Sermons           

 A sermon preached by Revd Richard Newton on 6 June 2010 

Galatians 1.11-end  

1.         Galatians 1 

Today’s New Testament Reading is from Paul’s letter to the Galatians.  Paul writes to the Galatians in order to encourage them in their faith, and to challenge them (a bit) in terms of what they believe, and in terms of how they practice of their faith. 

Paul encourages and challenges them by reflecting on what’s happened to him himself, in terms of his own faith.   

·         He speaks about his former life, as a strict follower of Judaism, (before his conversion). 

·         He writes about having a revelation of Jesus Christ and being converted to be a follower of Christ (and he does so in very personal terms).   

·         And he says things about his new understanding of God that will be important to the Galatians (as they focus on their own lives, and on the future). 

When we were planning Morning Praise for today, we discovered a short paragraph in Roots magazine which tentatively suggested exploring what Paul’s doing (in this passage) in terms of lenses and mirrors.   

We rather liked that idea, and thought that it could be developed, and form the basis of an address or sermon.  So at both Morning Praise and at the 10.30 Communion Service, I thought I’d get us to focus on some objects that use either lenses, or mirrors, or both, and think about them in terms of Paul’s letter, and also our own faith. 

2.         A Mirror   

Let’s start with a simple mirror. 

When you look into a mirror you see yourself, and you see what’s behind you.  If you look into a driving mirror, you see where you’ve come from – in a way, you see the past!   

Quite a lot of what Paul talks about (in our reading) is to do with the past – who he was in the past, and what happened to him in the past.  And the past is important for Paul, because it helps him to understand who he is, and where he is now.   

He remembers how he was zealous for the traditions of his ancestors, and how he held his past beliefs so firmly that he violently persecuted the church. 

Paul knows where he’s come from, and he knows why he’s moved on, what it is about the past that was valuable, and what it is about the past that he’s glad he’s left behind.  

Reflecting on the past is important for us, for those same reasons.  Both in terms of our faith, and also in terms of who we are as individual people, we need to understand where it is we’ve come from.   

What are the roots of our faith that are essential for us to be mindful of in order to know where we are now? 

Where is it that we have come from that helps us to understand our present journey? 

What have left behind that really liberates us, and helps us to be better Christians, that we must leave firmly in the past?  

We need to look back at the past (from time to time), just as you glance in the driving mirror when driving.  

If you spend all your time looking in the driving mirror – or if the driving mirror is as big as the windscreen, then that’s no good because you can’t see where you’re going!  If all we do is hanker after the past, then that prevents us from dealing with the challenges and opportunities of the present.  But if we ignore the past, we lose something important.  

3.         A Microscope, or Magnifying glass   

Let’s move from a mirror to things that use lenses.  I have( here a microscope and a magnifying glass.

When you look at things through a microscope, or through a magnifying glass things look bigger – very much bigger, if it’s a powerful microscope.  You can see things with a detail that you can’t see with the naked eye.  You can see things that are hidden away beneath the surface (as it were), in a completely different light. 

In his letters, Paul engages with the Christian faith in a very detailed way.  He’s someone who makes the bold statement, he’s someone with a real grasp of the great Christian tenets and beliefs, but he also wrestles with the detail.  He’s not afraid to put his arguments or his faith under the microscope or magnifying glass, and explore things in greater depth.   

And that means that whilst Paul’s faith makes the headlines, it’s never superficial.  It’s well thought-out and argued and prayed-through.  We may not always totally agree with what he says – but his beliefs certainly hold water.     

And it’s important that we do that with our own faith, if our faith isn’t to be superficial or just a collection of platitudes.  We have to put what we believe under the microscope and test it out.  We have to reflect on how what we belief matches up to reality, we have to bring it into prayer, we have to study the scriptures and traditions, and then apply reason and experience.  We’re called, as Christians, not only to believe certain things, but to live out our faith, day-by-day – so it’s crucial that we reflect on how well we do that, as well.   

Sometimes we have special times for doing those things – like Lent, or on retreat.  Maybe we do some of that in our own daily times, or quiet times.  Each of us has to put our own faith, and how we live out our faith, under the microscope in our own way – but it’s important that, however we do it, we do do it!

4.         A Kaleidoscope   

Next we’re going to go back to something that involves mirrors again.  Not being very technically-minded, I looked (on Wikipedia) for a simple explanation of what a kaleidoscope does, and found this: 

“A Kaleidoscope is a tube of mirrors containing loose coloured beads, pebbles, or other small coloured objects.  The viewer looks in one end and light enters the other end, reflecting off the mirrors.” 

Looking into a kaleidoscope is to see all kinds of things moving about and creating different patterns.  As the end is turned, the same elements make different shapes and patterns.  The picture looks different, even though what’s inside is the same. 

Looking at Paul’s life, it seems to me, is a bit like looking at a kaleidoscope.  His life before his conversion, and his life after his conversion, contain some of the same elements, but shaken about. 

·         In writing to the Galatians, he recalls how zealous he was for the traditions of Judaism.  Now, as a Christian, he’s become passionate about proclaiming the Gospel. 

·         As an orthodox Jew, he was meticulous in following the Pharisaic law.  Now, as he writes to many of the first Christian churches, he’s painstaking in teasing out the implications of living the Christian life. 

·         Previously he took a leading role in persecuting the early church.  After meeting Jesus Christ, he becomes one of the formative members of that early Christian community.  

So many of the same elements in Paul life remain the same after his conversion – his energy, his vigour, his  intellectual power, his commitment – but as his life is shaken about (like in a kaleidoscope) those same elements are used in a different way, and for a different purpose.  He puts those qualities to better ends. 

That’s a challenge to each of us, in a personal kind of way.  We each have all kinds of gifts and abilities, characteristics and traits, energies and commitments.  Are all those things channelled and used in the best way?  Do our lives need to be shaken up a bit, or find different patterns of living or doing things, if we’re to be better followers of Jesus Christ?    

5.         A Periscope 

Now we’re going to think about something that uses both mirrors and lenses – a periscope. 

When you look into a periscope, you see things at a completely different level, or on a completely different plane. 

So if you’re in a crowd, and can’t see anything, if you look through a periscope you can see what’s going on by looking over the top (of other people). 

If you’re in a submarine, under the surface of the water, you can put up your periscope, and see what’s happening on the surface of the sea, perhaps a long way above. 

Paul’s conversion was a bit like him putting up a periscope, in that he began to see everything from a different perspective.  He saw faith (now) not as a matter of following the law, but of living by grace.  His conversion experience was like him being lifted out of his life, and being enabled to see it all in a new way.  Now all his theology is turned up-side-down, and his whole way of relating to God is completely different. 

It’s good for us to try to stand away from where we are, and to see things from a different perspective, from God’s perspective.  That famous piece called “Footsteps” is a good example of that, isn’t it?  The writer looks back on his life and can only see one set of footprints in the sand during the most difficult times of his life, and thinks God has abandoned him.  But he’s led to a new perspective, to understanding that it was at those times that God carried him. 

It’s easy for every one of us to get wrapped up in our own little bubble.  Sometimes we need to be helped to see a different picture.  

6.         Binoculars (or a telescope) 

And finally, objects that use several lenses – binoculars, or a telescope. 

When you look through binoculars or a telescope you see things clearly that are far away.  You can look into the distance, and see it as if you were there.  You can contemplate the future, as it were. 

Paul has his sights very much set on the future.  He believes that God’s future is coming, and that those who remain faithful will become inheritors of the kingdom.  His complete confidence in that affects the way that he lives life in the present. 

·         He’s not worried about anything that might happen to himself. 

·         He rejoices in his sufferings. 

·         He has a sense of urgency in his ministry, and yet he’s quite prepared to spend hours debating questions about faith and God with people in the market-place. 

It’s important for us as Christians that we are able to pick up the “binoculars of faith” (as it were) and focus on the future – as part of all the other things we do.  We need to do that to be able to have a sense of vision, and a sense of where we’re going together.  Too often Christians in our own country – and we Anglicans are worst than most – just drift along, doing much what we’ve always done, and hoping that it’s vaguely good-enough, but not quite knowing how we’re going to get through the next part of the journey, and perhaps not even where we’re journeying to. 

Those first Christians had great confidence in the future, and they allowed what they thought was going to happen (in the future) to colour their lives.  We need to be looking into the distance, too, and having a sense of where we’re going – whilst knowing that much of our faith is lived out in the journeying.    

7.         Conclusion 

The tentative suggestion in Roots magazine about thinking of Galatians in terms of mirrors and lenses, has led to this collection of objects.  And this collection of objects has opened up a lot of angles from which to reflect on our faith, and on how we live our faith.   

Most of the words from most sermons are instantly forgettable.  Images, though, sometimes remain with us.  I hope that if you remember having heard a sermon on these ordinary, everyday objects, either this week, or when you come across them in the future, you will think about what it is that they do, and be enabled (by that) to reflect on your faith, and on what your being a Christian means and involves.  

Sermon / Report for 2010 AGM

25 April 2010 

1.      Statistics 

On the day of the Annual Meeting, it’s my task to review our life as a parish over the last year.  In recent years, I’ve used the sermon slot to do this – and I’m going to do that again today. 

One week every year I have to become a statistician – and this year it’s been this last week.  When the Churchwardens go to see the Archdeacon for the annual Archdeacon’s Visitation, in a fortnight’s time, they have to take with them about 8 different forms, asking all sorts of different questions about different things, some of them quite complicated. 

One of those forms – which I have to fill out for them to take – asks for lots of statistics;  

·         how many baptisms have we done during the year, and what is the age-breakdown of those baptised?

·         how many funerals have we taken, and how many were in church and how many at the crematorium?

·         what was the average attendance on a normal Sunday?

·         how many 3-5 year-olds came to mid-week activities in October?

·         and so on. 

I have to fill out a whole page of statistics, and it takes a sizeable chunk of time over 2 or 3 days, going through the church registers and going through my own records, in order to do so. 

It’s always interesting to see what’s happened over the year.  These figures related to 2009 (which is what we’re reviewing today at our Annual meeting): 

·         Attendance was up by 6 adults (on average) every Sunday, to which I heaved a huge sigh of relief! 

·         Weddings were down, but we expected that because of the recession – fortunately, they’re picking up again this year. 

·         Baptisms were down on the previous year – but in 2008 we had babies popping out of everywhere, so that’s no great surprise.  We still did 27 baptisms, which is a good number. 

·         We did more funerals than in any year that I can remember. 

·         Strangely, the number of people attending church at Easter and Christmas was up, but the number of communicants at Easter and Christmas was down.  Mind you, if you came to the Crib service this last Christmas, it wouldn’t be a surprise that numbers were up.  We could hardly get everybody inside the building! 

It does strange things to me, when I sit down and work out all these figures.  It’s very easy to become slightly obsessed and frantic about the numbers.  We all want to feel that things are going well, and that what we’re doing is fine, and that we’re being useful, and so on – and so when numbers go up I feel relieved and pleased, and when they go down I feel anxious and concerned.  Even though I know there’s a kind of random nature to some of these numbers, I’d much rather they went up randomly than down randomly!! 

But there’s another reason why these numbers do actually matter – and that’s because every figure represents real people: 

·         people who come into our Christian community to worship;

·         people who want to acknowledge the presence of God at key moments in their lives;

·         people for whom we’re charged with the task of mediating the Good News of God’s love to. 

I was reminded, as I was thinking about all this, of a Top Ten Hit that UB40 had, nearly 30 years ago – called “One in Ten”.  The words, helpfully, were written on the record sleeve: 

“I am the One in Ten, a number on a list.

I am the One in Ten, even though I don’t exist.

No-body knows me, though I’m always there:

A statistical reminder of a world that doesn’t care.” 

These tedious statistics we have to produce every year do matter because they represent real people: people coming to worship, people exploring faith; people looking for the sacred at life-changing moments; people looking to us to help them on the journey. 

2.      Wedding at Cana Icon  

I was invited by Bishop John to spend 2 days in February (earlier this year) at Old Palace, at a workshop being run by “The Weddings Project”, a national initiative being run by the Church of England to promote marriage.  I was asked because we do one of the highest number of weddings in the diocese. 

It wasn’t long before this icon of the Wedding at Cana appeared on the screen.   

On the face of it, you may think there’s nothing very surprising about this picture.  If you’re focusing on Christian marriage, then the Wedding at Cana is a good image, because it was an occasion which was blessed by Jesus by his presence, and at which he quietly turned water into wine (when the wine ran out).  It illustrates the importance of marriage and weddings (in terms of the Christian faith). 

But it tells us more than that – something that’s perhaps unexpected.  Normally in iconography, the centre of attention is Jesus – or Mary, or a Saint, depending on what the subject is.  Jesus is depicted with a halo, and he’s the figure to whom ones eyes are drawn. 

That’s not the case in this icon.  The focus of attention in this icon is the happy couple, who are at the top of the table (in the centre), crowned and robed.  Jesus is there, but he’s at the side, on the edge of the picture, quietly performing the miracle.  The couple is the centre of attention, and we as the viewers are there with Jesus and the other guests, encouraging them on their special day. 

You will remember the words of Archbishop William Temple, that “the church exists for those who are not its members”.  This icon brings that alive pictorially.  It tells us about what our mission is: we are here together with each other, in the presence of Jesus, for the sake of others.  

So when couples come to us to be married, it’s really important that they are the centre of the picture, and that we enable them to find that spiritual dimension at the heart of their special day.  We are here gladly, and simply, to enable that to happen. 

And we have to translate this picture, and that approach, into everything we do as a church.  We are here, in the presence of the risen Jesus, to put others in the centre, and to affirm God’s love for them. 

3.       Putting others at the centre     

Today is the right and proper occasion for me to say “thank you” to everyone for everything you do in the life of the church. 

Last year I made a point of making a huge, long list of all the things that people do – from being officers of the church, to quietly doing tasks that people never see – and I thanked everyone for all those things. 

I’m not going to repeat that today – but I would like to repeat my thanks, to all of you, for everything you do. 

And I thank you all, not just because what you do enables the Christian community to function, but because of how it helps to put others in the centre of the picture. 

·         So, thank you to those who enabled the surface of the church floor to be re-sanded and re-sealed (at quite some expense), not just because its our church floor and it’s good if it’s in a good condition, but because it enables us to provide all those youngsters who come into church on Saturdays, for dancing and aerobics, to have a really good surface to do that on.  It keeps them in the centre of the picture. 

·         Thank you to those who organised the Music Festival, not just because it was 5 days of wonderful music, but because it enabled our primary school children to experience something magical, it gave local musicians a platform to perform on, and because it continued to welcome people into our church buildings for the very first time.  It made them all the centre of the picture. 

·         And thank you to who made the Christmas Holiday Club happen (and subsequently the Easter Holiday Club) – so that those children who came had a really special time, and were at the centre of the picture. 

I mention those few things as examples.  There are masses of things that we do that are just like that.  We do them, because it’s part of being a church, and thank you that they all happen.  But we do them, even more importantly, because all these things put others at the centre of the picture, and help mediate God’s love to them.    

4.       Pastoral Re-organisation 

As well as thanking you for everything you do that enables the church to function and others to be the centre of the picture, I want to mention two other things. 

The first is Pastoral Reorganisation.  It was at the very beginning of last year that we started to look at proposals of how to deal with the forthcoming reduction in clergy numbers.  In our area, as you know, we have to reduce from 3 to 2 – for the 8 churches involved.  We’ve continued to discuss, right up to the present, how to do this. 

At the public meeting in January of this year, the solution that had most support was to join Hagley with Broome, Blakedown and Churchill – and for the 5 churches to be ministered to by a single priest.  However, we thought that proposal was only feasible with some extra help.   

There evidently isn’t going to be any extra help, so that solution is not feasible.  That leaves us with the possibility of a Team of 8 churches and 2 priests.  But we’re told you can’t have a team with only 2 priests in it.  We’ve tried to think outside the box, in various ways – only to be told that you can’t do this or that, and to be put back in the unsolvable box again! 

I honestly don’t know where we’re going!  There are people who think this can’t actually be done.  Whatever happens, we’ve got to ensure that we don’t end up looking at this simply in terms of maintenance and how we can keep the church going.  We’ve got to ensure that the theology of this icon remains true – that others are at the centre, and that we’re not sitting at an empty table, by ourselves, with the door shut!  

5.       Finance and the Recession 

And the final matter that I feel I must mention, is that of finance.  We’re really being challenged at the moment.   

A lot of us are being challenged individually, because of the recession. 

Pensions and wages have not increased with inflation (if at all), and people who rely on interest from savings are in a bad place.   

And as a church, as you all know, things have been very difficult indeed.   

I don’t want to use this time to address those difficulties, because we’ve started trying to do that – and we will come back to that challenge in the not-too-distant future.   

But I have to say that, whatever we do, we have to keep focussing on what we’re about.  Geoffrey has written a really good article about the practice of “Christian Giving” in “Contact” this month.  Please read it, if you haven’t done so.  I had no idea he was doing it – as he said himself in the article “Our Rector, Treasurer and Churchwardens … haven’t the faintest idea that I have written this article!”  But I’m glad he did – please read it and reflect on it.   

Just as giving away a percentage of what we receive ourselves (through God’s grace) is the starting-point for individual Christian giving, so too is it the starting-point for us as a church.  We too have to give a percentage of what we receive to others before we start – otherwise we become a “club” and not a “church”.  That’s a real challenge, given the difficulties we’re in at the moment – but Biblical teaching on giving puts others at the centre of the picture, like this icon.   

Thankfully, we’ve continued to give in that way, so far – and we’ve continued to raise all kinds of other funds for charitable causes as well: sizeable amounts for Christian Aid, and the Children’s Society, and the Bishop Simeon Trust, and the Acorns Children’s Trust, and through Tradecraft and Fair Trade Fortnight, and for special emergencies, and so on. 

I think, when you consider all that, there are lots of people who we really are holding at the centre of the picture – let’s pray that we can keep that so.          

6.       Conclusion 

Today, we have various formalities to go through at the AGM.  Those include reflecting on being the church together.  Some of that is inevitably inward-looking.  But let’s also try to be outward-looking, and to keep others at the centre of the picture that we are creating together.