Monday, 17 November 2014

SERMON 49 - SUNDAY 16 NOVEMBER 2014

Sermon at St. Lawrence’s Church, Stratford-sub-Castle, Salisbury Evensong - Sunday - Sunday 16 November 2014

Luke 9:1-6

May I speak in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit,  Amen

The passage which I have just read from St. Luke’s Gospel is one which has intrigued me for many years. When I first heard it, many years ago, when I couldn’t really describe myself as a fully-fledged Christian,  it seemed to me an impossible task – did those disciples really step out in such faith taking with them absolutely nothing?

Here in this country, and especially amongst those generations which have never experienced the horrors of war and deprivation on our doorstep, we live in a society where material wealth and comfort abound and where we are bombarded, day after day, with advertisements telling us that we need even more material goods, we need to be healthier, slimmer, more beautiful and must have the latest version of whatever piece of technical equipment ctaches our attention.  Our daily bread is not sufficient – if the commercial pundits are to be believed the Lord’s Prayer should really read, “Not only this day give us our daily bread but also please give us the latest iPhone, plenty of money and eternal good looks even if it trespasses against others.”

It is so easy to lose sight of those things which really matter in our lives – honesty, integrity, respect and genuine love. So often we can substitute those things by surrounding ourselves with the falseness that material wealth can often bring.  We say things like – If only I had that particular car, or that particular house or even that particular wife/husband - life would be so perfect.  But it seldom is.

Jesus, in this passage is sending out the Twelve in utter faith.  They are to take absolutely nothing with them – no staff, no bag, no bread, no money no extra clothing.  They are to expect all their needs to be provided by others on the journey when they call in at villages.  Their  instructions are to drive out demons and cure diseases – in other words a healing ministry. In order to do this, Jesus has given them something far more important and powerful than those items they are discarding. He is giving them the power of the Holy Spirit. This power will not only enable them to carry out that healing ministry but, also, it will accompany them and provide them with all they need to sustain them on their ministerial journey.

The implication of his instructions is that this power will lead them to find homes which will be sympathetic to the Christian cause and they should stay in that household until it is time to move on and if nobody welcomes them then they should shake the dust from their feet – this being a sign of insult that the traveller has not been treated with proper courtesy when arriving at the town.

During the course of being a Christian I have met many people whom I would describe as Church-hoppers. People who have, for one reason or the other, been unable to find a church which has welcomed them or been “their type of church” and they have moved on. 

In this modern day of consumerism, referred to earlier, where choices abound  - sometimes far too many choices – it can be easy to pick up and drop a Christian community because it doesn’t quite fit our pre-conceived ideas of what the ideal church for us should be.  We can be tempted to hop on to another and another until we find what we feel is the right one.  But even then, in our throw-away society, we can be tempted to ditch it when things aren’t quite right to move on to try something else.

Yes, unfortunately, it is true that some churches can be quite unwelcoming – and I can, unfortunately recall a few experiences I have had where my attendance has felt like an incursion into a very select club with no real attempt to welcome me as a new member.  To that type of church or Christian community I would echo Christ’s words and say, “shake the dust from your feet and walk on”.  But this is very different from the church in which you might get bored or feel they are not singing the types of hymn you like or “those prayers were a little too long for my liking” or “I really don’t like sharing the peace”. If those churches are welcoming and they genuinely project the Christian message of faith, hope and love then you should stick with them, build up your faith within that community and bring some of your own ideas of how worship, prayer or teaching can be improved.

Here at St. Lawrence’s I feel a really genuine spirit of love and harmony which is evidenced in the way the congregation here has grown in recent years.  I am, thankfully, preaching to the converted – but I am sure that you, like me, know of people who would so readily move on from the churches they are currently attending or, for that matter, not attend any church at all because of pre-conceived ideas that it would not be for them.  Encourage them to come to this church.  This benefice is blessed with so many different styles of worship – extend the arm of Christian love to them – welcome them so that they will, like the disciples in the reading, stay with you until they move on for other unrelated reasons.

We as Christians should more easily know those things which God wants us to do and treasure above those things which the consumer world says we need to have or do. I was sent, recently, a note on Facebook about the five most common regrets expressed to a palliative nurse by her dying patients and none of these mention a wish that they had had more material wealth. They were:-

1.      A wish that they had had the courage to live a life true to themselves and not a life expected by others

2.      A wish that they hadn’t worked so hard and had spent more time with their family

3.      A wish that they had had more courage to express their true feelings

4.      A wish that they had stayed in touch with friends

5.      A wish that they had let themselves be happier

None of these five things require material wealth - but a loving and honest disposition.

A recent recipe for life expressed by a good friend of mine was “live well, laugh often and love much” and has been adopted by Wiltshire Freemasons.  I am sure that Jesus did just that and would have expressed his wish that his disciples did this too.

Jesus knew what was important.  What would sustain his disciples and also what would distract them from their mission.

Today, we should begin, if we have not already done so, to ask God to reveal to us his plans for us, what mission he has and not let ourselves get distracted by the trappings of our consumer world and leave us with regrets when we finally move on.

Let us pray:-

Almighty God,

We ask you to reveal to us your plans for our life,

And in so doing help us avoid being distracted by the trappings of this Earthly life and its consumerism

But help us concentrate on those spiritual things which will sustain us and aid us in doing Your mission

In the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord  
Amen

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