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On the Feast of St. James the Apostle

Rev. Andrew Lythall 25.07.10

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Well firstly may I say how wonderful it is to be with you this morning, preaching my very first sermon as a curate from this rather imposing and, from my point of view, nerve-racking, pulpit. I’m told that I’m curate number 65, which is a bit intimidating because I have 64 others to live up to, but also quite reassuring, because I know that 64 others have survived the experience! But thank you all for making me so welcome in the parish; I’m getting to know a few names now and it’s lovely on my walk to the Church every day that many of you say a cheery “good morning”, so thank you for helping both me and Jenny to make the transition into this new place.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St James the Apostle, also known as St. James the Great. This year, James’ feast falls on a Sunday, and so according to the Catholic Church we are in a “jubilee year”, which makes today an extra special festival. James, along with his brother John was one of the first disciples called to follow Jesus. A fisherman by trade, he soon became one of Jesus’ most trusted apostles; Jesus chose him amongst other tasks to witness to the transfiguration, for example. In our reading this morning from Matthew 20, Jesus correctly predicts that James must die for the Faith, as recorded in Acts 11. Indeed, you can still go and view his remains at Santiago de Compostella, Spain if you are so inclined, although in my opinion, that’s a little bit morbid. Throughout the Gospels, James appears to act with conviction, courage and loyalty to Jesus, and so it is with joy that we remember his work and witness today.

We hear in our gospel reading today of an encounter between James’ mother, probably called Salome, and Jesus. Salome, being a good mother, begs Jesus that her two sons might sit at his right and left hand in heaven. Obviously, sitting on the left and especially right hand of Jesus would cement James and John’s status as pre-eminent amongst the disciples. But Jesus responds that it is not up to Him who sits where in heaven; it is the Father alone who can decide that. At this news, the other disciples, as often is the case, begin falling out with each other, each trying, no doubt, to justify their own reasons for them claiming the heavenly seat at God’s right hand. But Jesus rebukes them- this is not how it is in the Kingdom of God. Whoever wants to be great must be a servant, just as He himself was a servant. You can almost see the embarrassment on James and John’s faces; what has their mother gotten them into this time?

This is yet another example of Jesus teaching that in the Kingdom of God, our social system is turned upside down. One thing that I have obviously had to get used to is wearing a dog collar throughout the day. And whilst sometimes this means that, occasionally, people shout things at me out of their cars or on the street, it also carries with it a lot of privilege. I can get into Chester cathedral for free. The “Funky Monkey” coffee shop round the corner seems to give me extra loyalty stamps. The vergers, Ian or Nigel bring me a cup of tea in the morning without me even having to ask. I am often almost instantly trusted by complete strangers. And as a result of this, I have found that it is easy to slip into a mentality of being more important than other people. And yet, as Jesus tells us over and over again as in Matthew 20:26, the first will be last and the last will be first. There is no place for self-aggrandisement in the Kingdom of God.

Unfortunately, this is an ideal which society simply cannot bring itself to accept. In an environment where money and social success equals power and privilege, Christians are scorned and derided for their call to live holy lives of self-giving and generous love. And yet, God is not mocked, and the continued strength of the Church throughout the ages demonstrates the truth of the Christian gospel. In the words of St. Paul, we are afflicted but not crushed; perplexed but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down but not destroyed. Fundamentally, we know that although society might regard us as irrelevant, misguided or even dangerous, the glory of God is much more important than any worldly priorities. In a few moments we are going to sing one of my absolute favourite hymns, which reminds us that in the face of God, human glory becomes irrelevant and meaningless:

Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand.

Ponder nothing earthly minded, for with blessing in His hand,

Christ our God to earth decendeth, our full homage to demand.

So as our gospel reading this morning reminds us; whatever the glories of this world, they are passing away, but the glory of God, and the glory of His Church, endures forever. Earthly status and worldly prestige doesn’t matter; the greatest will be least and the least greatest in God’s Kingdom.

So how can we respond to the words of Jesus and Paul this morning? Well, we can start by remembering that Jesus calls us each to be servants, and so we can respond by doing so- serving each other, sharing with each other, listening to each other and always remembering that we are all equal before the eyes of God. I often struggle in my faith because I am always comparing myself to other, holier people. We see around us in stained glass images of saints whose holiness appears to be completely out of our reach. But we must remember that God loves us gathered here today just as much as He loves St. James, or anyone else- He shows no partiality (Romans 2:11). And what better way to remember our Christian equality than to gather together around the altar table of our Lord as one body, and to meet the risen Jesus in the breaking of the bread. So we can respond to Jesus’ call by remembering to be servants to all.

Similarly, as Paul reminds us in his second letter to the Corinthians read to us this morning, we are each called to carry our treasure in clay jars, in other words to give all glory to God and not to ourselves. And although it sometimes might not seem like it, especially when we look at the historical abuse of power in the Church, the Church is full of clay jars; people who give tirelessly without any recognition or reward so that the Kingdom of God may grow up amongst us. Indeed, one thing I learned during my training is that it is not just the people at the front who keep the Church going, although they obviously play an important part. But just as important are the people who give of themselves, time, talents, financially or otherwise, so that the Church may continue to prosper as it has done for centuries. We all have a part to play in the building of the Kingdom here in Stockport and anywhere else. And we can take comfort in the fact that, although we are often mocked or ridiculed for our beliefs, and though it can sometimes seems like the Church isn’t really getting anywhere, our work is precious to God, who sees all things. So if you feel like you are often overlooked, or that people don’t seem to care about the good that you do as a Christian in your day to day life, as difficult as that is, take heart, and remember that God values treasure in clay jars more than anything else.

Ultimately, let us remember that at the completion of God’s Kingdom which is drawing near, when Christ comes again in glory, the first will be last and the last will be first; whoever wishes to be great must become a servant. What’s more, let’s remember that, as Jesus tells us, we don’t know who is going to be seated at the right hand of God in heaven- only the Father knows that. For all we know, the Father may even have chosen one of us to sit there. It might be the homeless person on the street; it might be a visitor in church this morning. With that in mind, whoever we encounter, the love of Christ compels us all to serve, and to treat others as we ourselves would like to be treated. And if we spend our lives serving others, and treating them like they will be worthy of sitting at God’s right hand, all the while carrying our treasure in clay jars, then who knows- when the time comes, it might just be you filling that seat by His side.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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God, not money (Luke 16)

Rev. Andrew Lythall 26.09.10

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

There was a five-man lifeboat with three people in it. “Right”, said Roger, the captain of the lifeboat. “We have plenty of rations to last until someone rescues us, which won’t be long, so we can probably have another chocolate biscuit and a shot of rum each. Any objections?”

“Sorry”, said John, “But shouldn’t our priority be to pick up that poor drowning woman over there who has been shouting to us for the past half an hour?” The crew looked embarrassed.

“We agreed”, said Roger, that it’s not our fault she’s drowning, and if we pick her up we won’t be able to enjoy our extra rations. Why should we disrupt our cosy set up here?”

“Because she’ll die if we don’t save her”, said John. “Isn’t that reason enough?”

“Not for me”, replied Roger. “Anyone for a digestive?”

A shocking, admittedly flippant story, but one with some degree of truth to it through which obvious analogies can be drawn. We in the West sit in our proverbial lifeboat, unwilling to give to those who are in desperate need. We constantly refuse, as a nation and as individuals, to give our resources to those most in need.  And I know that it’s really annoying people banging on that we must give all of our money away to needy causes, the Church in particular. But it seems clear that Jesus tells us, time and time again, that we must forsake money if we are to find the Kingdom of God. In our first reading from 1Timothy 6:11, for example, Jesus tells us to shun wealth. But what does he mean by this?

I may have previously mentioned that I try to live by this, the Rule of St Benedict, written in the sixth century, the three key pillars of which are broadly poverty, chastity and obedience. I have no problem with being obedient to the Church, nor with being chaste, but one thing I sometimes struggle with is the poverty bit. As you have probably seen, I often wear a cassock, as a sort of modest habit, and try to be prudent with money. But I also really like champagne, and caviar, and collecting model trains which, as the vicar will tell you, aren’t cheap.

And so, when I first started trying to follow the Rule, I often used to feel guilty about spending money on things I didn’t’ really need, or when buying a holiday to somewhere fancy. But after a great deal of reflection, including on the passages we have read this morning, I’ve come to a realisation that Jesus isn’t saying don’t spend any money on yourself, or that you must give every last penny away to others, but rather that we should not let money guide our actions and cloud God’s will for us, or become more important to us than God. This is reiterated by Paul; 1 Timothy 6:17 tells us- “do not set your hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who provides us with everything”. Christ makes clear that this is to be our number one priority- trust in God, not in wealth. Forsake the love of other things for love of God. Put God first. In the lifeboat, having possessions became more important than saving a life, and in our Gospel passage this morning from Luke 16, we hear that the rich man loved money before everything else, to his detriment. And so, when it comes to money, its’ right that we make provision for ourselves, and for our children if necessary. And yes, it’s right that we are able to enjoy much of our money as we wish. But we must always be mindful never to love money, and to always give generously to both the Church and to those who do not have what we have. That’s why Scripture directs us to tithe our income- to give to the Church a tenth of what we receive as a thank-offering to God, to be used in the building of the Kingdom and the relief of the poor and needy, as a gesture by which we reject money’s hold over us and go some way to showing that our priority is God, not wealth.

In our own age, of course, this is a plea that often falls on deaf ears. Society’s obsession with money and success has reached new heights. You only have to watch reality shows on the television, or read “the Sun” to realise that people are prepared to go to virtually any lengths- will say or do anything- to make money and have their 5 minutes of success. But as I preached on Wednesday, Benedict XVI tells us that success is not the mark of a Christian. Money and prestige and power are not Christian priorities. Indeed, as Luke 16 tells us, the pursuit of wealth and power creates a chasm between us and God. Paul goes on to tell us in 1 Timothy that we should not pursue worldly ways, but instead that we should seek righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. The world might laugh at this, seeing it as nonsense, but we know that it is rather the pursuit of money and power that is empty; there is no reward in being rich, because wealth, like life, is fleeting.

The rich man in Luke realised, once he had died, that money is of no consequence in God’s Kingdom. On the other hand, by living as Jesus commanded us, we store up treasure for ourselves in heaven that is everlasting.

However, this is a lesson which is easy for us to forget. If we are to ask why we need more people in church, the answer sometimes comes that it’s for financial reasons, or so that we can keep the building open. And it’s true that stewardship of this magnificent building is an important aspect of our ministry, and that balancing the books is likewise an important custodial task. But Jesus tells us that we need to remember our priorities- to serve others, to give selflessly, and to set God, not money or any other distraction, at the very centre of our lives and Church community. The Church’s mission is not to make money or keep itself going for its own sake, but to bring new people the Good News of Christ, and to take His love and hope to every corner of the world, even our little corner of Stockport. If we lose sight of this goal, become interested in other things, then we cease to realise what we are here for in the first place. In our wealth-obsessed society, it is money that is often the thing that comes between us and God; as 1 Timothy tells us, money is not the root of all evil, but it is the root of all kinds of evil. This corruption has of course happened in the past- the Church has succumbed to the evil of money in history. In the Church of the middle ages, for example, a distinctly uncomfortable parallel can be drawn between the rich man in Luke who dressed in purple and feasted every day and many bishops, also dressed in purple, who were more concerned with managing their estates than visiting parish churches and congregations.

I started with a lifeboat story, and so I’ll finish with one too. Apologies if you have already heard this one:

On a dangerous seacoast there was once a simple little lifeboat station. It was just a hut, with one boat. The crew members were very brave, and often put out to sea to save lives. They became famous. People of goodwill began to help. Many others joined and an organisation was formed. A bigger boat was built. A nice new station was built, well furnished and decorated. It became a kind of club. Photographs of lifeboats and rescue operations were hung on all the walls. As time went on it became harder to get members to go out to sea on difficult missions, so the members hired a lifeboat crew. The club became a hive of activity. One night a large ship was wrecked. The lifeboat crew managed to rescue many people, but the club was in chaos and got very dirty. At the next meeting a decision was taken to build a shower outside where shipwrecked folk could be cleaned before coming in.

Some proposed the motion that the lifesaving activities should be suspended as they were playing havoc with the other important club activities. A small group insisted that lifesaving was what it was all about. They were voted down. This group left the club and built a humble lifesaving station further down the coast where they started to do their heroic work.

That scenario is a trap that many churches can fall into, because we can forget our priorities and put other things, including money, before our service to God.  We must therefore be mindful not to do likewise. There are great things going on in this church; lots of hard work is being done for the glory of God and the proclamation of His Word by this congregation of faithful people. So today, as we join together around the Eucharistic table, let’s remember to hold on to our priorities, both as individuals and the Church; to trust in God, and not in wealth; to forsake the love of other things for the love of God; to give generously of ourselves, and to put God and others first, above our own desires. For if we do that then truly, when our time comes, we will find great treasures indeed in heaven.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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Matthew 22:15-22

Give to God what is God’s

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

“Give to the emperor what is the emperor’s, and give to God what is God’s.”

Words from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 22, verse 21, read to us in our second lesson this evening, whereby, in answer to a challenge from the Pharisees and the Herodians regarding whether or not to pay taxes; Jesus holds us a coin and gives an astonishing and unexpected answer to His contemporaries.

A couple of months ago, my wife, Jenny and I went to York to visit the minster and whilst there, I was pleased to be able to pop into one of my favourite shops- Spinks- a purveyor of historical coins, medals and banknotes. To my interest, I found that they had an actual Roman denarius for sale. On speaking to the assistant, I learnt that it dated from around 21AD, meaning that there was a tiny possibility, however remote, that this could be the very coin that Jesus held up in our Gospel reading. This almost convinced me to buy the coin, but upon discovering that it was worth £200, Jenny forced me to leave the shop, lest my interest get the better of me.

The ancient Jewish approach to coinage is surprisingly interesting. Jews were not technically allowed to have icons on their coins, and yet due to the Roman occupation beginning in 63BC, the coins of Jesus’ day had a large image of Caesar struck on one side and of his mother on the reverse. The coins were also stamped with a proclamation that the emperor was the “Son of God”. As a result, Roman coinage was blasphemy in its purest sense; totally unacceptable in ancient Jewish circles. Handling coinage was therefore technically forbidden, and this served as a further reason why tax collectors were so despised as we heard Alan talk about last week. And yet, most Jews used the coins on a regular basis; we hear in Matthew 21 for example, how monetary commerce was prevalent in the temple- supposedly the most holy of places. In other words, they had forsaken their traditional beliefs because it was more convenient to do so. When Jesus sees this, He is appalled- He turns the tables over in the temple and one can just imagine that when holding up the coin, Jesus handles it like we would handle- as Tom Wright puts it- a dead rodent.

When we read through the gospels, and to a certain extent, Paul’s letters, we see that the religious community of Jesus’ day was considerably corrupted in this, and other, ways. Upon His arrival into Jerusalem, Jesus immediately begins to renounce the lapsed practices of the Pharisees and religious leaders. It is for this reason that the religious powers of the day are so eager to get rid of Him. It is interesting to note that in this passage it is both the Pharisees and the Herodians- bitter enemies in Jesus’ day- who are attempting to lure Jesus into saying or doing something illegal. This further serves to illustrate His authority in destroying corruption, and also the anger and stubbornness of His contemporaries.

Overall, our gospel reading presents us with a bleak image of the religious community in Jerusalem during Jesus’ ministry there. Despite speaking with authority and obvious wisdom, whenever Jesus preaches, He is rebuked; He is rejected at every turn and continually angers the religious authorities, although they cannot deny that He is speaking the truth. This situation, of course, eventually culminates in His crucifixion, when once again the Herodian and Pharisaic factions unite to put an end to Jesus’ earthly life. The religious community in Jerusalem during Jesus’ day was not one that I would want to be a part of. They were clearly not giving to God what is God’s.

If we are to compare this image, however, to the image of the Christian communities in the New Testament, we see a totally different situation. Here, we find a holy and devout people, committed to their faith and living out the gospel message. Indeed, their commitment to Christ is such that they need not even speak about Jesus to impress people- their actions and their example of living alone is enough to testify to the “different way” of Jesus. This is something that we have been looking at in the Discipleship Explored course, which meets on a Monday evening and to which you are still very much welcome. Although both the early Church and the Pharisaic Jews share many similarities (both communities were under persecution), whilst the Jewish community slips into collaboration and begrudging acceptance, the Early Church does not; its members remain steadfast in their hope and labour of love for the Kingdom, even when they are attacked and killed on the streets. They give to God entirely what is God’s- their whole lives, dedicated to holiness, serving both God and others. The early Church very much emulates Christ, and carries His life forward in a very obvious way. Its ecclesiology is not legalistic or monolithic, but christocentric and spirit-led; clearly prospering and worthy of praise.

And so we need to ask of ourselves- could our Church and our lives be described as being like that of those in the New Testament- steadfast in hope and in a labour of love for living the gospel of Christ? Or are we more akin to the religious elders of Jesus’ day as shown in our Gospel passage- legalistic and bickering? Do we, as a Church, really give to God what is God’s- our whole selves, in his service? Indeed, how do we even begin to go about such a thing?

Well, this is a huge task, and not one that we can perform in our own strength- this is the power of the Spirit at work in the Church; which is infinitely more powerful than any law or legal framework. Equipped with openness to the spirit, we can know God’s will and purpose for our lives and for the life of His Church. Through the spirit, we are empowered to live the gospel, and in a very real way to be Jesus, figuratively and literally. By abandoning worldly priorities and instead embracing Christ, we are able to give to God what is God’s; our own selves, fully and without reserve. This is the mission of the Christian disciple; to live in the world, but not be of the world; to lead lives of holiness and love: to give to God what is God’s and not be very concerned with the rest.

I think that this is summed up rather nicely by St. Cyprian, a third century bishop, who described Christian life in a letter as follows:

"It's a bad world, Donatus, - an incredibly bad world. But in the midst of it is a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their souls. They have forsaken this world. These people are Christians -- and I am one of them."

And so, in our daily living, let us resolve to truly give to God what is His, always striving to live not as the Pharisees and Herodians- concerned with legalism and maintaining the status quo at any cost- but rather to be like the Christian communities described in Scripture; steadfast in love for one another, open to the power of the spirit, labouring in all things for the Kingdom of God, living out the gospel with joy, and always trusting with ultimate hope in the saving power of Jesus Christ. For to him, with the Father and the Spirit, belong praise and glory forever.

Amen.

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1 Corinthians 1

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

I’m not sure if you are aware, but we are at the moment right in the middle of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This is a time when Christians the world over, regardless of denomination, pray for the unity of the Church to be restored- that, as Jesus prayed, we may all be one as he and the Father are one.

Unity is, of course, very much a rich theme in Scripture. From the early foundations of the Church, which we hear about in the calling of Peter from Matthew 4 this morning, to the letters of Paul, we hear a constant call: let there be no divisions amongst us. In his first letter to the Corinthians, read this morning, for example, Paul writes urging unity between the household of God. Incidentally, the fact that Paul writes explicitly to “Chloe’s household” provides further evidence of the central role of women in the early Church, operating in positions of leadership.

If we look at Paul’s letters as a whole, and the Scriptural model of the Church described to us in, for example, Acts 2, we see that unity is very much a feature of early Christianity. Of course, surrounded by a hostile society and faced with the possibility of the Church going under before it really began, the early Christians very much needed to remain united, as Paul urges in 1 Corinthians. Thanks to the guidance of the Spirit, and the unity of the followers, even in the face of extreme danger and difficulty, day by day the Church was growing, like some great and beautiful flower sprouting from the roots of the Apostles and watered by the spirit. When I think about the nature of the early Church, the one thought that keeps coming back to me as I read this passage, and think about the early Apostolic Church is this- what went wrong? How on earth did we get from the model of Christian community asked of by Christ and described in Scripture, united in thought and purpose, to our situation today- fragmented and full of division?

Well, I think that there are three reasons we find ourselves in a very different situation than the early church.

Firstly, our vision has become a little clouded. We forget that for the first few centuries, when Paul was writing, the Church had very little in the form of written doctrine. The Nicene Creed, for example, was not formulated until 325 and Eucharistic Prayers used to be improvised by the bishop celebrating until something like the fourth century. Today, with our libraries full of conflicting theological ideas, we have arguably somewhat obscured that fundamental truth of Christ’s Lordship over all, of the wonderful gift of eternal life that we have been given.

Secondly, the nature of human beings has gotten in the way. It is the nature of our fallen selves that we are to argue and fall out with each other. It is our nature that we look after our own, and not so much others. The notion of selling one’s house and giving the money to the Church, as was done in the early Church, today seems ridiculous. But perhaps we need to recapture some of that radical commitment to the mission of Christ in the world. Perhaps we need to overcome some of our own weaknesses in order to put up more patiently with the weaknesses of others.

Thirdly, and most importantly, we have over the history of the Church occasionally stopped listening to the Spirit. And yet the moment we stop listening to the Spirit is like a light switch being flicked off. We are commanded by Christ time and time again- listen to what the Spirit is saying. Without the guidance of the Spirit, we become a dead institution. If we are closed minded, resistant to any form of change, unaware of how the Spirit is moving, then we are never going to reclaim the wonderful ecclesial vision of Acts 2. Instead, we are destined to become stale- a museum to past glories, but nothing more.

And so, in order to once again restore that apostolic unity, we must once again re-focus upon the wonderful truth of Christ. We must overcome our human greed and selfishness. And we must listen to each other and to the Spirit. And our quest for unity is not an optional extra or fanciful idea. Paul explicitly commands us in 1 Corinthians that we are to live as one. As we heard him say in chapter 1, “I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.” Christ, like Paul, does not request, but rather demands unity. One church. One faith. One Lord; that is the call to which we must answer.

If you, like me, are a bit of a pessimist at times, this might seem a little idealistic. We all know that the Church of England falls out with itself every other day; all sorts of divisive issues break relationships and hinder the progress of the Gospel. But it doesn’t have to be like that here, in our small corner of the holy Church. One thing that I like to recall from time to time- particularly appropriate today in light of the calling of the fishermen- is that the word Nave, in which we sit, come from the latin navis, meaning ship That means that we are all in the same boat. And so we are called to support each other, to be united in our journey of faith together.

Of course, there are barriers to our unity with one another. All sorts of things happen all of the time that cause us to fall out, or to say an unkind word, to talk about someone behind their back, or to become exasperated with others. It’s only human. But we can, here, today, begin to climb those hurdles by pledging to continue in our generous love with each other, bearing in mind our calling in Christ, and being open to the leading of the Spirit. And who knows what wonderful flourishing of faith and unity may begin, simply by our unity in Christ together; all one in the ship of this great church.

And so, as the week for Christian Unity comes to a close, may we, here in St. George’s and across the whole Church let this prayer continue: may we all be one, as the Son and the Father are one.

Amen.

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Dual Citizenship

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

A few years ago, I was fortunate enough to visit Corinth, the city to which Paul was addressing his letter read to us this morning. Rather sadly, it is a shadow of its former self; once a bustling and important trading city, Corinth is a now a small town with very little to see, except for grossly overpriced gift shops and people incessantly trying to sell you a timeshare. There is a church or two, but they are tiny and not particularly vibrant. This is surprising, as the church obviously had some excellent guidance from Paul as to how to conduct their affairs, although it perhaps tells us something of the character of the Corinthian church, in that Paul had to write not once, but twice, in order to admonish and correct their wrongdoings.

As we heard this morning, one thing that the Corinthian Church, and many of the early churches, struggled with was how they should relate to the world around them. The early Christians struggled to understand how to behave in their contemporary society. They trod a difficult balance between loyalty to the Church, and loyalty to the state. They were surrounded by many sects and competing religions, all claiming to have the ultimate truth about the divine. These difficulties were of course very much heightened by the persecution of Christians under early Roman rule. Holding the tension between Church practice and State law must have been very difficult indeed.

Nevertheless, Paul makes clear; we are to be in the world but not of the world- although we are resident in a physical country we are also citizens of the Kingdom of God. As a result, we hold dual citizenship. And it’s true that the Kingdom of God has many aspects of a country. We have our symbol, the cross, we have anthems and hymns, we have a hierarchical leadership, a parliament, in some ways our own language, and other things besides. But the Kingdom of God is, of course, very different from any worldly kingdom. Not least, as Matthew recorded in his Gospel we read this morning, Christ tells us that members of God’s Kingdom are the salt and light of the world. Salt brings the fullest flavour out of food and in the same way, the love of Christ brings the fullest potential out of humanity. The Kingdom of God is truly a wonderful construct- a place where the fullest goodness of humanity can dwell. In the Kingdom of God, we find out fulfilment and our purpose and become the best people we can be.

And although that is a wonderful thing, ours is a country, Paul tells us, that is often mocked or misunderstood. Because you can’t understand the Kingdom of God unless you are a part of it.

The problem we are faced with in our day is that as Christianity becomes less influential over the moral and social structures of our society, we often find that there is a clash between Church and State.  As a result, the Church sometimes finds itself in a difficult position; it has to continually fend off attacks by secularists and politicians who would rather not see an influential Church. Conversely, it is also fair to say that it is when the Church has tried to wield influence over the State that some of the darker chapters of Christian history have happened- I think not least of the Crusades. This is not unique to the Church, but is a natural product of when two societies come together- there is always some culture clash. We also see this cultural confusion in the wider world. When Kentucky Fried Chicken entered the Chinese market, to their horror they discovered that their slogan "finger lickin' good" came out as "eat your fingers off". Similarly, the Chinese translation of Pepsi’s slogan "Pepsi Brings you Back to Life" can be interpreted as "Pepsi Brings Your Ancestors Back from the Grave".

Today, rather sadly, we find ourselves in a similar situation to that of the Corinthian Christians, albeit not as extreme. We too find ourselves surrounded by a hostile society, full of voices competing for our attention. We often find ourselves torn between the concerns of the world and the demands of the Church. So how are we to behave as citizens of God’s Kingdom? Should the Church become an introverted society, focussed entirely on its own affairs and forsaking the rest of the world?

In response to this approach, Jesus is very clear- do not hide your light under a bushel, but put it on display for all to see. Our Gospel reading this morning reminds us that we have a duty to be a light of hope and good news for the world. As citizens of God’s Kingdom, our first concern is to proclaim to others our membership of that Kingdom- to flash our proverbial passport. In verse 16, he says: “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” And because of this, it is futile to say, as some politicians do, that “the Church should stay out of politics”. Because of the overlapping of the two worlds, this is an impossible demand. The Kingdom of God, whilst separate from the Kingdoms of the world, is also inherently entwined with them. We are commanded by Christ- do not keep yourselves to yourselves, but proclaim in each generation the wonderful news of salvation that we have been given.

And so we are called to let the light of Christ shine out of our lives, and to not hide our faith under a bushel. Because Christ calls us all to witness his love to the world- it is one of the most important duties of citizens of the Kingdom of God. When I was younger, I always used to want to be a diplomat or ambassador- it seemed like a life of glamorous parties and high-level debate, you got to wear a red sash and according to the adverts, you also got to eat a lot of Ferrero Rocher. And, whilst my career has obviously taken a different, someone less lucrative turn, I have still to an extent got my wish- because we are all diplomats. Each of us, you and me, are ambassadors for the Kingdom of God. The way we behave, the way we treat others, is how those outside of the Kingdom perceive those within it.

This evangelism by example is an incredibly powerful tool at our disposal. Paul tells us that words are unimportant and can only get us so far- but by living according to the will of the Spirit, there is nothing that we cannot do. With the help of the Spirit, we can be salt and light to the world; salt, because we bring out the full potential of humanity and enrich our relationship with God, and light because we illuminate the dark places of the world with the love, joy and hope of the Gospel, just as countless saints have done before us.

The Church at Corinth had, in many ways lost its saltiness and had started to hide its light under a bushel. It had stopped living Christ-centred values, stopped proclaiming the Gospel in the world, and had begun to give up in the face of apathy and rejection by wider society. We, unlike them, must always resolve to keep our saltiness; to remember our calling to live out our lives as full members of the Kingdom of God. We must remember that, although sometimes the things we do here at St George’s might seem unimportant or sometimes even pointless, they are all important in the building of God’s Kingdom. Although it might sometimes seem like we’re not getting anywhere, out saltiness and our light remain constant within the hope of Christ. More importantly, we must remember that we, each of us, are critical to God’s saving plan. No one is irrelevant; no one is useless. In the Kingdom of God, and in his Church, we all have value- God shows no partiality. And so this week, fellow citizens, let us remember that we are of eternal value to Jesus and to the work of his Kingdom, and let us therefore with renewed joy and commitment go out into the world to be his salt and light, shining forth with the radiance of the Father, empowered with the love of Jesus, and equipped by the Spirit, to the glory of God and his Church.

Amen.

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Matthew 6

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Last week, on my day off, Jenny persuaded me to take her to the Trafford Centre. We had a great time- we watched the King’s Speech, I bought some new things for my model railway and we had a lovely dinner at a restaurant. But when it was time to go, we went outside and I realised that, once again, I had completely failed to remember where I had parked my car. I knew that it was somewhere near John Lewis, but that didn’t help very much in a car park that holds 10,000 vehicles. After a few minutes of looking, I started to think all sorts of things- perhaps it had been stolen. Perhaps it had been set on fire. Perhaps, knowing my luck, the police had come, towed it away and crushed it into a cube. After a couple of minutes, however, and to my relief I found it safe and sound, and realised that all of the fretting had been for nothing.

If there’s one thing that you can say about me, it’s that I am a worrier. I worry about pretty much everything. And I know I’m not alone. It’s a very common thing- people who worry about the future, or about the weather, or about money, or a whole variety of problems. And it’s for this reason that I find our Gospel reading, Matthew 6:25-34, my absolute favourite passage in the bible. Jesus tells us directly, “God knows what you need, so do not worry”. Wonderful words, full of hope and confidence in God’s saving plan for us all. The problem is- isn’t it easy to forget God’s guiding hand when we are faced with a missing car, or the illness of a loved one, or some other tragedy. Isn’t it easy to think that God might have forgotten about us, or stopped caring about our wellbeing. And doesn’t it come naturally to worry about the fact that maybe we haven’t got enough faith, or maybe we are just too sinful for God’s redeeming, or beyond the power of his grace.

And yet, throughout the bible we see time and time again- God is a faithful God. God never abandons us. This is not just a theme from the Old Testament- Genesis, for example, reminds us of God’s guiding hand in our universe, both in its creation and in an ongoing sense. Whilst we might not believe that the Creation story is a literal account of what happened at the beginning of time- feel free to discuss this with me afterwards if you disagree- it nevertheless describes for us in wonderful prose the majesty and abundant richness of God’s creation. And when we are faced with a God who is so powerful, so omniscient, and capable of producing such infinite beauty, it’s hard to think that his guiding hand is not present in our lives too. Indeed, we are told by Jesus that God loves each of us more than his creation- more than birds or lilies or countless other things. Even when we turned our back on that creation as described to us in Genesis and first sinned against God, even when we lost paradise, and shattered our relationship with God, he didn’t abandon us. In fact, quite the opposite- out of love he enacted a plan for our salvation in Christ Jesus that would eclipse many times over the sinfulness of our fall.

Similarly, when we read the Romans passage, we are reminded that we have a wonderful hope in the flowering of the new creation at the end of time. Paul tells us that what he calls the “groaning of creation”, the inexorable weight of the sinfulness of humanity, the troubled events of our lives, the problems that befall God’s Church are only labour pains, as difficult as they are, to be endured until the fulfilment of creation at the end of time at which things will find their completion. God promises us- it might not seem like it sometimes, but he has got things covered.

But once again, as wonderful as that concept is, and as clear as Scripture is about God’s faithfulness, we are brought back, in a very human way, to the fact that as well as that might be, it doesn’t really help the car pass its MOT, or pay the gas bill. We might not worry so much in our age about what we are going to wear or where our food is going to come from in a bad harvest as our biblical forebears did, but nevertheless, its true that we have to deal with a lot in our lives- making ends meet, friends and family passing away, dealing with tragedy, achieving our goals in life, struggling to be holy. Sometimes we are faced with incredibly difficult circumstances- as the people of Christchurch are at the moment- and it’s easy to see how people in their position might feel something on being abandoned by God. But Jesus assures us- don’t worry, God is there helping us along every step of the way. And even when the time comes for us to leave this earthly life, and it will, God is there too present, always leading us onwards. He’s not going anywhere.

Over the past few months, I’ve come to realise that as I look back over the parts of my life that I found difficult and worrisome- sitting school and university exams, my Dad passing away when I was 14, discerning and following a vocation to the priesthood, settling into my first proper working environment- it was at those times that God was working most closely in my life. At the time, they were times filled with worry and apprehension, with doubt and sometimes loneliness. But throughout, looking back, God was there all of the time, making sure that everything would be ok. And in the same way, I have come to realise that it was when I was not worrying about being holy or that I wasn’t good enough that I have found it easiest to be contented in God’s presence. In my experience, it is when we start trusting in a faithful God that we find that our faithfulness in turn becomes much stronger.

Throughout the history of the human story, and throughout the story of our lives, we have had to deal with countless setbacks, and difficult events, and devastating losses and all the rest. We look around us and we see that people are at war with each other, famine and poverty are still a daily reality for millions, and natural disasters afflict people the world over. The sad fact is that for the rest of our lives, and for the rest of time, we are going to have to continue to face loss and death and difficulty. But what we must remember is that, as Jesus tells us, we have a faithful God. We have a God who has promised never to abandon us. And we have a God who will always love us, no matter what. And so what we can know from our Gospel reading this morning, and from our collective experience is that whatever life might throw at us, whatever crisis we might face, whatever suffering we might have to endure, God tells us- don’t worry, everything is going to be all right.

And do you know what? It is.

Amen.


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On Christ the King

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Well, happy Feast of Christ the King, everybody!

The festival that we celebrate this morning is is a fairly recent addition to the Church’s calendar- it was introduced in 2000- but nonetheless it forms an important part of the narrative of our Christian story that we repeat each and every year as a part of the Christian hallowing of time.  On the Feast of Christ the King, we remember that Jesus is Lord of all things, and that He reigns eternally with the Father in the unity of the Spirit. And so we bring to mind the Kingly nature of Jesus. In Paul’s letter to the Colossians chapter 1, read to us this morning, we are given a vivid picture of this Lordship and status. Christ is described as “the firstborn of all creation; He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together; for in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell”. And so we are reminded today of the undisputed primacy of Christ in creation- the King of all things. Whilst this is a modern festival, it is not a modern concept- indeed, the image of Jesus as the ruler of creation is one very much depicted in Christian art throughout the centuries. On our magnificent east window, for example, there is a striking central panel of Christ sitting in Kingly glory, and as part of the Christmas Tree Festival Advent Prayer Trail, we are using a beautiful 6^th century mosaic image of Christ triumphant. And yet, in stark contrast, we hear in Luke 23, that Jesus, the epitome of Godhead, vested with supreme authority and dominion, dies an unjust death on the cross, mocked and cursed to the very end. A very striking parallel indeed; and one which we face each time we look at an image of the crucifixion; the King of the universe, succumbed to wood and nails, only to rise in ultimate triumph to sit at God’s right hand. It is this transformation that we celebrate this morning; Jesus from condemned criminal to triumphant King of all things.

But  as well as celebrating Christ’s kingship this morning, in addition to that aspect of our feast day we also remember that a King must have a Kingdom, and so today is also a celebration of our life together as the Kingdom and Church of God, of which, Paul reminds us, Jesus is the head. And so we remember and celebrate the ministry and mission of that Kingdom of which we are a part; we might seem like an insignificant addition, but in fact God values each of us equally. Indeed, one of the marks of God’s Kingdom is the equality of all regardless of class or gender or ethnicity.  In addition, Christ the King marks the end of our liturgical year, before we start at our beginning once again with Advent, and so we look forward with anticipation to the completion of Christ’s Kingdom on Earth, and the culmination of all things at the end of time. I love this festival because its the one day of the year, except maybe Easter Day, when we can really take heart in the promise of Christ. The Feast of Christ the King reminds us that we have a great victory in Jesus. It’s one day in the year in which we can re-focus our minds on the ultimate triumph of Christ and His Church over the forces of sin and death in the world. And so we can take heart, because amidst our world of hatred and greed, violence and injustice, it doesn’t matter that the Church is ridiculed and attacked, because ultimately, Jesus has promised that His Church will find its fulfilment in the end no matter what. The victory of Christ on the cross is also our victory; if we keep that thought in our minds, it’s surprising how much the trouble and cares of the world seem to melt away.

So the question is, at this time of year, how are we to respond both to the fact that Jesus is King of creation, and to the wonderful privilege of being servants of such a king, and part of the Body of Christ? Are we to come along to Church every now and then- providing that nothing more important is going on- spend an hour in worship and then carry on with our lives as normal come Monday? Or, as our liturgical year ends, are we to recommit ourselves to the service of God over this next year, offering our whole selves in His service? Being a part of the Kingdom of God- Christ’s Body- is not a small matter; it requires from us a loving response to Jesus’ call to be His servants in the world. Fundamentally, it requires us to give more than 60 minutes on a Sunday morning to God.

One question that we have looked at as part of the Discipleship Explored course on a Monday evening is that of why we come to church in the first place. It’s more than to see valued friends and its more than for the excellent coffee afterwards, always so cheerily served! The praise and worship that we offer this morning and throughout the week is our response to God’s saving power in Christ- we give thanks for the victory won for us over sin once and for all. But more than that, in worship, and especially in the Eucharist, we see a glimpse of the Kingdom of God which is being built. In the Eucharist, we see a sign of what a restored humanity looks like. At the communion table, where all are welcome and all are fed, we connect with the mystical reality of the Body of Christ in a unique way: though we are many, we are one body, because we all share in one bread. The Eucharist is a foretaste of the wonderful feast of Heaven that waits for us after we have left this Earthly life. And more than that, in the Eucharist, Christ comes into the middle of His Church in a unique and full way.

And so the Feast of Christ the King is an opportunity to reflect on the nature of the Body of Christ- the holy Church of which Christ is the undisputed head. Because that’s what we are each called to be a part of- not a social club, or a party political organisation– but the very reality of the Body of Christ itself. The Church of which we are a part is much more than bricks and mortar- even much more than the fellowship that we share together. The Church is the very Body of Christ at work in the world- we are His hands and feet- the servants of the King of all. With that understanding, the Church becomes not a building or a weekend activity, but a holy thing, ordained by God and sanctified to His service. In the words of a hymn by John Henry Newman-

And I hold in veneration,
For the love of Him alone,
Holy Church as His creation,
And her teachings are His own.

It is when people have forgotten that the Church is a unique and wonderful creation in this way, beloved by God, that historically, divisions and hypocrisy have emerged. The same thing happens when we forget that the Church exists primarily for its non-members and when we forget to put the needs of others before our own. And yet this is exactly what Christ calls us to do.

And so, on the Feast of Christ the King, we rejoice in the triumphant victory of our Lord, whose rising from the dead destroyed the power of sin and death once and for all. And we celebrate in the life and unity of the Church, the Body of Christ, of which we are a small but valuable part, that is for ever at work in the world building the Kingdom of God of Earth. And we look forward to the time when the Church shall be perfected, the Kingdom completed, and Christ comes again in glory to claim his Kingdom as His own.

In response to this wonderful gift that we have been given, on this Sunday morning, let us be reinvigorated in the hope which has been given to us in Christ- that we are destined for eternal life with Him in glory. And let us respond by recommitting ourselves to the service of our Lord and Saviour, and renewing our efforts to help the Kingdom of God break through in our parish. Because if we give up, then all of the suffering of Christ on the cross was for nothing.

We have heard from Paul and from others that Christ is the King of creation; the firstborn from the dead; the very fullness of Godhead. And yet, Jesus uses the insignificant people- you and me- to complete His most important work- the construction of the Church on earth. And so our King is calling each one of us today to help build His Kingdom for Him. The question is- how will we answer?

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

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