Sunday 14 September 2014

St Mary Magdalene, Cowden - Transcript of Sermon - 'Vision Day'

Sermon – St Mary Magdalene Cowden Sept 14th 2014

2 Kings 6: 8-17   and Matthew 26: 47-56.


In 2007 my daughter had been spending time at Camp America in Virginia. She was twenty years old. After Camp she took the opportunity for some travel – solo! While she was waiting at Philadelphia airport to fly to New York a terrific storm began to close in that meant flights were being cancelled.

However she was booked into a hostel in New York and they would only the bed until 2am after which she would have to find another place to stay and didn't have the money or really know how she could go about finding another hostel if she just turned up in New York.

While she sat waiting and wondering what to do a man came up and sat next to her and started chatting. He then said he knew how to get on a flight to New Jersey (which is close to New York). He said they should go to the information desk. They managed to get the last two seats on the last flight out before the airport totally closed down. On arrival he waited until Tabitha had recovered her bags and then escorted out to the taxi rank. He gave the driver $30 and told him where she needed to go.

Before he closed the taxi door he looked at Tabitha and said, ‘you are a wonderful person’ then closed the door.

When Tabitha turned around to say thank you and wave goodbye he had simply disappeared.  There were no crowds around so he hadn't melted into the crowds, but he had simply gone, much like he suddenly appeared at the airport in Philadelphia.

An angel perhaps?
  


Angels appear in our very earliest cultures in both myths and legends.

These also feature in both the opening book of our Bible, Genesis and the closing book, Revelation.

In between they are frequently mentioned in various forms and guises.

So, you may agree with Abba whom you might recall sang ‘I believe in angels’ or with any number of other songs about angels – particular Robbie Williams’ song – Angels.

Certainly Vassula Ryden a contemporary prophet and mystic believes in angels. In her book ‘Heaven is real but so is hell’ she talks of her Guardian Angel who introduces himself as Daniel.

Of course Vassula is a controversial figure and the jury is still out on whether she is the real deal or not.

But they would have probably said much the same thing about people like Teresa of Avila.

Having a guardian angel is also not an easy concept to accept given the massive computations necessary for each and every person to have their own personal guardian angel.

However we need to tread with caution because our Lord himself said;

‘See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.’

In the Christian tradition the realm of angels developed into a hierarchy so we began to have Archangels and then numerous other forms of angels, cherubs, cherubim and seraphim and all manner of angelic beings.

Some of these had the role of worshiping God day and night and others are messengers which is probably why we often view them with wings. They are the winged messengers from God or in Greek mythology from the gods.

However they often turn up in the Scriptures stories bearing the resemblance of men.


Think of Abraham’s three visitors, or the angels who appeared in the doomed cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

This of course is what lies behind Eastern hospitality.

There was, and still is,  a very strong tradition that you might indeed be entertaining angels.

An idea that gets carried over into the New Testament…

Hebrews 13.2

‘Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels
unawares.’

That is of course a very important message for us to consider. Especially as today we come to consider our life together here as the people of God, asking about our role and purpose as God’s people in this community.

Hospitality and welcoming the stranger ought to be very high on our agenda.

When I worked in hotels, especially some of the smaller ones, the staff would become almost like a family.Yet we all knew we were not there for ourselves but to serve our guests. To make sure they had the best possible experience they could have. To go out of our way, to walk the extra mile to ensure they were looked after and would speak afterwards with warmth and satisfaction of their visit. Best of all if they became regulars.

I hope you get my drift…

Some angels are also described as warrior angels fighting against forces of darkness.

We pick this up in Ephesians 6.12

12 For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

It was whilst working in the bar trade that I saw the worst of this type of manifestation through the work of what are called poltergeist.  Nothing on the grand global scale of some of the horrors we are currently seeing being unleashed across the world, but nonetheless very scary and unnerving. Furniture smashed, bathroom cabinet ripped of the wall and thrown in the bath, banging and noise and disturbances, night after night.

C.S. Lewis wrote “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors, and hail a materialist or magician with the same delight” (C.S. Lewis.  The Screwtape Letter. 1941, p. 3).

Warrior angels it would seem are the ones we meet in our story from 2 Kings.

When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. Oh, my lord, what shall we do? the servant asked. Don't be afraid, the prophet answered. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.

And Elisha prayed, O LORD, open his eyes so that he may see. Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all round Elisha.

Again as with Guardian Angels we need to tread carefully in denouncing the idea of warrior angels.

In our Gospel passage from Matthew we heard of a follower who was seeking to defend Jesus with a sword as the Temple Guard came to arrest him. Jesus told him to put the sword away, that should he choose, he could ask his Father, who would send more than 12 legions of angels to save him. That is over 72,000 warrior angels.

If you take into account the story of the might of just one angel in Isaiah 37.36 who in a single night slew a hundred and eighty five thousand men – that is some awesome power.

So where does all of this leave us on the 14th September 2014 gathered in this church?

Isn't all this simply to fanciful, to far fetched, way beyond what sensible and rational humans being should entertain?

I think it calls us to weigh carefully the Scriptures. 

I think it calls us to seek God in prayer, to try and discern what part God would have us play in bringing about the Kingdom of God in this place and into this community.

I think it calls for us to be mindful of the stranger for we may be entertaining angels.

It calls for us to be encouraged, for ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’

We know that the victory belongs to our God.

We know that not by looking at the great battles described in the Book of Revelation, with its myriads of angels engaged in deadly conflict against the enemies of God, important as that is.

We know it because of other angels - 

From Luke’s Gospel…

While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, Why do you look for the living among the dead?
He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:
`The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'

If that be true, then how brothers and sisters should we now live…

From Romans 6.4 ‘We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.’

Live a new life as an individual and as the people of God.

Live a new life inviting others to put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Live a new life of love and care for friends, family, neighbours, strangers and enemies alike.

Live a new life that looks out with a heart cry at the horrors in the world, seek to do what we are able with the resources we have and yet taking comfort and encouragement in knowing that King Jesus will have the victory.

As read in the Hymn of the Kenosis in Philippians 2…

Therefore God exalted him (Jesus) to the highest place and gave him a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven, and on
 earth and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Let us pray…

O Christ in the synagogue at Nazareth;
O Christ in the pulpit of our Churches;
O risen and cosmic Christ;
O voice of the compassionate and righteous God -
Give us no peace until we become
co-workers for your Gospel. Amen


No comments:

Post a Comment