Lent 2 24th February 2013 I believe in Jesus Christ

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.  

How could God who’s everywhere become one man?

Universals lead to particulars cf a lifetime of 33 years, a teaching ministry of 3 years and a passion of 3 days climaxing in 3 hours.

• Contemporary for galactic and subatomic realms show some sorts of connection between the macroscopic and the microscopic
• Thomas Merton expresses this in a famous analogy: As a magnifying glass concentrates the rays of the sun into a little burning knot of heat that can set fire to a dry leaf or a piece of paper, so the mystery of Christ in the Gospel concentrates the ray of God's light and fire to a point that sets fire to the spirit of man.
• Chaos theory: The emergence of God at one point, to show us his face and his love, is in harmony with scientific truth, as much as the emergence of a beautiful rainbow on a stormy day.

What does it mean that Christ died for us?

• substitutional view where Jesus is seen to die in our place.  Example of a law court where judge goes to back of court to pay fine of poor mother of three imprisoned for theft.
• sacrificial view of atonement the blood of Christ provides the sinless victim who alone can expiate sin. Christ loved [us], giving himself up for us as an offering and a sweet smelling sacrifice to God (Ephesians 5v2). Cf eucharist.
• exemplarist view that Christ’s example of love effects atonement just in revealing God’s love. When a tree is felled you see the beautiful rings within its trunk.
• triumphant view of Christ who leads believers in his victory procession: Thanks be to God who always gives us in Christ a part in his triumphal procession (2 Cor 2v14). 

Where’s the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus?

Christianity is the only religion refusing to talk of its Founder as a past figure.  Buddha and Mohammed have graves but Jesus…

• The change in the disciples from Gospel accounts to Acts: fearful men and women end up confronting authorities
• The strangely matter of fact and reserved accounts of the resurrection in NT.  The disciples don’t recognise Jesus.  Would that have been relayed if the resn were invention?
• Would the role of women as witnesses, controversial in those days, be included in a constructed tale?
• The Christian church changing its weekly holy day from the Jewish Sabbath to Sunday, that being the day of Christ’s rising.  What a change for pious Jews! 

Why should we believe in judgement of the living and the dead?

• God’s investment in the human race.  He is due to get a return on that - history has this purpose: to prepare a holy people for God’s possession. The church is this, a bride being prepared without spot or wrinkle (Eph 5v27)
• Ultimate righting of wrongs vindicating God’s justice.  In Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov two brothers argue about the evil in the world focussing on the suffering of children and whether there is ultimate justice. Jesus’ suffering shows us the judge of the world isn’t aloof.
• How can judgement be possible?  As sure as a computer memory contains a million records, so the memory of God! Christian tradition distinguishes an individual judgement at the moment of death and a general judgement which at the Lord’s return. After death scripture speaks of two ultimate destinies, heaven and hell.
• Mercy As the video of my life is prepared for showing on judgement day Christ has power to edit out the unacceptable points if I give them to him.  
• Hope To believe in Jesus Christ who will come to judge the living and the dead is to face the future with an infectious hope. If faith shows you that the whole world is in God’s hands so is its future. All will come right in the end! 

Lent 1 17th February 2013: I believe in God

The Apostles' Creed 

• Lent is being used to helps us examine our faith afresh
• ‘I believe in God and the spiritual but not dogma’ is current and we need to be informed to counter this eg What sort of God? New Age impersonal force?
• Easter baptismal renewal involves Apostles’ Creed – hence value and origin of Lent in preparing for this renewal
• The Apostles' Creed sets forth Christianity as someone put it "in sublime simplicity, in unsurpassable brevity, in beautiful order, and with liturgical solemnity." It’s a Godsend to teach the Christian Faith as we seek to make simple, clear, direct and above all effective communication of the truth that is in Jesus (Eph 4:21).

First official mention at the Council of Milan in 390AD. Most scholars trace it back to an old Roman Creed from the turn of the first century and the three baptismal questions of the early church. Memorised then by the faithful, as it is today, hard copies were probably less at a premium in the early centuries explaining the lateness of the first 4^th century documentation. As Anglicans we encounter the Apostles’ Creed at BCP Morning and Evening Prayer. Baptism and confirmation rites. There are actually three creeds in use. The Apostles is simplest, then Nicene, then Athanasian. The other two creeds originate more in the eastern church and are more developed in their theology.

I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth   

     

• What’s the evidence God exists?

 The cosmological argument of Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274):

1                      Whatever begins to exist has a cause

2                      The universe began to exist

3                      Therefore, the universe must have had a cause.  We call that cause God.    NB Big Bang seems to fit this

The design argument eg. William Paley (1743-1805) who argued that the complexity, order, and purpose of a watch indicate intelligent design, as do the complexity, order, and purpose of the universe.  The moral argument based on conscience. The existence of morality is a pointer to its author – God.  This is sometimes expressed as the view that there could be no right and wrong unless God existed. More subjective is the personal experience argument Friedrich Schleiermach (1768-1834) God’s existence cannot be demonstrated rationally but only perceived by one’s feelings.

• Why believe in a personal God?

There are reasonable evidences for God’s existence but Christianity goes beyond reason. To catch the full beauty of Christianity you need to engage with the revelation of God in Jesus Christ. God has sameness with us as a loving Father yet is different – an almighty God, three persons in one Godhead. Christian faith thrills to that awesome difference yet rejoices in the sameness Jesus reveals.

• How can God be almighty with all the suffering in the world?

Love needs free will etc. The Cross of Jesus is key. An interesting thought on earthquakes - without tectonic plates life would be denied the invigoration of the minerals inside the earth, even if the plates move at a cost to life itself.

• How can belief in a Creator be squared with evolution?

God is creator now as then, holding us in being as we, unlike God, do not possess being in itself. Darwin, the father of evolution allegedly lost his faith not through his research but through the loss of his daughter. Darwin's colleague Kingsley saw evolution revealing God as cleverer than ever seen before in his giving us potentiality to make ourselves. This potentiality, linked to genetic mutation producing new forms of life, has 'ragged edges' eg cancer and 'blind alleys'.

Ash Wednesday 13 February 2013

The unexamined life is not worth living. That's wisdom of the ancients and its part and parcel of Christianity.

As Lent starts it's writ large for us, individually and through a modest programme in our community.

I don't know about you but I find self- examination flows too often from the unpleasant consequences of my shortcomings than from a godly routine.

I hope to redress this in Lent and, the words almost stick in my mouth, I would be grateful for any appraisal you might have for me that may be a God send.

To live in the knowledge of God's love is an immense privilege. I believe there's nothing I can do to make God love me less. I believe there's nothing I can do to make God love me more.

Wonderful! If I’d only God to consider! Alas there's a lot I do that makes my neighbour love me less and my failures have capacity to make me love myself less.

Here's the nub of our resistance to self-examination. Human beings can only bear so much reality. We are so easily defeated as we're so frail. Our foolish pride gets wounded by knowledge of failure. Would that we lived more comfortably with our capacity to fail trusting the mercy that surrounds us!

Remember you are dust and to dust you will return.

Yes you're frail, God says in scripture, you're mortal, but, for all of that I love you and, as scripture says again, offer you a glorious trajectory little lower than the angels.

That's why it's worth examining ourselves so we keep on an upwards course. The Church encourages us to examine ourselves daily, before the eucharist and in the penitential seasons of Lent and Advent so that our mortal being may be kept on an immortal course for our salvation and that of the whole world.

Self-examination lays hold of the good in me to be cultivated besides identifying the bad to be uprooted.

I remember receiving counsel from a Mirfield Father on this. He suggested I regularly switch my method of self- examination from the list in Galatians 5 of the works of the flesh to the verses immediately following that list the fruits of the Spirit.

Identify the good - the love, joy, peace, patience, self-control and so on - that's growing in your life for thanksgiving and cultivation. Then get weeding that pride, sloth, lust and so on.

Thanksgiving for what's good in our lives is a vital part of self-examination.

Identifying and putting that good to use - intellect, sense of humour, capacity to care for others and so on - is as important as tackling our bad tendencies.

We only live once and each one of us,  in the Christian understanding, will have to give account of our lives on the Day of Judgement.

Our own self-appraisal anticipates that Day and will make it more favourable for us as we direct our lives towards where they're best applied. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

May God grant you a happy and holy Lent through growth in self knowledge and self application to his praise and service.

Sunday before Lent 8am 10 February 2013

I looked in the mirror before I left the Sacristy to commence the eucharist.

I'm sure each one of you has already cast a glance at yourself in a mirror today.

Some of us spend longer before the mirror than others. As we age I somehow think we find it harder to dwell there

I want to think a little about mirrors this morning.

Mirrors of the soul.

Glass mirrors at one point replaced looking in water as an aid to seeing and brushing up our physical appearance.

How can we see and brush up our spiritual appearance?

Friendship is the answer. Friends are most precious in that they have access to our heart of heart as well as having our best interest on their own heart.

Without friends, without intimates, how unbearable we'd be! A soul never corrected and put in its place! A soul never affirmed or praised or loved!

Most human depth and awareness is attained through friendship and this extends to the spiritual life. We should value and seek out especially friends who can bring us closer to God.

Peter, James and John so valued their friend Jesus!

In today's Gospel of the Transfiguration these men literally became mirrors of his soul as he made to reflect his inner glory as God of God and Light of Light upon them.

As Lent approaches we friends of Jesus in this age have his invitation to the same intimacy granted Peter, James and John.

‘Look to me and be radiant’ he says in Psalm 34v5.

'All of you, with unveiled faces, seeing my glory' he says in 2 Corinthians 3v18 'as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into my image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from my Spirit'.

To land this divine invitation somewhat I invite you to make Lent a time to warm your soul by looking to Jesus and seeking his irradiation through the extra opportunities for worship and self examination as well as community events linked to corporate and self-improvement.

Seek him, when and where you can, as the true mirror of your soul - in the bible, in the eucharist, in spiritual reading, in nature's splendour, in a godly friend or spiritual director - seek the Lord -  look at him  - and see your disarray!

Look to Jesus, see yourself in his light, brush yourself up and shine all the more with his light!

'Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven.'

Candlemas 8am 27.1.13

Today we anticipate for pastoral reasons, linked to Education Sunday, what the Prayer Book calls the Purification of Saint Mary the Virgin or the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. This festival which we are allowed to transfer from its set day of 2^nd February, celebrates the baby Jesus being taken to the  Temple  in  Jerusalem forty days after his birth to complete Mary's ritual purification after childbirth, and to perform the redemption of the firstborn, in obedience to the Law of Moses which indicates this should take place forty days after birth for a male child, hence the Presentation is properly celebrated forty days after Christmas.

Upon bringing Jesus into the temple, the family encounter Simeon. The Gospel records Simeon had been promised "he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ" (Luke 2:26). Simeon prays the prayer we now use at evensong or compline that’s known as the Nunc Dimittis, or Canticle of Simeon, prophesying the redemption of the world by Jesus:

Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace; according to Thy word: for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people: to be a light to lighten the gentiles and to be the glory of Thy people Israel (Luke 2:29-32).

In addition to being known as the Purification of Mary or Presentation of Christ another traditional name for today is Candlemas referring to the practice whereby later on this morning the priest blesses candles in a  place apart from Church – the school in our case - for a re-enactment of Christ’s entry into the Temple, symbolised by our Church building.

As we bless the candles we’ll be singing the Nunc Dimittis which contains Simeon’s prophecy that Christ’s salvations is to be a light to lighten the gentiles and to be the glory of Thy people Israel.

All celebrations of the events which have brought us salvation through the life, death and resurrection of Christ are given so we may apply them to our lives.  Just as each eucharist recalls Christ’s death and resurrection so we die further to sin and rise more to the life of the Spirit so the church’s calendar of feasts is given us to engage with the historical events to find truth to imitate and fresh hope.

As one ancient prayer used in contemplating today’s mystery of the Presentation puts it grant that we may imitate what it contains and obtain what it promises.

What truth is there to imitate in this morning’s celebration? We find a well expressed truth to take to heart in the Collect which prayed: as thy only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple in substance of our flesh, so (may we) be presented unto thee with pure and clean hearts. In other words help us to be presentable. Just as on Friday night I searched out a bit of tartan to make me presentable at our Burns Night so our being presentable before God requires a discipline of self-examination to make sure we come to his altar with pure and clean hearts.

What promise is there for us to obtain in this celebration? I would say that the ceremonial entry into Church we’ll enact later on anticipates our entry through the gates of heaven into paradise, into the house of the Lord. Our Anglican funeral liturgy encourages the recitation of those words of the Nunc Dimittis in today’s Gospel: Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace; according to Thy word: for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation.

Like Simeon we see in Jesus one who removes the fear of death and promises perpetual light to his family as they travel forward in his light to their fulfilment in the house of the Lord together and forever.

I end with a beautiful prayer of John Donne, sixteenth century Dean of St Paul’s some of you may know: Bring us, O Lord God, at our last awakening into the house and gate of heaven to enter into that gate and dwell in that house, where there shall be no darkness nor dazzling, but one equal light; no noise nor silence, but one equal music; no fears nor hopes, but one equal possession; no ends nor beginnings, but one equal eternity; in the habitations of thy glory and dominion, world without end. 

Opening heaven’s window 10am Sunday 20th January

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills Psalm 121:1

Well we’re here at last, before the window! May I on everyone’s behalf pay tribute to Marion Lott, David Jenkins, the Martindale Committee and all who have worked so hard, and will continue to work hard to complete the funding of this great improvement to our church hall. Very well done!

Opening windows – or in this case opening up windows - is a good image.   Less than three months after his election as Pope 51 years ago John XXIII gave notice of his intention to convene an Ecumenical Council. When asked why a Council was needed, he reportedly opened a window saying, "I want to throw open the windows of the Church so that we can see out and the people can see in." The Second Vatican Council brought changes that have affected all churches through the revision of the eucharist, new emphasis on the Holy Spirit, ecumenism, and a more positive approach by the church to the world .

I want to throw open the windows of the Church so that we can see out and the people can see in. Good Pope John’s words fit the spirit of making church accessible even if our new hall window should let no one see in – the Lord preserve us from more thieves up our walls!

If we’ve need of anything it’s of being a Christian community that attracts the attention of the next generation so they feel intrigued by what we’re about, look through the window and come through the door, maybe, initially, through the Martindale door.

As Christians we’re about Opening heaven’s window, making heaven – Jesus – visible through word, sacrament, fellowship and the way we live our lives. We need to communicate the Church as something OK, or rather more than OK. We’ll best do this as we gain cleansing and empowerment from the Holy Spirit.

Pope John also prayed for a new Pentecost and many saw the charismatic movement that got going in the late 1960s as answer to his and many prayers.

Which brings me to this morning’s second reading from 1 Corinthians Chapter 12 concerning the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  Let’s turn to p4 and look through this passage together.  Concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. Paul says in verse 1 and goes on to explain in verses 2 and 3 that ministry in the Church is animated by supernatural empowerment through the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus. He outlines the glorious diversity of ministry gifts there are in Corinth, reminding those who have them that what they've been given is given not for them but for the building up of the body of Christ. In this passage Paul lists supernatural gifts – wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, speaking in tongues and the gift to interpret that. We need to read this list alongside two other lists of ministries Paul gives in Romans 12, where he adds serving, teaching, exhortation, generosity and leadership and Ephesians 4, where he adds apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastors.

Let’s look at verses 4 to 7 of today’s reading: 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. 7To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

In his first letter to Corinth Paul’s chapter 12 and 14 are about supernatural gifts and their use for the common good. These two chapters – 14 is mainly about speaking in tongues – have the famous one on love, Chapter 13 in the midst. Paul lists the empowering gifts and goes on to say they’re all great but will go nowhere unless you use them lovingly, submitting to the body of Christ as a whole.

Let’s read on from verse 8 to 11: 8To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. 

The gifts we read out are called charismatic gifts and many churches are recovering them nowadays. The first two in v8, wisdom and knowledge are the capacity to receive supernatural information about situations through which God can change things. What a difference these can make to a Church? When God gives you an insight and you follow it things flow relatively easily as you persevere in pressing forward. I’ve got a feeling some may be inspired by this occasion, by our window, to words of knowledge – we shall see!

When in verse 9 we read of the gift of faith that’s not the faith by which we believe but a special gift linked to believing God for something special. Today’s rescheduling is something special that wouldn’t have come about if we were a church that lacked supernatural vision and a special gift of faith. Lead thieves and officious electricians won’t deflect us from the faith we have to see that building a hub of mission. Even if we need more money we believe God has it up his sleeve waiting to be released for God’s work brings with it God’s supernatural provision.

The next two charismatic gifts are named healing and miracles in v9 and 10. One of the encouraging signs in our life together is the evidence of healing and miracles here at St Giles, even if they are manifested at times in the midst of great suffering.

Prophecy and discernment v10 are capacities to help the church see the way ahead. I was heartened two weeks ago by the convergence of the sermon and intercessions themes on the sense of Isaiah 60.2: For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. It was as if the Lord was speaking prophetically and saying even if we as a Church are surrounded by thick darkness of unbelief the light of faith is shining and will get through for his glory will appear over us. 

Tongues and interpretation are similarly gifts of empowerment some of us have received linked to deepening prayer and praise in individuals for the common good. Speaking in tongues isn’t ecstatic or hysterical but something you can do before breakfast. It’s a gift many Christians have received through the ages which helps believers pray as the Holy Spirit leads for what the Holy Spirit wants. It is a devotional aid that helps build more praise and intercession in the life of the Church. The gift of interpretation, rarely used in Anglican circles, comes into play when tongues are rather exceptionally used aloud at services.

Today’s scripture reminds us that if St Giles is going to deepen its life and grow new members we need a new Pentecost, in Pope John’s phrase, so the Holy Spirit’s gifting more fully animates our life together.

People need a window into the Church and we are that window, we believers, regularly to be polished up and animated! That’s why when I bless the building shortly you too will be blessed with holy water to wake you up to your baptism.

Through our prayer and Holy Spirit empowerment what God has in store for the use of the Martindale will manifest. God make this place a place of engagement between Christians and not-yet Christians that will open up windows by that very engagement to those seeking purpose and belonging in Horsted Keynes.

I want to throw open the windows of the Church so that we can see out and the people can see in.

Epiphany 6th January 2013

This morning I’m speaking to the third prong of our Mission Action Plan revised at October’s PCC after a series of meetings reflecting on the July vision day. The MAP’s on the notice board and its one line header is in the news sheet:  St Giles Church has a mission to grow in faith, love and numbers.

Our putting mission on the MAP has the three dimensions of growing in faith towards God, growing in the expression of love to the world and growing the numbers of our Christian fellowship here at St Giles.

On Christ the King at the end of November I explained action the PCC has got raised up to help us grow in faith in months ahead. I mentioned the Unbelievable? course that’s now started. I mentioned the electronic discipleship resource on the church website with Christian discipleship resources. Issue 2 is published today. Do sign up to receive it if you can. I’m grateful to Jan for what she’s written there.

On Advent Sunday I detailed action PCC has planned for us to grow in love encouraging ownership of the outreach we do as a church. In doing so I gave recognition to how individual exercise of loving service at home and in the workplace has priority and needs to be balanced with our involvement in church activities like running the website, choir, toddler group or village lunch. I reiterated the challenge Richard Chartres, Bishop of London, has issued to his growing diocese: are you consumers or citizens? Are you here to build God’s kingdom, to work for world transformation through the spread of faith beyond these walls, or are you settled in something of a consumerist mentality whereby going to St Giles fits alongside going to Sainsbury’s or to the Theatre?

I’d re-iterate that challenge on this Feast of the Epiphany. Only by getting more members active in mission can we hope to grow in numbers.

Deacon Gerard Irvin made a similar challenge to his folk at their St Stephen’s Day Mass last week. He asked all present to take some responsibility for church growth by identifying someone half their age and praying for them every day for a year.

This suggestion is like the first sentence on our MAP which lists these actions already attained over the last year: Prayer for numerical growth especially on Saturdays, door-to-door visiting by priest  to connect with lapsed worshippers, “Back to Church” Sunday 2011, re-light the candle baptism Eucharist 2011, putting up posters around village for All-Age Eucharist Sunday, Harvest, Holy Week, etc.

A more recent action listed on the MAP schedule took up a suggestion at the July vision day: Move Friday Eucharist to 10.30am to generate new church-community interface/socialising in post-assembly coffee putting church more on people’s map. I have to say we haven’t seen too many church members at that coffee session to meet parents.

The last achieved action under growing in numbers is Taking Advent day by day out to the parish for evangelistic benefit which was Chris Wheatley’s idea and again we might have seen more support for these events we credit Chris for putting so much energy into organising.

The purpose of this sermon is to encourage us to allow Epiphany to come alive in our hearts and in the hearts of those around us.

Epiphany – manifesting God - isn’t Fr John or Chris’s work but God’s work and ours – ours i.e. all of us. For St Giles to grow in numbers that include 12 to 50 year olds committing their lives to Our Lord, the Pied Pipers to lead them in isn’t me or Chris but all of us.

Each one reach one may be a good motto for 2013. Reaching out, cutting into spiritual apathy with the two scissor blades of prayer and invitation. I know there are a good number of folk who’d come to Church if someone would ask them. From March Birch Grove church members are kindly organising Sunday lifts to Westall residents and others may want to take a leaf out of their book. Who in your acquaintance, or down your street, may be open to an invitation to attend St Giles? Like next Sunday’s 50 min all age eucharist?

The MAP mentions under ‘growth in numbers’ the evangelism focus at Wednesday week’s 16th January St Giles night with Simon Allaby brainstorming on less scary evangelism.  You might like to attend this first ever training session on evangelism in my time as parish priest. On the MAP there’s also Developing evangelistic (alongside community/youth) use of Martindale from 19th January opening.

St Giles Church has a mission to grow in faith, love and numbers.

My two New Year wishes are for the Martindale to become an effective mission focus serving to bring new folk into the orbit of God’s love and for 2013 to see Christian leadership emerging from the 12 to 50 year age range. This would serve connecting across all age groups by St Giles core leadership which currently includes some remarkable seniors – like me!

In my July 2012 Rector’s Letter I paid tribute to Peggy Diss quoting Walter Wink: 'The future of the world lies with the intercessors and connectors.' In my years as Rector I’ve met few as loving and prayerful as Peggy. Her prayers – and Ursilla’s – are with us as we plan action to grow in numbers. Very many of us have got that gift of connecting – building friendships. We’ve also got potential to seek God and, from prayer, the best directing of our energies and those in our orbit. ‘More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.’ (Lord Tennyson). Our spire points up to a God whose possibilities, exceeding our imagining, are released on earth through prayer.

'The future of the world lies with the intercessors and connectors.' Will you help change the future of the world through St Giles by being the intercessors and connectors we so badly need to see the body of Christ built up in this place?

Each one reach one – by scissor blades of prayer and invitation – so Isaiah’s prophecy of light coming into spiritual darkness may be realised among us in Horsted Keynes: Darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. (Isaiah 60:2) So be it!