St Richard, Haywards Heath Annunciation Feast 25th March 2023

 

As a beautiful hymn summarises the last verses of the Gospel we just heard: ‘Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head. ‘To me be as it pleaseth God.’ She said.’ 

‘To me be as it pleases God’. This morning God wants our Yes, our Amen to the Body of Christ - a Yes from the depth of our heart 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 as he did Mary’s for that to be accomplished. Yes to the unification of the cosmos which Christianity is set to achieve.

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

As we get close to Holy Week maybe a decision to attend services as we are able expressing obedience to God and his Church.

There may be something more specific and personal, a scheme ahead that’s very right for you and yours but requires a decision, a calculated risk, a leap of faith, a costly Yes. Say it maybe this morning at this eucharist.

Or it might be some circumstance begging 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 them. In particular adopting 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, so we do well to pray with Mary, ‘Yes, Lord, be it unto me according to your will’. 

God sought Mary’s Yes and he seeks ours so he can anoint us as he anointed her with his Holy Spirit. He seeks our gifts to be employed for his praise and service. In the frustrations we bear it is good to be reminded that God seeks our Yes before he seeks our success both as individuals and as a church. ‘To me be as it pleaseth God.’ So be it!

St Wilfrid & Presentation, Haywards Heath Vigil of the Annunciation 24.3.21

As a 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 Yes said in spiritual communion – Amen to the Body of Christ - a Yes from the depth of your heart 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 as he did Mary’s 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 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 this eucharist.

Or it might be the pain linked to the restrictions placed upon us by COVID-19 begging 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 with lockdown, so we pray with Mary, Yes, Lord, be it unto me according to your will. 

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? 

It’s a key question the addressing of which affects the future of St Wilfrid’s and The Presentation 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 town! 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. 

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. In the frustrations we bear it is good to be reminded that God seeks our Yes before he seeks our success both as individuals and as a church.