the way we live up to that faith. Our enemies are not so much persecution, idolatry and false teaching as lethargy, a comfortable existence and plenty, which leads us to think we are self-sufficient, and have no need of redemption. But the warning in today’s gospel is that, if we are not willing to wholeheartedly believe, and put our faith into practice, we will indeed be left desolate. God longs to gather us to himself, even as a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But it’s up to us to allow ourselves to be gathered in, and not walk away. Amen

Midnight Mass

St Giles Cheddington – 24 December 2012

First Reading Isaiah 9.2-7 Chris

The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.

You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as men rejoice
when dividing the plunder.
For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor.
Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and for ever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

Gospel Luke 2.1-14(15-20)

Alleluia, alleluia.
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
and we have seen his glory. John 1.14
Alleluia.

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.

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

There were shepherds living out in the fields near by, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

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

Sermon

· 8th C BC prophecy applied to coming of Jesus Christ.

o Original coronation of child king

o Hopes for freedom from oppression – walked in political darkness – rule by Assyria – corruption

o Light dawned – rejoice – burden lifted – no more fighting

· Isaiah warned King Hezekiah what would happen – relied on Israel covenant people – but they had broken covenant with God

· Coronation of child king – what hope he will accomplish – what he will be like – wonderful counsellor, everlasting father, prince of peace – Mighty God?? No. Names apply to God?

· Name of King unknown – what accomplished? – fulfil promise?

o Is it right to apply specific prophecy to Jesus – was that foreseen or intended?

· Prophesies of Isaiah scattered through lectionary – deeply embedded in culture and liturgy – in our consciousness and music – hard to hear them without thinking of birth of Jesus

· Does it matter? – whether or not applied to Christ does not change what he is or what he did for us – like Luke’s infancy narratives.

· Child king did not bring about freedom – only God can do that.

o Hezekiah failed – disobedience broke covenant with God

· Likewise our own sin and disobedience – we can do nothing in our own power – God accomplished this in Jesus at Christmas and Easter

o Prophecy applies to all time – parallel to Israel and the child king – Jesus born a child – offers redemption for our sin and disobedience – frees from oppression

· Not just to Israel – for

... to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

Message - not just for 8th C BC Israel – not even just for us today – but universal, for all time – the message of this night. Amen

Mary and Elizabeth (oh, and Hannah, Sarah and Micah too)

St Mary the Virgin Mentmore – 23 December 2012

First Reading Micah 5.2-5a

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.”
Therefore Israel will be abandoned
until the time when she who is in labour gives birth
and the rest of his brothers return
to join the Israelites.
He will stand and shepherd his flock
in the strength of the LORD,
in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
will reach to the ends of the earth.
And he will be their peace.

Gospel Luke 1.39-45(46-55)

Alleluia, alleluia.
Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

All Alleluia.

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to N.

All Glory to you, O Lord.

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favoured, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants for ever,
even as he said to our fathers.”

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

All Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon

In his Autumn statement two weeks ago – the Chancellor George Osborne squeezed us all, but for some strange reason he squeezed the rich and the poor more than those of us in the middle. Taking from the rich is all very fine, but shouldn’t we be acting more like Robin Hood and giving the proceeds to the poor.

The prophet Micah lived through a time of turbulence. It was the 8^th century BC. Small countries like Judah were dominated by the power of the Assyrian empire. Micah foretold freedom from the yoke of Assyria. He prophesied a ruler would come, who would stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord. Micah foretold a saviour would come, who would bring peace, nourishment and prosperity to the people who had been oppressed.

But this could not happen until the moral and social decay in the land had been purged. The poor were evicted from their property. Officials took bribes. Weights and measures in the marketplaces were fixed. The rich abused the poor. Corruption was rife.

God’s wrath was directed not only against the perpetrators of sin, but also against the prophets and religious leaders, who should have been standing up for the downtrodden and oppressed. In the end, out of devastation will come a time when righteousness and peace is restored. Swords will be beaten into ploughshares, and everyone will sit in the shade of their own vines, olives and fig trees.

We read the words of Micah’s prophesy as applying to the coming of Jesus Christ at Christmas. We are right to do so – Jesus himself is steeped in Old Testament prophecy, and clearly applies many passages of Scripture to his own mission here on earth. The original prophecy was addressed to Micah’s contemporaries, but God speaks to all people at all times. God is outside time itself. So his words apply to Micah’s time, as well as to Jesus but also crucially to our own time. To regard Micah’s prophecy as merely foretelling the coming of the Saviour Jesus is to miss the word of God applicable to our own situation.

You see, God in Christ constantly turns everything upside down. Read the prophecy for yourself, and you’ll see what I mean. Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount did the same.

In today’s gospel reading, two women fill the frame: Elizabeth and her cousin Mary. Elizabeth, like her forebears Sarah in Genesis and Hannah from I Samuel is unable to bear children. Her condition was thought to be her fault. She was looked down upon by society. She was considered unable to fulfil her role as a woman. Yet here she was, miraculously 6 months pregnant, visited by Mary the mother of the Saviour foretold by the likes of Micah and Isaiah.

Hannah, the mother of Samuel, is not just someone’s mother and someone’s wife. She is a prophet in her own right. Take note all those who are against the consecration of women bishops. Hannah’s song is much like Mary’s song. The first verse sounds much like the opening of the Magnificat:

"My heart exults in the LORD; my strength is exalted in my God. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in my victory.

Everything is upside down. God has brought down the mighty, and elevated the humble and meek. He has scattered the proud and fed the hungry. The rich go hungry. This idea of social justice is at the heart of the Christian gospel. Wrongs will be put right, and the coming of the Kingdom on earth means we must start the process right now.

Is this why big tax breaks for the rich feel so wrong at a time of long term austerity? Politics is about pleasing the majority of the people, or at least persuading them to go along with your policies. Politicians have in mind the chance of re-election, ahead perhaps of social justice, doing what’s right, and protecting the poor, needy and disadvantaged. In the past, when our administration and law were firmly founded on Christian principles, we could perhaps take it for granted that the Christian gospel message of social justice and care for the poor would be at the forefront of policy making, but alas no more. That’s where our faith informs how we act, not only towards our neighbours but also in the way we cast our votes and influence governments.

³ ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.

Jerusalem

Midweek Holy Communion at St Giles 22 November 2012

First Reading Revelation 5.1-10

I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” But no-one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no-one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the centre of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song:

“You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased men for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”

Gospel Luke 19

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

As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognise the time of God’s coming to you.”

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

Sermon

Gospel reading from Luke 19 starts at v41. It’s about Jerusalem and the Temple. Jesus had been teaching through parables. Now went on to Bethany and Mount of Olives. Here Jesus sent 2 disciples to prepare for Passover meal:

³⁰ “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. ³¹ If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

Whilst preparations being made, triumphal entry. NIV Jesus arrives as King. Disciples cry “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Pharisees call on Jesus to rebuke them, but he would not.

Then Jesus laments over fate of Jerusalem, prior to entering Temple courts and overturning tables of traders and moneychangers.

Earlier in ministry, Messianic secret. Now in fulfilment of prophecy, Jesus openly declares himself Messiah. But in Luke’s account, only disciples welcome him, not crowds. Luke reports a lukewarm reception at best. Had the throng crowding Jerusalem for Passover acclaimed him, there would be less reason for Jesus to emphasize the fate of Jerusalem, which we know was overthrown and destroyed by Romans in 70AD.

But more than Messiah, more than Christ is Jesus’ divinity. Evident in Revelation. No one else was found worthy to take the scroll and break the seals. Only the Lamb who had been slain.

You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased men for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.

So now, with Jerusalem in ruins, salvation is for every nation and language, purchased by the blood of Christ through his death, which he knew to be his fate when he arrived in Jerusalem. Amen

All Saints

Cheddington 4th November 2012

Gospel John 11.32-44

You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, God’s own people,
called out of darkness into his marvellous light.
All Alleluia.

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.

When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

Jesus wept.

Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odour, for he has been there four days.”

Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”

So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

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

Sermon

Chapter 11 of John’s gospel begins like this:
Now a man named Lazarus was ill. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. ² (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay ill, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) ³ So the sisters sent word to Jesus, ‘Lord, the one you love is ill.’

This chapter is usually called The Raising of Lazarus but Lazarus says nothing, and in fact most of the action revolves around Martha. Our reading starts, though, with Martha’s sister Mary. Mary accuses Jesus of delaying his return to Bethany. “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died,” she says. For Mary, Jesus is partly to blame.

Why did Jesus deliberately delay answering the sisters’ call for two days? We don’t know. The fact was that an attempt had been made on his life in Bethany, when a crowd tried to stone him. It was natural he would be reluctant to return and expose both himself and his followers to danger. There’s a heavy irony in Thomas’s voice when he says: ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him.’

Jesus’ excuse – if that’s the right word – is that he delayed “for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” When Jesus eventually arrives at the outskirts of Bethany, Martha rushes out to meet him. Mary remains at home. By then, Lazarus had been dead more than 4 days. When shown the tomb, there follows the shortest verse in the Bible Jesus Wept.

Was that his divine nature, grieving over the suffering of humanity? Or was that Jesus’ humanity, mourning the loss of a dearly loved friend and the grief of his family?

In a sense, the raising from the dead is not the lesson we should take home from this gospel reading. Why? Well, Lazarus was clearly dead, and was brought back to life – but only for a time. The raising of Lazarus proves God’s power over life and death, but we all know and accept that anyway. Lazarus will die again, like all of us. No – I think the real message comes from the lips of Martha. Rather than The raising of Lazarus maybe the passage should be called The confession of Martha.

Martha and Mary are contrasts. In John 12 we either associate with the one sister or the other. One sits at Jesus’ feet, listening to his words. The other beavers away in the kitchen. You could add that one acts like a woman in her day would be expected to act. The other doesn’t.

Here too, there are contrasts. Mary sighs and says “If only.” How often do we say the same, when it’s too late. Martha engages Jesus at a much deeper level. Famously, Jesus asks Martha to have faith. ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶ and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ Martha replies: ‘Yes, Lord,’ she replied, ‘I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.’

Out of bleak tragedy and darkness of the worst kind comes one of the greatest confessions and admissions in the whole of the New Testament. IT’s Martha’s ultimate statement of faith – made not by one of the male disciples but by a woman.

Like All Souls – the commemoration of the faithful departed – All Saints is meant to help us live our Christian lives by providing us with examples of faith we might learn from or even emulate. Martha of course is one such person. But so is Mary.

Ironically, the raising of Lazarus was a tipping point in Jesus’ ministry. As a result of what he accomplished, the Pharisees started plotting Jesus’ death for real. When Jesus returns to Bethany (which is just outside Jerusalem) 6 days before Passover, Lazarus threw a party in Jesus’ honour, at which Martha served and Mary anointed his feet with oil of pure nard. The sheer extravagance turned Judas into a plotter, along with the religious leaders.

All these characters are fallible, ordinary folk like ourselves. The saints – just a word for all Christians from the early church – are not necessarily special martyrs (although many are) but they offer us something special to follow, to copy and learn from. So do all souls – those people who have taught us the faith, those whom we have loved and see no more, those who have and continue to be important to us in very particular ways. That’s the value of this weekend – All Souls and All Saints. What did Martha do? She just believed.

“Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” said Jesus. So they rolled away the stone. Amen

Simon & Jude

Cheddington – Sunday 28 October 2012

Reading Ephesians 2.19-22

You are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow-citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Gospel John 15.17-27

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: “This is my command: Love each other.

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfil what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’

“When the Counsellor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.”

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

Sermon

You are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow-citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household. That’s the promise conveyed in the letter written to the Ephesians.

Sounds like Downton Abbey. Jesus upstairs – chief cornerstone. Saints living in grand apartments, isolated from the world. Us – below stairs – butler, cook, kitchen maid, chauffeur, valet, or nursery maid. Rigid hierarchy, even amongst servants.

Who is ‘in’ and who is ‘out’? On the face of it, we were ‘out’ – foreigners and aliens – but now we are ‘in’ God’s household. Slaves perhaps, serving him. But not in a servile way. Children. Heirs of the promise. Sisters and brothers of Jesus himself. Sons and daughters.

And his command for this household? Love one another. Quite a contrast to the bickering above and below stairs at Downton.

It all sounds cosy, but are we really ‘in’ or are we ‘out’? from the world’s perspective, we should indeed be ‘out.’ Rejected. Not belonging. Persecuted. Treated with contempt. Not listened to or obeyed. Reviled and hated without a reason.

If, though, we are not hated, but pillars of the community – liked, elected to club membership, accepted, part of everyone’s favoured inner circle, life and soul of the party, invited out to everyone’s dinner parties – what then? Is this cause for concern? If we are not sidelined, avoided, disliked for what we stand for, should we be worried that our faith has become lukewarm?

Yes and no. Our society is mainly benign, founded on Christian principles, albeit that they are being eroded. Often, we can exist as followers of Christ without the need to make waves. But sometimes, holding back, not speaking out, not being prepared to stand up and be counted when something is plainly wrong, not siding with the poor and dispossessed as we should, putting our own comfort before the manifest needs of others – all these can make us lukewarm.

The fate of the church in Laodicea is a salutary lesson to every church. In Revelation 3, it says:

¹⁵ I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! ¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth. ¹⁷ You say, “I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.” But you do not realise that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. ¹⁸ I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so that you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so that you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so that you can see.

¹⁹ Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. ²⁰ Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

It’s an indictment to us all. We consider ourselves rich, yet in God’s eyes we are poor, blind and naked. I remember Mike talking about a church which advocated tithing 10% of each member’s income. The richest woman said “Surely that doesn’t apply to everyone. In my case, 10% would be a huge sum. There’s got to be an upper limit.”

I laughed, like everyone else, but afterwards thought – yes, but isn’t that what we all feel, each in our own way? And if we are comfortably off, and want for nothing, do we still put a £1 coin in the collecting box of a worthy cause? Should our giving not only be more sacrificial, but also personal – giving of more than our small change, but our time, intelligence, commitment, dignity, and time?

I’m not pointing any fingers here – indeed, my own finger is pointed mainly at myself. Of course I should do more. Of course I should get stuck in. Of course, others in much greater need should take precedence. But don’t.

Mike went on to talk about the rich young ruler, who turned sorrowfully away because he had great wealth. Why was he asked to give away everything he had? Why were others asked for half, and some for none at all? What is your faith asking of you? What is my faith asking of me?

I don’t know, but I am sure of two things. One – now’s a good time to find out, as we prepare for the onset of Advent. Two – it’s got to be more than I give now, much more, not of charitable giving, but also self-sacrifice.

Perhaps the answer lies in the Spirit of Truth – the Paraclete or Advocate who stands alongside us, convicting us, testifying to the truth, comforting, advising, representing, and pleading for us with the Father. For in this household, of which we are members, as it says in today’s reading, in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. What is God’s Spirit saying to you? What is the Spirit saying to me? Amen

Ask and you will receive

Midweek Communion at St Giles Cheddington

Gospel Luke 11

⁵ Then Jesus said to them, ‘Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, “Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; ⁶ a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.” ⁷ And suppose the one inside answers, “Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.” ⁸ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

⁹ ‘So I say to you: ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

¹¹ ‘Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? ¹² Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’

Sermon

Prayer – at heart of Christian life – source of joy, frustration and sometimes pain. Reading comes after Lord’s Prayer.

Longer sermon might include: How do we pray? How does God answer prayer? Why does God sometimes seem to ignore my prayers?

Jesus praying at a certain place. Disciples ask him to teach them how it is done. Jesus replies succinctly:

‘When you pray, say:

‘“Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
³ Give us each day our daily bread.
⁴ Forgive us our sins,
    for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.”’

That’s it! Bits included in Matthew left out. But follows with parables. Sounds like Jesus is telling us to be persistent, even cajoling. But meaning closer to shameless or bold.

Breadless man asks only once. Does not persist, but relies on his friend’s willingness to help. Bold and confident in his request, regardless of time of night and inconvenience of his request.

So we should be bold in making our petitions to God, not hold back, calling upon him to keep his promises to us his children, and reliant on his desire to give us both what we need, and what is good for us.

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

A Christian in Community

Combined service with Methodists – 30 September 2012

Reading James 5.13-20

Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Sermon

Brought up evangelical – monthly communion – choruses – extempore prayer – informal worship. Non-sacramental environment. Thought of anointing sick with oils only for Roman Catholics – extreme unction

St George’s Campden Hill – Anglo-Catholic – genuflecting – incense – exposition of blessed sacrament. Caused some strife – Mary Mason’s funeral – holy water – incense – Shine Jesus Shine.

Here in Cheddington – no tradition – no label – middle-of-the-road. Danger lukewarm – neither one thing nor other – get run over.

I prefer to think – best of each tradition. Baptism – signing with sign of cross in oils. Anointing sick – home communion.

If anyone questioned – point to scripture. James – emphasis on personal responsibility in moral issues. James follows tradition of Deuteronomy – singles out Elijah as example of good man whose prayers were answered because he prayed earnestly. Yet he was just a man like us.

James is certain his prayer leading to healing and anointing with oil done in the name of the Lord. Following example of Jesus himself. Or think of Mark – sending out of disciples on mission. Mark 6:13

¹² They went out and preached that people should repent. ¹³ They drove out many demons and anointed with oil many people who were ill and healed them.

Anointing with olive oil widely used in OT – Leviticus 14 e.g. in relief of leprosy. Anointing if kings – like modern day ordination – set apart to be holy or for a sacred purpose. Other examples you can think of.

2 weeks ago – email. In hospital – finding it hard to write because I haven’t been to church for a while – but I’m in trouble and badly need your prayers. In people’s minds – some sort of link between sickness and wrongdoing. Why has God done this to me and my family?

Job – all about sickness and trouble – whose responsibility? Job’s friends are convinced his misfortune must be result of his sin. It isn’t – but even though unpalatable to modern sensibilities, surprisingly there is an explicit link in James between anointing with oil and forgiveness of sins.

Perhaps we should do healing services in Cheddington? When people come up – stand in line – two members of congregation pray for them – priest anoints both hands with oil – folds hands together in gesture of receiving healing – heal you of all that harms you.

We might be sensitive about charismatic healing – too many perversions and TV evangelists seeking donations to their Toronto-blessing style ministries. James is clear this is not so much a personal charisma, but a community ministry by church members.

He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

So the sick are not left to pray for themselves, but the community joins in the effort on their behalf. I read an article last week about a young man diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma – a form of cancer. He listed help from his friends that he did not find helpful.

· Some things are meant to be – God’s plan

· Long battle against cancer – as if he fought it

· Berating God in prayer – always happens to nicest people

Best intervention from retired priest – no responsibility to pray for yourself – we are church family – we take on that task for you. Individual faith is commendable – but the plight of the gravely ill should not be made worse by feeling they are alone in their fight.

What then of link between healing and forgiveness? Did Jesus not pronounce forgiveness of sins before he healed? We are not Christ – but his body the church. If someone wanders from the truth says James it’s for us as a group of church members to bring him back. The link is clear – a community of support is to pray for a sick person – and a community of support is to care for those who have gone astray. We bear a mutual responsibility for each other.

The more we retreat into our own homes; the more we communicate only through email and social networking; the less we meet each other face-to-face – harder this becomes, and less effective. I sometimes think it’s harder to ask for help than to offer it. But love for others is essential component in Christian journey. Journey we make together, side by side. Like pilgrimage. We are all involved in each other’s lives, helping each other in our physical and spiritual journeys, and that’s the nub of the text from James.

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.Amen