Sunday 1 June 2014 Easter 7 Acts 1:6-14 John 17:1-11 Bruce

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. It is all about Jesus. The vast range of events and beliefs that form the Christian faith all come together in the person of Jesus. He is the prism through whom we see and understand reality. He is the Word made flesh who made his dwelling among us. His is the glory of the one and only son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. On Thursday we celebrated the feast of the ascension. As Anne reminded us in her sermon, this seems to have faded in importance compared to the two major feasts of Christmas and Easter, but it is of equal importance. The same Jesus who died on the cross for our sins and rose again on the third day returned to his home in heaven. He is there right now. He has returned to glory. This matters because without the ascension, Jesus might have been just a very special human, albeit a holy and extraordinarily gifted one. Because of the ascension, we see that Jesus is glorified. The word is doxa from which we get the word doxology. It means to be bright, effulgent, worthy of praise. It is the word to be used of victors, those who triumph, those who excel, who are supreme. We see the word used a number of times in John’s gospel. It refers to the person of Christ. It is sued when people praise others. It comes in response to a miracle like turning water into wine or raising Lazarus from the dead. In John 17, Jesus prays on the night before his death. He says that God will be glorified in the death of his Son, and that he himself will reach the peak of glory in this. He has brought glory to his Father God by completing the work that God gave him to do, and now he looks through the agony and shame of the cross to his regaining his place of honour in heaven – he will be glorified. This is what the disciples have an insight into as they watch the cloud cover Jesus as he is taken away from them, This is what we celebrate at communion services when we sing: Glory be to God in heaven, and again: Only Son of God the Father, Lamb who takes our sins away, now with him in triumph seated for your mercy, Lord, we pray: Jesus Christ, most high and holy, Saviour, you are God alone in the glory of the Father with the Spirit: Three-in-One! It is all about Jesus, and we praise him. And yet it is also about us. The whole of John 17 is a prayer by Jesus, to his Father, in which he prays for us. It is as if we get a foretaste, an insight, into how Jesus is spending his time now. He starts the prayer ‘Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.’ As he continues, he talks about his followers, those who have come to believe in his name. “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” It is almost as if Jesus is saying that the job will not be complete unless and until his followers are also with him in heaven. In verse 22 he says ‘I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one’ and in verse 24: ‘Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.’ Here is the remarkable thing. Reading the repeated verses about Jesus and his glory, we might think that he is the centre of attention. Here he is suggesting that it is all about bringing us to be with him in glory. We get a sense of this when our team wins; for a brief moment last summer we all shared Andrew Murray’s glory at Wimbledon. But it is even more personal and intentional that than that: it is as if Wayne Rooney were to score the winning goal in the Brazil World Cup Final , and turn round and say: “St Michael’s Camberley, this is all for you!” This is how Jesus prays for us as we continue his work, that the Father’s will may be done here on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus prayed: “All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.” Hence he says to his disciples: ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ Yes, Jesus is in glory having completed his mission on earth. Yes, we continue his mission and thus continue to bring glory to him. For the disciples this was initially to mean taking no action at all. They were to return to Jerusalem and to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Jesus had said in John 14 that he was returning to the Father, and would ask him to send another Comforter just like him to be with them forever – the Holy Spirit. I have often wondered why there was a ten day gap between the ascension and the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost. I suspect that this was not a delay in heaven. Rather, might it have been a delay on earth in the disciples being ready to hear and receive? We are told they all ‘joined together constantly in prayer’. The reading stops before we hear about what they did next – they had a committee meeting. It was only when they were ‘all together in one place’ on the Day of Pentecost that God could intervene in all his glory and transform them and the world. How can we respond to this? 1. We can give glory to Jesus. Allelujah! sing to Jesus, his the sceptre, his the throne; 2. We can cultivate our relationship with him, our living High Priest who is praying for us moment by moment. Intercessor, Friend of sinners, earth’s Redeemer, plead for me, 3. We can pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit that Jesus promised he would send us. Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire, and lighten with celestial fire; In the coming week pray every day for the God’s Spirit to fill you. Join us for the Day of Prayer on Friday, where we will be praying for the coming of the Spirit. Look for ways that he will help you to be his witness, not necessarily to ‘Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth’, but to Yorktown, Camberley, Blackwater and College Town, to Surrey and to the ends of the earth. Discussion starters 1. Jesus seems to have seen glory in obeying his Father’s will, even in embracing suffering. How does this affect your understanding of the concept of glory? 2. As we finish our time together, what is the burning concern of your heart that you would share with God? Dare we believe that Jesus is carrying this burden with us and for us? How does this make you feel? 3. Let us spend a some time asking God to fill us afresh with his Spirit, to the glory of Jesus …..

SERMON 11 MAY 2014. EASTER 4. THE GATE, THE SHEPHERD & THE FLOCK. Robert

Acts 2 : 42 – 47 Psalm 23 John 10 : 1 – 10 Christ has truly risen from the dead, and is alive and present for evermore! Last Sunday we heard the story about the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and how their shock, sadness and bewilderment were transformed when they realised – when Jesus broke the bread at their table – that He had conquered death and was truly alive and actually present with them. I try to imagine how their whole being changed as the truth dawned, filled them up to the brim with astonished joy, their whole world was transformed, their weary legs were filled with energy, and they must have practically run the 9 miles or so back to Jerusalem to tell the disciples the amazing news. Their sadness turned into unbelievable happiness; their despair at the brutality and injustice of the world changed into hope that God really was at last bringing his kingdom to reality, and that God was in their midst doing something utterly new and wonderful. Here are we, 2000 years later, and I hope our mood comes something close to theirs. It’s very easy to say the Creed, which speaks of one wonderful miracle after another, without thinking too much about it. Now is the time to reflect deeply on the miracle of the resurrection, and let it fill us with new life and hope and joy. Are we really taking it in? Christ is risen and is present with us now – just as vibrantly alive as He was on that first Easter Sunday. The knowledge that Jesus is truly alive and present in our midst changes us, changes everything. Last week Sarah spoke of how we can ask Him to walk alongside us, as he walked with those disciples on the road to Emmaus, open the scriptures to us, and accompany us through good times and bad. This week the illustration changes and gives us more to ponder in the light of Easter. Jesus is the good shepherd and the gate to the sheepfold. Urban dwellers like me actually have little idea of how sheep are managed nowadays. But listening to a radio programme recently, it seems that mostly it is a case of a farmer, a dog and a 4x4. It was very different in the Middle East in the time of Jesus, and in many ways it may have not have changed very much. We think of sheep as being driven from behind. They were accustomed to sheep being led from in front, by a shepherd whom the sheep knew and trusted, and to whose voice they responded. The sheep’s safety and survival depended on the shepherd. He must protect them from attack from wild animals. He must lead them through the dusty wilderness to pools where they could drink, and grass where they could feed. They knew the sound of his staff tapping the rock and would rally with confidence. If one got lost, the shepherd would search until he found it. And the sheepfold was a place of safety for the night. The shepherd would guard the gate and examine each sheep as it entered, checking its condition, and using a little oil to soothe wounds. I understand that the shepherd would sleep across the entrance, personally guarding his flock from dangerous attack from outside, or from sheep wandering off in the night. It was a personal, vital relationship which we need to use our imagination to bring into focus, if we are to understand what Jesus is saying. What, then, can we learn from this for our Christian lives – as John clearly intends that we should? Let’s consider three key words – the gate; the shepherd; and the flock. 1. THE GATE. The first question we have to ask is whether we belong to Christ’s flock. As he is present with us in his risen glory, do we hear and recognise his voice and become his followers? This is a very personal question which we can only answer for ourselves. When we hear the glorious announcement of the resurrection and God’s great victory over sin and death, do we – in the famous words of John Wesley – feel our hearts strangely warmed, and know that – yes – I am a believer, a follower of Jesus. I do know that I take the decision to trust him and belong to him, now and for ever. I will put my life in his hands and ask him today to ‘restore my soul’ – be my guide and protector, and bring me at last into the ‘house of the Lord for ever’. 2. THE SHEPHERD. The risen Jesus is here pictured as the ‘good shepherd’ who gives his life for the sheep. This builds on the wonderful theme Sarah was describing last Sunday. She gave us the picture of the Risen Christ walking with us along the road of life, as he did with those two disciples on the road to Emmaus. The Risen Christ as the Good Shepherd not only accompanies us, but leads us out day by day, and brings us through all life’s joys and sorrows, good times and bad, health and sickness, to still pools of water where we can refresh our soul, good pasture where metaphorically we can renew our strength through prayer, through the scriptures, through sacrament and fellowship. He sustains us through everything that life may throw at us. If we follow him, we will not be led astray through the enticements of false shepherds. And lest we think (as many do) that he is so concerned with keeping us on the right path, that all fun with be sucked out of our lives, Jesus promises the reverse. He promises in verse 10 “I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full” – have life abundantly, with all the wonderful pleasures that God intends for your life. And when life is hard, he tends our wounds and cares for us. As Peter says in is 1st letter (chapter 5:7) “Cast all your cares on him, because he cares for you.” 3. THE FLOCK. For this we need to turn to our reading from Acts 2: 42 – 47. The isolated sheep is the one who is unlikely to survive. We belong together as a church. The early church grew fast, and that was because they were held together by deep bonds of faith and fellowship. We often refer to ourselves as a ‘friendly’ church, but that’s not enough. It’s got to go a lot deeper than that. We read here that those disciples “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common.” They shared their possessions, they ate together in their homes, and praising God, they enjoyed the favour of all the people, and the Lord added to their number day by day. Each of us who is a regular church member needs constantly to try and put ourselves in the position of a first time visitor. What can we do besides giving them a welcome and a cup of coffee? Can we use our imagination? For example, look at the notice sheet which advertises lots of events. If you were new, would you go on your own and just turn up? Not many would. It needs a personal approach and the offer to go together. The early church met in people’s homes. How about asking a newcomer home for Sunday lunch, or for a coffee morning, or to take them to an evening group? We need to find out what has brought a newcomer to church – perhaps it’s because they are going through a difficult time. We could offer to pray with them or for them, and perhaps to visit and help in some practical way. This is all a crucial part of our Mission Action Plan which the PCC is working on, because we notice that many people come once or twice and then disappear. That may be because we have given them a friendly welcome, offered them a cup of coffee and sent them on their way. It’s not enough. They will go away spiritually hungry and without a real incentive to come back. We need also to ask whether it is really obvious and awesome, week by week, that the Lord really is here – his Spirit is with us? We need to pray always that God will send down his Holy Spirit to transform our worship and lift our hearts. That is what will draw people back as they witness the worship and the prayer we offer. I don’t intend this as criticism so much as an incentive to get our minds and prayers into imaginative and pro-active action. Under the leadership of the Good Shepherd, are we an attractive and inspiring enough flock to make others want to join us? We look out on a world of ruthless competition, unloving and often uncaring; full of brutality, hatred and needless suffering. The Risen Christ announcing God’s Kingdom is the world’s true hope – a Kingdom of love and peace and justice. How much the world needs beacons of light and hope. A Church that goes through the motions will slowly decline. We need to be a prayerful, hopeful, attractive beacon of light to a needy world. That is our task and our challenge. That is the message of our Easter faith. Discussion 1.Share experiences of finding the Risen Christ alongside you, or leading you through times of trouble and difficulty. How can we share these with others in the church, especially newcomers? 2.Share ideas of how we might add another dimension to our church welcome to those who come for the first (or second) time. Would you be willing to invite people into your home – or to a meeting? 3.What do you understand by Jesus as the gate to the sheepfold? Share experiences and ideas. 4.What do you understand by Jesus as the Good Shepherd? Share experiences and ideas.

Sermon for Sunday 27 April – Easter 2 – John 20:19-31 – Thomas (Didymus) picks up the pieces.

After a large number of years, she finally plucked up courage to say ‘enough is enough’! It doesn’t matter that we don’t know the ins and outs, but as she sat contemplating the days until ‘D’ day, she started to feel uneasy which led to feelings of doubt and hopelessness that this was ever going to happen. Events leading up to this day had been difficult but ‘D’ day arrived and all was going well. But the doubt and hopelessness crept in and the panic attacks start to happen – and in good time – because the person she was running from - had found her. The lady next door heard the commotion and rung the police and in no time there was calm and he was taken away and the whole process of her moving somewhere safe; needs to start again. ‘It will be alright, I promise you’, said the helpful officer. This time he stays in (prison) and you will be placed in another town away from here. She replied with one of those statements that cuts right through you, "It hurts too much to hope." In her case a safe place to live. Can you imagine? Thomas could. Thomas was not there when his friends, the other disciples saw Jesus. He wasn’t an illusion, or a ghost, it was Jesus with the wounds in his hands and side. The phrase in our reading, "...the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord," does not speaks of the depth of what it must have meant to see it all fulfilled. "I will see you again," Jesus had promised. And after the terrifying scenes on Good Friday here He was! But Thomas was not there to experience the joy. All of us must deal with grief in our own particular way and that includes Thomas. He needed time to deal with his grief before he could join the others. The depth of his hurt was too deep. And this is exactly where our lives intersect the road that Thomas had to travel on. How do we pick up the pieces and go on when we lose someone who has become a mainstay of our living? "Dad will always be there to lean on won’t he?" -- "I can always ask mum, can't I?" Then it hits. "No... there are times when life hits you with such powerful disruption you wonder how you can ever pick up the pieces and go on! Times when it hurts too much to hope that things could be better. Thomas, the proverbial "seeing is believing" type fellow, had discovered something wonderful in Jesus Christ that had turned his life around. There is something wonderful about the story. If Thomas could find a way out of his grief and hopelessness and go on, then we can too. Whatever led him out of the dark place of doubt and discouragement can become a guiding light for you and me. We don't have a lot to go on about Thomas. John is the only gospel to give us anything about the famous "Doubter" and that information is limited. On one occasion Thomas asked a question and on another made a seemingly "off the wall" suggestion. Yet these two tiny clues provide an insight into the inner life of Thomas. In the first incident, Lazarus has died and Jesus says to his disciples, "Lazarus has fallen asleep," and then states, "I am going to wake Lazarus up," The disciples don't get it. Lazarus will be okay if he's sleeping they say. "No... Lazarus is dead," Jesus explains. Then comes this incredibly revealing comment from Thomas, "Let us also go," he says to his colleagues, "that we may die with him." In other words, if Jesus is going to go and join Lazarus in death, then Thomas is ready to go with him. While our knowledge of Thomas is limited, we do know this one thing. Thomas had so invested his life in Jesus that he was willing to follow him into death if that's what it took to be near him! Jesus had become the hub around which Thomas' life revolved. Whether he was a "She" who had never found a safe home or a wanderer who had never found an aim... he loved Jesus. The second incident takes place during the ‘Upper Room’ when Jesus is attempting to pull things together for his followers in this last evening they will share together. If the disciples are beginning to finally understand that Jesus is going to die, they are not able to figure how they will go on. Jesus tries to reassure them, remember the words? "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. ……..And you know the way to the place where I am going." John 14. Thomas asks the question most of them might have had in their minds but didn't express, "Well, actually Lord, we don't know where you're going. How can we know the way?" Here is a strong clue into Thomas' life that can help us understand the meaning of this morning's gospel reading. Thomas is one of those "what you see is what you get", kind of guys. He isn't about to sit and pretend he understands when he doesn't. He is the kid you always wanted in your classroom who would risk asking all the things you wanted to ask, but you hesitated because you didn't want to appear to be ignorant. Jesus says, "You know [of course] the way to the place where I am going." Peter, James, John and the rest sit quietly or perhaps nod in assent, "Sure, we know.... umm... if you say so." Thomas mutters. This is Thomas who loves Jesus and who basically says what is on his mind. (His question prompts one of the most quoted portions of scripture in the gospels... "I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.") The disciples gathered, in part, to deal with their grief and experience of loss. Thomas, for whatever reason, could not work through his grief with the group. He had to have the freedom to be apart before he could be with them. That's important for you and me as individuals. We need to give ourselves permission to "do it our way" and not be pushed into "but, everybody does it this way." One of the difficulties with popular concepts like 'Stages of Grief’ is that some people begin to expect others to move in order from stage one to stage five. "Yep... Thomas' is definitely in denial right now ... we should expect his anger quite soon!" As we need to give ourselves permission to deal with grief and pain in our own way, so also the church family needs to allow for differences in dealing with life's tough times. Leave the door open for fellowship... We're not sure how it happened, but one or another of the disciples said, "Hey, we've got to tell Thomas." In any case, they reached out to Thomas and Thomas was open to their contact. Even in the midst of pain and doubt, an open door to the friendship of others is the first step on the journey to recovery. How many times has someone said to you with something like, "You shouldn't feel that or think that way or be that way?" When Thomas was told the really good news about Jesus, he said in effect, "It hurts too much to hope" The disciples probably expected his response to be that of "seeing is believing." That didn’t happen. But hope was at hand as our reading ends with Jesus turning this into a wonderful principle of faith, "Believing is seeing!" In a great example of true fellowship, Thomas is able to express and his friends are able to accept, honest emotion and authentic expression of doubt. It is absolutely crucial for our growth in faith to have freedom to express honest feeling and honest doubt. A basic principle here is: "We cannot work through and bring faith to fruition, any issue we cannot share with our family of faith." Acceptance like this has not been the strong suit of many churches, but I believe it must become so! If you spend enough time with people over a long period of time in all kinds of difficulty, you will discover an important and powerful principle: "We hide from each other the things we have most in common! Think about it. Having difficulty in your marriage, but feel a sense of failure, so hide the pain instead of reaching out for help. A young person is filled with a sense of being unacceptable, but instead of reaching out to a parent will reach out for an aesthetic (drug). Struggling at work, but feel that asking for help will show inadequacy. Perhaps most difficult for us clergy to hear is something like the remark from a person who has been absent from church for some time and they happen to bump into you and say, "I don't feel like I can come back to church until I get my act together!" If there is just one thing we can gain from the experience of Thomas, let it be this... Jesus accepts us where we are and gives us strength through His Holy Spirit to get where we need to be! When Jesus finally appears for Thomas, (most likely when Thomas was ready to receive it) he doesn't scold, "Thomas you plank! How could you not believe in the resurrection?" Jesus knows Thomas for who he truly is and gives Thomas what he truly needs. The end result! Thomas finally sees Jesus for who he is - Lord and Saviour. But it could never have happened if Jesus had not met Thomas where he was. This gave Thomas strength to risk hope once again. And Jesus will do the same for us. May God give us the grace to be the kind of persons and the kind of fellowship where lives are transformed, and where broken spirits find the strength to hope again! Amen. Questions: Have you ever had a time like Thomas? A time when disappointment was so intense you found it hard to hope? What/who/when did it change? If you needed to ‘do a Thomas’ for whatever reason; how/what would you like to St. Michael’s do to help you. (ie –a prayer room open all day!?).

Sermon 6th April 2014 John 11:1-46 Anne What happened in Bethany that day led to a chain reaction of events. You know the kind of thing – something happens and it’s like lighting the touch paper and watching the fuse burn, before BANG and debris and sparks fly everywhere! Raising Lazarus from the dead was like lighting the touch paper. You see, opinion was divided; on one side there were those who saw what Jesus did that day and recognised the sign. On the other, there were those who just saw trouble. Signs are not always easy to interpret. Take the sign for ‘road works’ for example, it looks like a man putting up an umbrella, but he’s pointing it to the ground. And can you tell me why a sign with a bicycle on it means no bikes allowed? Surely you’d think that if it had a bike it means ‘go ahead bikes’! The sign in Bethany was the last in a long line of signs, which pointed to who Jesus was – to who Jesus is. And this one was the … hum-dinger of all signs. You’d have thought they’d have recognised him for who he was when he changed water into wine, or when he healed the official’s son, or healed the man at the pool, fed the 5000, walked on water, healed the blind man, but no, the Pharisees just saw trouble. Others saw trouble too and told them what Jesus did on that day and what he said. So the Pharisees plotted to kill him. Strange that, don’t you think? Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead – he turns death into life – and the Pharisees want to turn his life into death. But we know, they’re in for a bit of a surprise… I wonder if Martha and Mary were surprised too? They send word to their friend Jesus to tell him their brother, the one who Jesus loves, is ill. But Jesus doesn't come immediately. That must have been hard to take. To know, you’ve sent word to the one person you need, and he doesn’t show up. Perhaps he didn't come because he knew most of the disciples would be reluctant to go anywhere near Jerusalem; it’s a dangerous place for them all. It’s full of enemies and wagging tongues and last time they were there, the crowd threatened to stone them. Or maybe the time just wasn’t right yet. Then when Jesus does tell the disciples about Lazarus there seems to be some confusion or misunderstanding. Jesus says to the disciples, Lazarus’ illness won’t end in death. Then he tells them Lazarus is ‘asleep’ and he’s going to wake him. But then, when they think Lazarus is really ‘asleep’, Jesus tells them he’s dead! That must have been shocking to them. Of course, we know what’s coming; Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, but to the disciples the whole episode is like a ‘show and tell’ in reverse. Jesus seems to be telling them, in a roundabout way, that he plans to raise Lazarus from the dead before he actually does it. He tells them about the sign which points to who he is, before he’s shown it to them. Understandably, they’re confused! They’re not the only ones who seem confused. Eventually, Jesus arrives in Bethany, but he’s too late. Lazarus is already dead. Martha and then Mary go to meet him. Martha says, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask”. Notice she doesn’t say, “What kept you Jesus?” or “Jesus, thought you were meant to be his friend!” No, she just says, “if you had been here...” she laments his absence, what might have been, but she doesn’t lose hope. And then the confusion sets in ... Jesus says, “Your brother will rise again”. And Martha responds, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day”. She’s talking about the Jewish tradition and belief that the dead will rise on the last day of judgement. But Jesus’ is not only talking about last days, about the future, he’s talking right now. He says to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life” … the resurrection and the life. It sounds like Jesus is repeating himself, but he’s not. You see, what he’s about to do, points to who he is. Lazarus has been dead for four days. Four days is significant because in the Jewish tradition, the soul or spirit lingered near the body for three days. Therefore, for three days there was still a hope that the person could be resuscitated. Lazarus was beyond all hope and possibility of resuscitation and Mary, mourning and weeping for her brother, goes quickly from the house when she hears from Martha that Jesus is in the village. The other mourners follow her thinking she’s going to Lazarus’ tomb. When she sees Jesus, she falls at his feet, grief stricken and in tears. And echoing the words of her sister she says, “Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have died”. And Jesus this time says nothing, but deeply moved, he weeps with her. He doesn’t say “there, there Mary, no need to cry”. Neither does he say, “don’t worry all will be well in a minute” even though he knows it will. No, as she invites him to the tomb, into the source of her sadness, he cries with her. He shares in her grief and pain and bears her sorrow. As the crowd, Mary and Martha and Jesus arrive at the tomb, Jesus commands the crowd to “take away the stone” that covers the entrance. And Martha, bless her, worries that there will be a bad odour. She knows he is really dead – four days dead. And Jesus reminds her and us that this sign points to the glory of God, points to what we will see and witness if we believe. Then Jesus prays, he thanks his Father for hearing him and then he calls to Lazarus in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” And Lazarus comes out – bound in strips of linen, bound in his grave clothes. This is the sign that shows the world who Jesus is and why he’s there. This is the sign that divides the crowd, that threatens the Pharisees, that reassures the believers, that lights the touch paper towards the cross. In raising Lazarus to life, Jesus shows that he is the one who will conquer death and yet, paradoxically, raising Lazarus is the final nail in his coffin or more accurately, in his cross. But it doesn’t end there. Lazarus’ resurrection from the dead points to Jesus’ resurrection. He calls Lazarus out of the tomb because of who he is … God on earth, the Word made flesh. He is the resurrection in the future and also the life now. In verse 25, he says, “The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.” And Lazarus is proof of the ‘life’ Jesus refers to. Jesus has raised him from the dead to enjoy life with him in the present. (Lazarus will die again – and be raised up in the age to come.) We too can enjoy life with Jesus now in the present; we can have that resurrection life now. Just as Jesus called Lazarus out of the tomb, so too he calls to us by name. How many of us I wonder have felt like Lazarus, felt those strips of linen as they inhibit our very existence, as they inhibit our freedom to enjoy life. What are the strips of cloth that bind you – maybe fears or addictions. Maybe feelings of hopelessness and loss. Maybe resentment and a lack of forgiveness. But Jesus calls us out of our tombs of despair into a new life with Him…now. It’s a life where we can follow Him even though we might sometimes be confused and misunderstand like the disciples; He breaks into our lives by guiding and leading us. It’s a life where we say “Yes, Lord, I believe…” like Martha and have trust even in the times of despair. It’s a life where like Mary, when we are overcome with grief and sadness, we can throw ourselves at his feet and he will weep with us and give us hope for the future. In the next chapter in John’s Gospel we’re told what the resurrection life for Lazarus was like; he is with his friend Jesus, reclining at the table, eating with him. In our resurrection life now, let’s enjoy fellowship and friendship with him.

Sermon 16th March 2014 Psalm 121 – A Psalm for Life’s Journey Anne

Sermon 16th March 2014 Psalm 121 – A Psalm for Life’s Journey Anne Mountains can be places where literally being on ‘top of the world’ can be liberating and awe inspiring; do you remember from the Sound of Music, those opening aerial shots where Julie Andrews as Sister Maria runs and twirls freely on the Austrian hilltop? Maria’s joy and happiness seemed to radiate from the mountain top and the views of the Austrian lake district were beautiful and idyllic. Maybe the Psalmist, the person who wrote and spoke the words of Psalm 121, was looking expectantly at the mountains surrounding Jerusalem in Judaea. Maybe he was lifting his eyes hopefully towards the hills and pondering wistfully on the goal of his pilgrimage journey; maybe they reminded him of his destination - the Temple in Jerusalem standing on top of Mount Zion. But mountains can also be places of danger. Back in August 2006, we walked the Coast-to-Coast long distance path from St Bees in Cumbria to Robin Hood’s Bay on the East Coast. It was a journey with plenty of hills! It rains in the Lake District and as we set out on the last Lake District section, the weather changed for the worst. As we climbed higher and higher up the mountain, the temperature fell dramatically. And then suddenly and without warning, swirling dark grey clouds rolled in and shrouded us in a freezing cold hailstorm. With no shelter, all we could do was crouch down beside the remains of a dry stone wall to avoid the stinging hailstones lashing our faces. With no visibility, no view and no landmarks to pinpoint our location and proximity to the edge, being on top of a mountain is a precarious place to be; all we could do was wait until the mist cleared. Those lovely, inviting hills had become a place of danger and threat; a place where we were exposed and vulnerable. Maybe the Psalmist looked up at those Judean Hills with fear and trepidation, knowing that the journey would not be easy. Bandits and wild animals hide in hills, heatstroke and exhaustion can overtake you. Hills can be places of refuge and beauty, but also places of menace. Either way, help comes from only one source - “Where does my help come from?” the Psalmist asks, “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” he responds. The Psalmist’s pilgrim journey towards Jerusalem included physical ups and downs as he traversed the hills and the valleys, but maybe he would have also experienced emotional and spiritual ups and downs too. One moment ‘on top of the world’ and the next exposed, doubtful and vulnerable. As we journey through Lent, as we pilgrim towards Easter Sunday, we can reflect on our ups and downs, joys and sadness, hope and despair. Some of us may feel closest to God when we are faced with hard times. We call out in desperation to Him when all else fails and when we are at our most needy. When we realise our limits, we seek Him more than ever. But then when things start to resolve themselves, we don’t seem to call on Him as much and often we forget He’s even there. In contrast, some of us may feel closest to God in the midst of the good times. When everything’s going well, we can confidently answer the question “Where does my help come from?” with a speedy response “My help comes from the Lord.” But when we are faced with life’s challenges and despair, such as economic hardship, physical illness and loss of a loved one, we’re knocked back and discouraged and wonder why God has let something so awful happen. And we pray, and it seems like God is not answering … maybe he’s not listening … and our response to the question “Where does my help come from?” is followed by a long pause, and a reticent reply ….”my help … comes from … the Lord”. How can we be confident of God’s presence in times of doubt or challenge? The Psalmist reminds us of how great our God is. Help comes from the Creator God, the Maker of heaven and earth, nothing is beyond His reach and control. Not even the hills or the mountains. And in the words of what seems like a blessing, a voice in the Psalm reminds us of who God is and what he does. He is the majestic helper, the faithful keeper. When the way is uncertain and precarious He protects us. He will not let our feet slip, He will not let your feet slip. He is always vigilant, always watching over us. His watchful eye is constant, never ceasing, never sleeping. And even though we may forget He’s there, He’s never distracted, never day dreaming, never inattentive towards us. He watches over us, not from a distant place, but in close proximity at our right hand. He protects us from all the perils of the day and night. He does not abandon us even when times are good or when times are dark. He watches over our lives. This does not mean though that we will always be ‘on top of the world’ or that we will not suffer. We only have to listen to stories about Christians being persecuted in Syria or North Korea to know that’s not the case. And we, like everyone else, face redundancies, economic hardship, injustices, sickness and bereavement. But God is not only the Creator and Maker of heaven and earth, he is our redeemer and Saviour. His loving care for us goes far beyond what we or the Psalmist might be able to imagine. He withholds nothing from us, not even His Son. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). And there we have it – eternal life – what ever this world holds we are promised life with him – a life beyond our present anxieties and sufferings, beyond this life’s ups and downs. A life that’s not limited by time; His care is eternal; he is committed to being with us … always. And so, you can raise your eyes to the mountains and whatever they might hold for you, confident that your help comes from the Lord because He: “will watch over your coming and going both now and for evermore” (verse 8). Amen Additional Information Psalms 120-134 are labelled as “A Song of Ascents”. Although we cannot be sure, some scholars think these were the songs sung by the Israelites as they made pilgrimages to Jerusalem for the 3 major feasts each year. As they sung the Psalms travelling on the roads leading up to Jerusalem, they would also be preparing themselves to bring their sacrifices before God in the Temple.

SERMON 9 MARCH 2014. LENT 1. MAKING LENT REAL. ROBERT.

Genesis 2: 15 – 17 & 3: 1 – 7       Romans 5 : 12 – 19          Matthew 4 : 1 – 11

This is the 1^st Sunday in Lent and it’s a good time to ask three basic questions. What is Lent? How should we observe it? And how does it help our understanding of the Christian Gospel?

1. What is Lent?  The word itself means ‘Springtime’ and we can apply it to our Christian lives in two ways: First, a ‘spring-clean’. Traditionally it’s the time of year when the days become longer, the sun shines more brightly into all the corners, and hopefully we feel more active. That’s the theory anyway! And so we notice that our homes could do with a thorough clean and out comes the vacuum cleaner, the dusters, and all the range of modern cleaning aids. It doesn’t take much imagination to transfer this to our Christian lives. We take time to examine the dark corners, the things not done which ought to have been done, and the things done which ought not to have been done, and begin to cleanse our lives and put them in order.

The other side of ‘Springtime’ is, naturally, that we delight to see nature unfolding its glorious blossoms and coming into full flower. It’s the same with our Christian lives. If we address our failings and shortcomings, and indeed our wilful sin, then our spiritual lives will burst into glorious bloom and we will know that wonderful sense of renewal of spiritual life and energy, and we will know the joy and peace that comes from a restored relationship with God.

Traditionally Lent lasts for 40 days leading up to Easter. This is in order that our spiritual lives and practices have been thoroughly serviced and MOT-ed in time to celebrate Easter with all our spiritual engines running well and on full power.

If it seems strange that Lent begins on a Wednesday and ends on Easter Saturday, that’s because our time of self-examination may well include abstinence -  including fasting – and outward symbols of repentance. But Sundays are excluded from these practices, because Sunday is always a Feast Day, celebrating the Lord’s resurrection. So, if you count the days from Ash Wednesday to Easter Saturday and leave out the Sundays, the answer will be forty!

If we ask – why forty? The best answer is that Jesus fasted for forty days in the wilderness as he prepared for his earthly ministry (as we have just read in the Gospel), and that seems an excellent example to follow.

2. How should we observe Lent? There is the outward symbolism and the inner process. Hopefully, the two will integrate and both complement and reinforce each other.

First, the outward symbolism. Traditionally, the pattern has been to try and imitate the model of Jesus and make it a time of fasting. What that means in practice may differ from what was appropriate to the medieval monks, for example, to a suitable practice in our very different lives today. Fasting was a central feature (which took various forms) but that was not just an end in itself, but was accompanied by much prayer. There are people now who find that going without food – or minimum food – for periods of time, increases their concentration and focus. Excellent! Fasting is very much an orthodox Christian practice. Others will find that it simply gives them a migraine, while for others with certain medical conditions, it could seriously damage their health. Everyone must work out what most helps their spiritual concentration and prayer. Many now enforce a bit of discipline on their lives by deciding to abstain from – say - alcohol, meat, chocolate, or their favourite food, whatever that may be.

As well as giving up something we value, it will be helpful (as Anne pointed out in the last Liquid communion service) positively to take on something. In particular, join one of our special Lent courses, carve out more time for prayer, Bible reading with suitable notes and Holy Communion.

But all these should only be outward and visible signs of an inward reality. Are we really putting our spiritual lives in order? Are we taking positive steps to reconcile broken relationships? To put an end to whatever practices that grieve God’s loving heart? To look again at what it means to love the Lord our God with all our heart and mind and soul and strength, and our neighbour as ourselves? Without this, all the outward practice will be a sham. In the Gospels, the Pharisees were good at an outward show of practice with no real depth, and Jesus called them ‘Hypocrites’ – which means play-actors.  It’s just theatre.

We each need to consider our personal response, in order that our lives will blossom spiritually so that we can celebrate Easter.

3. How does Lent help our understanding of the Christian Gospel?

In our Gospel reading, we see Jesus being tempted in the wilderness. He has just been baptized by John the Baptist, and as the Holy Spirit descends on him and fills his life with power, his public ministry is launched. He has been commissioned by God to offer the world a new way of living, which will restore our relationship with God and bring about true freedom, love, justice and peace.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul tells us in theological picture language that Jesus is the new Adam, who has come to reverse the effects of our fallen nature.

In our first reading from Genesis chapter 3, we read about the root cause of our present human condition. We are meant to understand that this story of the serpent and the tree of the knowledge and evil, is not so much intended to describe a single event, but to offer a deep insight into the problem that besets us all. We do not trust God sufficiently to obey his laws. In essence, we think we know better what will bring us happiness, success and satisfaction. And so we choose to go our own way in life – and often we then blame God when things go wrong.  At some funerals I preside at, the family want to end the service with Frank Sinatra’s song ‘I did it my way’. And I think to myself ‘that is the perfect definition of sin’!  I don’t want or intend to live my life under God’s loving guidance and direction. I intend to live it my way.

Jesus goes out into the wilderness to pray through the human problem, God’s solution, and how he is to implement it.

There are various possibilities. Will the world become a better place, and we become better people, if he makes it possible for the whole world to be fed? Well, that would certainly help, but in fact there is enough food in the world to feed everyone, but because of our human condition, we will never share it fairly.

Will Jesus make everyone believe he is God’s full and final messenger and follow him faithfully by throwing himself off the top of the temple – performing a great miracle? No, the sad truth is that Jesus will perform miracle after miracle, and the response of all the religious leaders is simply to ask for yet more and more signs – better evidence – more convincing proof. They have no wish to be convinced.

Will Jesus bring peace to the world through military conflict and magnificent victory establishing a kingdom of love and peace? Sadly, one military victory simply seems to provoke a counter response – another conflict - and world still does not find itself able to live in harmony and peace.

There is an underlying problem to all this. These strategies would address the symptoms not the disease. And the disease, as Jesus sees very clearly, lies in the fallen human heart and will. We all want to do it ‘our way’.

Jesus spells it out to his disciples in Matthew 16: 24 - 16: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me, will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gain the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?”

To get in step with Jesus this Lent means repentance, which means turning your life around, finding the right priorities – if necessary, turning your values upside down. Not my will, Lord, but yours be done.

This led Jesus down to the depths of the cross, where he took upon himself the tragedy of our fallen lives and wilful disobedience, and in his resurrection, brought us the hope of a new life, true freedom and a glorious future.

If we turn our lives to Christ in trust and obedience this Lent, then we shall indeed rejoice this coming Easter in the new life we find, with its true freedom, unlimited, unconditional love, and an eternal future. Whatever practices you adopt this Lent to renew your faith in Christ, may this Spring be for you the way to a glorious new resurrection life.

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NB. No discussion questions this week as we take part in the Lent courses which have their own questions. Please join these.

“Repentance is never the outcome of despair, but rather an act of profound hope. As we make confession of our sins this Lent, we do so not as a grovelling act of self-hatred, but as a response to God’s mercy. So we come home to reality, to the God ‘to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden’. God does not lead us to repentance to condemn us but to set us free from all the destructive and acquisitive instincts that crowd in on our lives and erode our faith and humanity. It is an act of trust – our part in the renewal of all creation.” Angela Tilby, Thought for the day. Radio 4.  5^th March.

Sunday 2 March 2014, Genesis 24, 2 Peter 1, Bruce

On the Sunday before Lent begins, the readings usually remind us of the Transfiguration.  This happened when Jesus took Peter, James and John up a high mountain by themselves.  His face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as the light.  The disciples saw Jesus talking to Moses and Elijah, two heroes from the Old Testament who were each famous for mountain top experiences.

We read a little earlier how God summoned Moses up onto the mountain to meet him.  Again and again we read about the holiness of God, and the care that must be taken so that the people are not exposed to God’s holiness and killed.  The precautions that God spells out might remind us of workers entering the damaged reactor at Chernobyl.  He is truly immortal, invisible, hidden in inaccessible light.  Moses waits for six days, looking at the cloud of glory that has descended on the mountain, before God calls to him again and he goes up, to spend 40 days with God.

Then we skip forward perhaps 1500 years to an old man – Peter, who is pleading with us to live a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  We have received all that we need to do this because of God’s goodness, but we are nevertheless to make every effort to live well.  This is not theory, Peter says.  He himself has seen the glory of God, when he accompanied Jesus onto the mountain, and heard the voice from on high saying “This is my beloved Son, with him I am pleased.”

In each case, the holiness and mystery of God is made clear.  So how can we ever dream that might encounter him and grow in him?  On each occasion a man meets God, on behalf of others.  Moses has brought the elders of Israel as high up the mountain as they can dare to come.  Now he must go on alone.  During the 40 days he will receive the two tablets of the law engraved on stone, and ultimately his face will start to shine as he is changed from glory into glory.  Because Moses can meet God, ultimately all the people of Israel can safely encounter God, albeit though an elaborate system of ritual and sacrifice, that is laid out for us in Exodus and Leviticus.

And Jesus is revealed to be the new Moses.  He is the Father’s pure radiance, the divine presence here on earth.  The context is again one of hardship and difficulty.  Jesus has just been speaking of the opposition he has been encountering from the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and has just astounded his disciples by saying that he will be betrayed into the hands of his enemies, killed and that he will rise again on the third day.  Here on the mountain top he is speaking to Moses and Elijah, both of whom suffered persecution.  Luke, in his version, mentions that Jesus is talking about his own exodus, his departure from this life.

And the three disciples are part of it.  They do not understand it all. They are far from perfect.  But Peter’s report is that his life was changed as he found himself in the presence of the divine.  He has a reason to get up each morning.  He has a strong power pushing him to want to have the same character as Jesus.

And we learn powerful lessons as we seek to be a growing community of faith that is open for all.

We need to be a welcoming people.  Jesus could have gone up on the mountain alone.  But he chose to share the experience with his disciples, who in turn have shared it with us.  It is remarkably hard to be a Christian on your own; you are not designed for it.  Jesus gathered his disciples into a group, and it seems plain to me from scripture that he is still doing this.  I talked to someone recently about their bad foot.  But how had they managed to walk all the way around Virginia Water?  “Oh that was easy.  We were in a group and as we chatted the walk just happened.”  For whatever reason, it is not automatic for everyone just to easily follow Jesus; we need to be a welcoming, encouraging, facilitating, going the second mile, cake making, group attending people, who help others to join us as we go up the mountain together.

We need to be people who are followers of Jesus.  Peter, James and John might have said “Thanks for the invitation, but it is not convenient right now.”  Or perhaps “but I am not worthy to join you on the mountain; let’s wait till I am in the right frame of mind”.  But Jesus called them, and they went.  Every one of us who has been baptised is by definition a follower of Jesus.  We may feel ourselves to be fallible people who are always getting things wrong; that is, however, the necessary qualification to be a follower of Jesus.  This is where joining one of the two courses on offer this Lent may be just the best thing that you can do.  They each have a different approach but they will enable you to take real steps forward in getting to know Jesus.  They will help those who wish to be baptised or confirmed, and those who want to revisit their baptismal promises and see how to live them out in everyday life.  As part of our Easter worship we are planning a Reaffirmation of Baptismal Vows.

We need to be people who are learning to pray.  It is tempting to think that once we have sorted various things out in our lives and got ourselves on an even keel, once the problems are dealt with and we are feeling better, then we will be clear to worship and pray to God as he is worth it.  The truth is, however, that Jesus took his disciples up onto the mountain while in the midst of considerable turmoil, and with more waiting for him afterwards.  Moses would come down from his 40 days to face the crisis of the golden calf.  We are learning to glory in God’s glory, but also in the tribulations that we encounter day by day.  We learn to pray on our own and in groups and in the whole congregation here.  We praise God in our triumphs and in our disasters, and we learn to pray though them all.

We are a people who communicate God’s love to all around us.  Peter saw in Jesus a direct line back to the Old Testament prophets who made God’s love known, and he himself continued that line in his preaching and his writing.  If he had lived today, would Peter have Facebooked, tweeted, blogged, YouTubed and also written articles for The Magazine?  I suspect that he would have.

Today we are launching our Mission Action Plan.  It is the start of a process that will continue, of choosing actions that bring us closer to God, and make it easier for others to join us in following Jesus.  I trust that you will be blessed as you join us in going up the mountain with Jesus this Lent.