Blessed Virgin Mary: God’s Yes 16th August 2015

Words from the second letter of St Paul to Corinth, Chapter 1v19-20

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not "Yes and No"; but in him it is always "Yes." For in him every one of God's promises is a "Yes." For this reason it is through him that we say the "Amen," to the glory of God.

Christianity – for Paul or for us – rests not on a truth we build but on a God who is truth, who speaks truth, who acts out truth in sending his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem us and who promises to lead those who trust him into all truth. God’s Yes has no ambiguity about it, unlike our own affirmations.  No "Yes and No"; but in him it is always "Yes."  

That cry years back of Barack Obama yes, we can fulfilled now but in part catches us especially as Christians because our religion is a real ‘yes, we can’ religion and our bishops and priests and people are ideally ‘yes, we can’ guys mirroring their ‘yes, we can’ Lord and his ‘yes, we can’ Mother.

Today’s eucharist booklet for the Festival of the Blessed Virgin Mary has a Yes theme at top and bottom because she above all Christians embodies what it is to say ‘yes, I can’. [As we just sang] [As that beautiful hymn expresses it:] Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head. ‘To me be as it pleaseth God.’ She said.’

This morning God wants your Yes – a sung Yes in a moment – a Yes said at the altar rail – Amen to the Body of Christ - and a Yes from the depth of your heart, a yes of allegiance to Christ on his Mother’s Feast Day.

We say Yes as Mary did because God has said Yes to us through his stated plan to establish and gather together all things in Christ.

He needs our Yes for that to be accomplished. Yes to the unification of the cosmos.

To say No is hell – the Trinity or hell, there is no middle way - that’s Christian Faith.

Let’s look at how your Yes or my Yes might be voiced this morning.

It may be that there’s a scheme ahead, possibly financial, that’s very right for you and yours but requires something of a calculated risk, a leap of faith, a costly Yes. Say it this morning at the altar.

Or there might be an inner restlessness or loneliness that begs from you a more profound surrender to your state of life. So often the answer to our problems lies in changing the way we look at our life and especially in positive resignation to the will of God in our circumstances.

Sometimes we lack joy and gladness and that deficit traces to a fighting of harsh circumstances that need acceptance, as in job loss, marital breakdown or bereavement, so we pray with Mary, Yes, Lord, be it unto me according to your will.

Perhaps there’s a parenting challenge, a health challenge or the demands of caring for a sick relative that are wearing you down and has bred an anxiety not of God that you need to surrender him. I’ll say Yes, Lord! Yes today!

Dare I say, is it Mary you need to say yes to? She is Jesus’s Mother and Mother of believers. Welcome her, say Yes Jesus, with you I love the One you love above all. Shall we not love thee Mother dear whom Jesus loves so well?

We live in a rich place with richly gifted people. How do we get more of these riches consecrated to God’s praise and service?

Does the size of my standing order to St Giles or what I place in my envelope evidence a serious commitment to God’s work in this place? How does it compare with what I spend on recreation to please myself rather than God?

God seeks the Yes of someone prepared to serve with David as Churchwarden and that is a costly gift of service most necessary for the building up of Christ’s body.  God wants the Yes of that person from this village as much as he wanted Mary’s from Nazareth!

Peter Vince is having so much pain he needs an operation for a new knee. Our lead Sacristan will be off for a month from next weekend and we need someone to help prepare the altar. There’s need for someone to go under Marion’s wing and help with copying service booklets. Or to help Chris, Rhoda, Marion and the team build bridges between church and young families and our school. Or to work with deacon David to build up the team, young and old, that serves on the altar.

Imagine if Mary had missed God’s affirming invitation or said No to God? What would have become of our salvation?

Imagine looking back on your life in 10 years time and see in your mind’s eye the difference you’ll have made as a result of your wholehearted surrender to God?

Imagine how bare your life history would look if you continue to do it your way and not his?

How do we get more of our gifts consecrated to God’s praise and service? It’s a key question the addressing of which affects the future of St Giles because it affects another key question, namely, how do we get more people to embrace the love, truth and empowerment that is in Jesus?

Christianity isn’t just a crutch for the weak – it’s that OK I well know it – it’s a direction of strength to good. So many strengths are put to destructive use, yes, even in this village! Nimby-ism is one facet. We’re in God’s backyard actually, look at the fields!

To accept and say Yes to Jesus is to lose ourselves to gain ourselves and contribute to the gaining of God’s universal plan to bring all things to himself.  In the process we gain confidence, not self confidence, but the certainty that rests on the certainty of God we’ve given way to.

With this comes the Spirit’s anointing. It came with that first great Yes from Mary in Nazareth.  Behold the servant of the Lord be it unto me according to your will she said and the Holy Spirit overshadowed her. She received the seal upon her and the gift of his Spirit in her heart as a first instalment.  There was a second instalment for her at Pentecost and now she is surely at the centre of that establishing and gathering up of all things in her Blessed Son Jesus Christ.

God sought Mary’s Yes and he seeks ours so he can anoint us as he anointed her. He seeks our gifts to be employed for his praise and service.  He seeks our devotion. With devotion comes anointing in the Spirit, you rarely see one without the other. 

With devotion comes anticipation on earth of the joyful goodness of saints made perfect in heaven as a first instalment.

God seeks our Yes before he seeks our success both as individuals and as a church. He seeks our devotion more than our mission strategy, important as this is.

As with the Corinthians and Paul his faithfulness, his great ‘Yes’ will carry us forward into the spiritual battle that is ours and the consummation of it in the unification of the cosmos.

So to God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, from the heart of blessed Mary and all the faithful be ascribed as is most justly due all might, majesty, dominion and power henceforth and for evermore. Amen.