SERMON AT TEAM EUCHARIST SERVICE – SUNDAY 29 JANUARY 2023 – CANDLEMASS
Malachi
3:1-5; Hebrews 2:14-18; Luke 2:22-40
May I speak
in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and may these words be yours and
bless all who hear them. Amen.
When I was a
treble chorister back in my schooldays in north Lincolnshire there were two
pieces which we choir boys loved most from the Common Psalter – Psalm 117 and
the Song of Simeon (Luke 2:29) – the “Nunc” as we called it. Not because these pieces were particularly
poetic or contained beautiful prose but because they were short! If we could gabble through Evening Prayer
quickly enough, we could race back home in time to follow whatever TV series
was starting that Sunday evening at 7.30 p.m. I well recall the Forsyth Saga
being on then.
Since that
time, and certainly since training for the ministry, I have grown to like and
understand more fully what the words of the “Nunc” actually mean and their
importance to our faith. As I have grown older I have gone from identifying
with the parents of the child Jesus – indeed when my own son Thom was born we
took him into Salisbury Cathedral to give thanks for his safe delivery, where
one of the cathedral guides remarked that I must be a very proud grandfather! –
to identifying more with that true grandfather figure of Simeon.
We know very
little about Simeon; perhaps he was a “temple” guide like the cathedral one who
saw Thom, but we do know that he had a strong faith and a premonition that he
would see the Messiah before he died.
His words, as recorded in the Nunc Dimittis, have become such an
integral part of our evening prayer liturgy that their importance cannot be
over emphasised.
It is a sad
thing that often, in our modern-day wealthy western culture, the elderly are
not respected to the same extent as in many poorer countries. We tend to live in a society where we must
make our own way and often don’t feel humble enough, or do not recognise the
richness of the wisdom which older people can bring to our lives or the experiences of life which
they have and can share.
I recall,
even here in Winterslow, there was an elderly lady who regularly went to the
Nelson’s Arms for her lunch at the end of the week. Without mentioning names, I
am sure some of you will know who I mean.
She was outwardly a “sweet little lady” who sometimes struggled with her
purse, but on further discussions it was clear that in the past she must have
been a very shrewd and strong individual when it was discovered that she had
been behind enemy lines in partisan France as a member of Churchill’s SOE
Secret Army sabotaging Nazi installations and railways. Looks can certainly
deceived and an example of never dismissing an elderly person. We have our
freedom to thank for her and others like her.
This passage
of scripture constantly reminds me to respect the elderly because you never
quite know what richness and wisdom they can bring to a situation. We don’t actually know how old Simeon is – we
are told he was a righteous man and had clearly studied scripture over many
years. He was clearly nearer the end of
his life than the beginning because he was anxious to see our Lord before his own
death. However, we are told that he was
not alone and that there was also Anna, a widow aged precisely at 84 who
similarly had prophesised about the coming of Jesus. I do wonder, as they looked upon the beautiful
baby boy and his doting parents, what their true thoughts were about the
sacrifice which would ultimately have to be made upon the Cross. I recall Jeremy Davies, in a sermon he gave
several years ago in ST John’s, Winterslow, wondering about those tiny hands
which might now be opening and closing into tiny fists but would in years to
come be stretched and spread out for the cruel nails of Calvary. I can no longer think of this passage without
that thought in my own mind.
Simeon,
however was honest with the mother Mary when he said to her ‘This child is
destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign
that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed – and
a sword will pierce your own soul too.’ I do wonder what Mary made of that statement.
We call this
celebration of Jesus’s presentation at the Temple “Candlemass” and although
Lent and Easter are now just around the corner, it is a time for reflecting and
celebrating the light of Christ coming into this world. Just as Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the
Temple for “purification” and thanksgiving so we should celebrate Jesus amongst
us today – the light to lighten the world – for both Jews and Gentiles.
We recently
celebrated the arrival of other men of wisdom bringing their gifts and gold,
frankincense and myrrh. I pointed out
when I preached at Epiphany that the importance of these strangers travelling from
afar was to send an allegorical message that Jesus had come for everyone
independent of their particular race, nationality, creed or colour. Today we
celebrate that ministry of Jesus who came for all and especially the poor and
outcast in our society. That is the legacy which he leaves us too as his disciples.
He is and remains the true light of the world and we as his
disciples and his church, are empowered by that same Holy Spirit which came
upon Simeon and Anna. We can best honour him by trying to do our best to bring
light and peace to all whom we might encounter in our ordinary daily lives.
So often I hear elderly people say, “…if only I had done
[this or that] in my life but I am too old now…” or “I am too old
to even think about that now” or ‘’what I can do at my age?” But in my
experience that is totally the wrong attitude to have. Okay, we might not feel
up to going off to do missionary work in Mozambique or even training for formal
church ministry here at home but there is always something which you can do,
however old or inexperienced you are with the aid of the Spirit. You can pray – either on your own or
together. A healthy prayer life, it is
believed, can lead to a healthier life all round and prayer is, in this country
and in the western world at large in very short supply at present.
Jesus once said to his disciples – “the harvest is plentiful
but the workers are few”. There are so many issues in our current world, not
least the wars and famines which seem to intensify daily, as well as people
closer to home struggling with illnesses and the rise in the cost of living. Each and every one of us who has given their
life to Christ must remember that we carry his light within us and as we age so
we can shine even brighter with all that experience and wisdom we have gained –
not just from the good times of our life but also those times when our faith
might have been sorely tested.
This morning we light candles to demonstrate the light of
Christ coming into this world. At some point in or after the service we will
extinguish them. When we do that let’s remember that the light continues to
shine within us to help guide and strengthen the paths of ourselves and others.
I remember once being told that none of us is perfect. Each of us has flaws – cracks if you like. The older we are the more cracks we are likely
to have because life will simply have knocked us about a bit. That is good news
because the more cracks we have the more light is likely to filter through to
the outside and to those around us. I like that thought – the more cracked or
imperfect we are the brighter the light which we can shine.
The message today, then, is that just like Simeon and Anna,
even if we feel our life is nearly over or we are not sure what we are
currently doing with it – God will show us that there is still much we can
usefully do in furtherance of his ministry here on Earth starting with praying
with the Holy Spirit (the light) within us.
So, my challenge, what are you going to do from today when we
blow out the allegorical lights on the candles in order to shine your own
gifted light of Christ on others?
Amen MFB/260120023/182
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