St Thomas & St Andrew Doxey – 6th September 2015
James 2.1- 17
& Mark 7.24-37
Today I
would like to use these two Gospel stories as a way to explore something of the
work and ministry of the Church Army and the call of God upon all the Baptised
to be about the business of sharing faith in words and deeds.
I also
would like you to keep in mind the ever practical James – faith has to make a difference
to life lived in the present.
Most of
you will be old enough to remember Cliff Richard inviting us to climb aboard a
red London bus and go on a Summer Holiday.
Some if
you may even remember Madonna’s 1983 song ‘We Need a Holiday.’
And
then, although not a song, we have a recent Pastoral Letter from Bishop Mark,
talking about the value and virtue of a holiday.
I love
optical illusions, paintings and photographs that look like one thing but then
viewed from another angle reveal something else.
Sometimes
there is value of looking at piece of Scripture like this, viewed from a
different angle, rather than front on.
The
story of the Syro-Phoenician is one such story.
We begin
by considering the journey – ‘Jesus left
that place and went to Tyre.’
‘That
place’ if we take the last placed mentioned, was Gennesaret, just a few miles
from Capernaum on the North West shore of Lake Galilee.
That’s a
journey of around 40 to 50 miles and from Tyre to Sidon was another 20 – 30
miles. When you add up the miles into a round trip it works out at
approximately 250 miles.
Tyre is
on the North West Mediterranean coast well outside the borders of Israel, deep
into Gentile territory.
It wouldn’t
be that difficult to see this as a beach holiday for the disciples. In all
probability the first time they had seen a real sea and tasted salt water on
their lips.
And as fishermen
are fishermen and it could well have been that Peter struck up a conversation
with the local fisherman and soon they were out for a boat ride in the open
sea, a new experience for them.
Allow
your imagination to play around with this idea – can you see them on the beach
late at night with a small fire, some flagons of wine and charcoaled fish,
talking late into the night.
We are
used to modern day celebrities trying to get a break away from the press, and
this looks a bit like what Jesus was endeavouring to do.
‘He entered a house and did not want anyone
to know it…’
Yet,
probably through traders, he was known and was sought out in particular by one
woman in desperate need who had heard something about Jesus and the
extraordinary powers he displayed.
Today we
are used to living privately but there was no such thing for most ordinary
people in the 1st century, everybody lived in a semi-public way.
Therefore,
breaking every convention, this woman came and prostrated herself before Jesus
and begs for help because her little daughter was ill.
We then
have this most extraordinary conversation.
If ever
you train in acting or even public speaking one of the exercises is to take
something like a familiar Nursery Rhyme and then try acting it out or saying it
in different styles.
For
example as someone who is angry, or sad or full of pathos or even full of
teasing and fun.
The
point is we simply do not know the way this conversation was conducted and that
could make all the difference to the way it is read.
As an
aside, we were discussing this Passage recently in our Home Group and talking
about being on holiday and asking if we go ever go ‘off duty’ as Christians.
It also worth noting, not that it makes a
huge amount of difference, but the word ‘dog’ is better translated as ‘puppy.’
Personally
I like to see a bit of gentle humour and Jesus drawing the woman into deeper
faith.
Interestingly
her words are now part of our Eucharistic Liturgy.
‘
The
Syro-Phoenician lived out on the edge, on the margins, and certainly at this
time, ‘a Gentile puppy, not worthy of being fed.’
Jordan
was such a person, living on the edge, in and out of prison. Until that is he
met Captain Nick Russel a Church Army Officer working out of the Greenwich
Centre of Mission. Through a developing relationship and friendship Jordan has found new life and new hope, he has found that he is invited not to simply gather up the crumbs from under the table but as we read in Revelation 3.3.
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
https://vimeo.com/128117456
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
https://vimeo.com/128117456
Our
other Gospel story is about a man who was deaf and mute.
Again I
invite you look behind this story and I want to suggest one particular thing.
Imagine
that this man had never heard the praises of God sung or the trumpets sounds or
the loud clashing cymbals praising God.
He had
never been able to lift up his own voice in praise of Yawheh, the God of his
ancestors.
Now he
can!
When you
ask what is the purpose of the Church many will say it is to offer praise and
worship God.
They may
even quote the Shorter Westminster Confession – ‘man’s chief aim is to worship
God and enjoy him for ever.’
I
wouldn’t argue against that.
However
I would want to place alongside this a passage from Romans 10.14 and following…
"Whoever will call on the name of the
Lord will be saved." How then will they call on Him in whom they have not
believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will
they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just
as it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring Good News
of good things!"…
How then
will they call on Him in whom they have not believed?
And does
it not follow - How then will they worship
Him in whom they have not believed?
Evangelist
are those of beautiful feet because they bring the Good News.
And
where do they bring the Good News?
Well
yes, here in building such as this. But far more importantly they take the Good
News to the many, many thousands who will only ever been seen dead in a place
like this.
That is
the work and the ministry of Church Army.
However
it isn’t the work and ministry of Church Army alone.
While not
everyone is called to be an evangelist, all are called to evangelize and one of
the prime roles of the evangelist is to enable, equip and encourage God’s
people to ensure their feet are shod with the Gospel of Peace.
To be out
and about as heralds of Good News in the highways and the byways, wherever you
go and with whomever you meet along the way.
And
should you be concerned that you will not be able to sing an appropriate Gospel
message then heed our last story.
‘He even makes the deaf hear and the mute
speak.’
If
invited God will open your ears to the cry of those on the edge, the least, the
last and the lost.
The
Syro-Phoenician woman, the Jordan’s, and those who are deaf to the call of God and
as yet are unable to sing out His praises.
“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." Acts 1.8
Well,
here you all are in Jerusalem...
But
where is your Judea, your Samaria and your ‘ends of the earth.’
People
of God, the song of the world may sound loud but it is often discordant.
But the
song of the Gospel is by far the sweetest and brings hope, joy and peace.
People
need to hear a very different song and be invited to belong to a very different
choir.
Are you
willing to become a Gospel troubadour and sing out the Good News?
‘For all
your goodness I will keep on singing, ten thousands reasons for my heart to
find.
The
Founder of the Church Army, Prebandary Wilson Carlile was known affectionately
as ‘The Chief.’
This is
the Chief’s Consecration Prayer – can I invite you (if you are able) to stand
and say this along with me as we dedicate ourselves afresh to fight against,
sin the world and the devil and to continue as Christ’s faithful soldiers and servants
to the ends of our lives.
‘Now and
here I give myself to you,
and now and here you give yourself to me;
and now and here I find your love within.
Break
through me Lord,
that others I may win;
Your
wounded body and your life blood poured
impel me forth to live and preach you, Lord.
No comments:
Post a Comment