Welcome to Revd David Clark - transcript of sermon

                                                Sermon Holy Trinity Berkswich

                          Feast St Peter and St Paul and Welcome to Revd David Clark

Zech. 4: 1-6a, 10b –end Acts 12: 1-11 Matt. 16: 13-19

Today I retire after 41 years in ministry. I can think of no better way of ending this ministry than being invited to preach tonight as David is welcomed here as your curate.

Let us pray…

Father speak to our minds to instruct them,

Speak to our hearts to warm them,

And speak to our wills to inspire them,

For your Holy Names sake we ask.  Amen

Whenever we have an act of terrorism one of the questions asked is, was this person known to the authorities?

Some people however are very good at keeping under the radar.

From today, David will find it hard to keep under the radar. He has become a Church of England minister and that has a very public dimension.

And this will be noticed, even if you try and hide it and do not wear your clerical collar.

A number of times while on holiday I have been invited to read a lesson as the minister was been able to intuit I am also a minister, despite the shorts and t-shirt. It is something about the way we carry ourselves and the ease we are in and around a Church and with God’s people.

I am reminded of one of those amusing clips from a time when the appointment of a Bishop was newsworthy and a recently appointed Bishop was being interviewed. He was asked what he hoped to do in his role as Bishop.  What he said was very important but the way he phrased it for modern ears was unfortunate to say the least.

He said he intended to expose himself and wanted all his clergy to follow his example and expose themselves to the public.

If we take the idea and not the phrasing, what the Bishop was saying is just as true today as ever it was.

At a recent Church Army Gathering our CEO in his opening address said this of the Church Army.

‘Our passion is not to save the Church from extinction; our passion is to see the Kingdom of God come upon earth.’

I hope none of you here tonight are thinking David has come and will help save Holy Trinity from extinction.

And I hope you will be expecting David to be out and about in the public arena.

And as an ordained minister in the Church of England his reception in public ministry will be a mixed bag.

Some sadly will see him as aligned to those who have abused people.

Others will have memories of a minister who failed them or who neglected them.

To others he will simply be something from the past, an irrelevance in today’s modern, fast paced world with a science based outlook.

But there will be those times when he will be asked for advice, or for prayer and counselling.

And it is good if we remind ourselves that Jesus’ ministry took place out and about, on the highways and byways.

I hope you will let David out into the market place and not to seek to confine him to this Church building and all that goes on in here or in the hall. 

It is important to be rooted and grounded, it is important to gather to gather as God’s people, it is important that prayers are offered up daily and the Scriptures read and chewed over.

But only in as much as it serves that greater purpose, to know Jesus better and to make Jesus better known – that and that alone is the reason the Church exist. 

Going forward I hope and pray that as someone ‘learning the ropes’ David will not assume anything but will constantly ask why something is being done.

Given every encouragement to ask of himself and of the people he is now being called to serve, ‘just what we are doing for God’s sake? And if we are not doing it for God’s sake then for God’s sake let’s stop doing it.’

Perhaps to draw people back to the Diocesan direction of travel, to discern vocation, both as individuals but also as Holy Trinity, St Thomas’, and All Saints and as a Benefice, asking, ‘what is your God given vocation?’ 
To help discern this calling we are invited to deepen our discipleship and to share the life of Faith through inspiring evangelism.

And as David is out about some people will ask him questions – sometimes very tough questions of which there are no easy answers.

Just look at our Scripture readings for tonight as we celebrate St Peter and St Paul.

That reading we had from Zechariah, pick the bones out of that one! What on earth is that all about? 

And then from Acts the story of Peter, a story when we rejoice over the miraculous release of Peter.

But what about James – why wasn’t he spared. Why was he killed?

And so - why did my son die so young?

Why didn’t God hear my prayers?

Why didn’t God send an angel to help my daughter when she was being raped?

David, putting yourself into the public space as a God representative you will have to face all sorts of questions. Some from God’s own people who may feel God has let them down, and also from those who claim no allegiance to God whatsoever but still demand to know that if you claim God is love that he has a funny way of showing it.

And I hope that as the people of God our Ministers will help us all to be able to give an answer for the hope that we have when asked – quoting from 1 Peter 3.15

And at times we will simply not have an answer. Then we are called to sit and weep with those who weep and mourn with those who mourn.

And with a teaching background you will know better than most that the best answers to any person’s questions come from their own understanding and learning.

It’s a very Jewish way, ‘who is my neighbour?’

Let me answer that by telling you a story.

And from Matthew – Jesus having taught, healed and ministered finally asks the disciple ‘who do people say that I am?’

They answer by saying, some say you are John the Baptist, or Elijah or maybe Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.’

Then very importantly Jesus then asks them, ‘so what about you, who do you think I am?’

I want us all to notice this very carefully.

You may know what David, Graham, John or Joy think who Jesus is - but you need to answer that for yourself.

Who do you say that Jesus is?

On this occasion Jesus told them not to announce that they considered Jesus to be the Christ – the Messiah, Israel’s longed for hope.

But for us as post-resurrection people of God we are given ever encouragement to say who Jesus is.

And we may not have a clerical collar that would denote that we are God’s representative.

But I would hope and pray that there is something about us and the way we conduct our lives and the way we do life that will speak about our being a Christian.

I would hope and pray that we would be constantly asking questions about each and everything that we do, think or say – how will this help us to know Jesus better or to make Jesus better known.

I would hope and pray as David takes up ministry among you and the wider community you would ask of him the same question.

How, having David among us, is that going to help us know Jesus better or to help make Jesus better known?

Remembering that Jesus said; ‘Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

David, I hope that there will never be a day when you are ashamed of your calling as an ordained minister in God’s Church.

And in that calling that you will help, encourage, enable and equip all of God’s people to have the same boldness and courage and not to be ashamed of confessing the faith of Christ crucified, risen and ascended.

For ordained or not that is our calling and command, that we go and as we go we make disciples.

That we bear witness to the hope held out to us in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He alone is our hope, he alone is the hope of this community and he alone is the one true hope of the whole world.

It is to the proclamation of this truth that you have been called into ordination so that you may help all of God’s people proclaim this truth whenever and wherever they find themselves in their daily lives.

Graham, Joy, John and now David I hope that you will be able to say along with St Paul…

‘You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.’ 2 Cor 3.3

Let us pray…

O Saviour Christ, in whose way of love lays the secret of all life, and the hope of all people, we pray for quiet courage to match this hour. We did not choose to be born or to live in such an age; but let its problems challenge us, its discoveries exhilarate us, its injustices anger us, its possibilities inspire us, and its vigour renew us. Pour out upon us a fresh indwelling of the Holy Spirit; make us bold and courageous in sharing faith in both word and deed for your Kingdom’s we ask sake. Amen

'Covered by Covenant' & 'Called to Commitment' transcript of sermon. Baptism of James & William Warren 30th June 2019

Galatians 5.1,13-25  Luke 9.51-62

The Baptism of James and William Warren at St John the Baptist, Stafford 

On the 17^th November 2017 this took place here at St John’s - Tabitha and Peter’s wedding day. 

They choose to set their wedding in the context of the Eucharist. 

Although I kept teasing them about having a Nuptial Mass, setting their wedding in the context of the Eucharist is the perfect context for starting out on married life together.

Marriage between a Christian couple signifies and reminds us of the mystical union between Christ as groom and his bride, the Church. 

This metaphor is frequently used by Jesus and one the great fulfillment's presented in the Book of Revelation. 

Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
    the Almighty reigns.
⁷ Let us rejoice and exult
    and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
    and his Bride has made herself ready;
⁸ it was granted her to clothe herself
    with fine linen, bright and pure”—

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

⁹ And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, 

“These are the true words of God.”  Rev.19.6-9

Marriage is itself a creation ordinance and we can read about that in the Book of Genesis. In the opening chapters we read the story of Adam and Eve and their complementary roles in partnering with God in the care and control of God’s good creation.

In this complementary role God blessed them and told them to multiply…

‘God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

It would seem that Peter and Tabitha have taken this verse to heart and have been blessed and fruitful – very fruitful.  

Not just one bundle of joy but two! 

And today they bring them here to be baptised.

And today, like at their wedding day, they have chosen to set the baptism of James and William in the context of the Eucharist.

So what’s happening here today and why might the Eucharist be the most appropriate setting for Baptism?

Well, what is not happening is that James and William are going to become Christians.

Christianity does not work like magic where if you say the right words or incantations and do the right things then you will get certain results.

This is not Harry Potter world.

But we are sensing beings as God created us. We feel, touch, see, hear and smell things.

Therefore we have outwards signs and symbols that speak of a deeper inner reality.

As St Augustine put it, ‘a sacrament is an outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible grace.’  

When Jesus wanted to leave something for his disciples that would speak of his love, self-sacrifice and service to others and of united fellowship he just didn’t give the disciples words – he also gave them a special meal.

This meal is a sign and seal of a new covenant God makes with people – should they choose to enter into that covenant.

And Peter and Tabitha have chosen to enter into that covenanted relationship with God, and that is why having the Eucharist at their wedding was important. 

And today they are bringing William and James to sit under their own covenantal relationship with God.

I said earlier that being baptised does not make a person a Christian.

Logic will tell you the truth of that – but sadly there have been times in Church history when that was thought to be true and forced baptised occurred.

You can do all the outwards actions you like but it is in the heart of a person that the real work of transformation takes places.

Becoming a Christian is always a choice made by the individual.

What is happening here this morning is that James and William are being brought into the care of the Church, the care of their parents and the care of Godparents and the care of the whole people of God?

This care will continue with hope and prayer that in time both William and James will come to a place where they declare the faith for themselves.

Let me paint you a word picture that might help.

Supposing a very generous person as a baptism gift set aside £20,000 each for James and for William.  But that gift is locked into a fund that they alone can access when they reach a certain age.

Potentially they have that money – but up until the time they claim it they will have to look mostly to their parents for their well-being.

Once they reach a certain age, then they can go and prove who they are and claim the money.

Today we are laying down something far more valuable, far more precious, many more times glorious than any financial sum.

Parents and God parents, family and friends and people of God it is our task to remind James and William of this rich treasure that is theirs to claim. 

Let me now link this in with the metaphor from the Book of Revelation – in particular “those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

I was baptised in September 1951. In due course I went to St Anne’s Church of England Secondary Modern School. This was more out of convenience that conviction. Sometime around Year 3 we were invited to be Confirmed. I mentioned this to my mum who at that time had no strong religious convictions and she said if you want to, chose for yourself with neither encouragement nor discouragement. I choose not to be Confirmed.

On the 1^st January 1975 I made a New Year’s Resolution to become a Christian. About a year later I chose to mark out my Baptismal promises in Confirmation.

And here is another picture of what is happening here today.

Who are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb?

They are those with their names on the guest list written in The Lambs Book of Life. 

Jesus refers to this, and again we find it prominent in the Book of Revelation.

So, think of it like this.

Today in the Lambs Book of Life, Peter and Tabitha’s names are already written. Today following the Baptism of William and James their names will also be written – but written in pencil.

There will come a time, we hope and pray, when they will ask that their names are written in ink.

That’s how I understand what happened for me when I accepted Christ on the 1^st January 1975. It was then sealed, signed and signified by my Confirmation – my name written in ink.

So, let me ask this question.

Is your name on that guest list – written in the Lambs Book of Life?

Perhaps it is written in pencil and you have never asked God to write it in ink.

Or perhaps you did that some long years ago but have neglected to take hold of the rich legacy and treasures that are uniquely yours in Christ Jesus.

Have another look at our passage from Galatians and you will see what that treasure looks like…

It begins with freedom…

¹For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

And if we stand firm and look to God then we will know the Spirit of God abiding in us and the fruits of a life lived for God will be made known in our actions and the way we live our lives.

A person who is engaged to be married lives differently. They begin to consider the other person as they look forward to their married life. As God’s People we are engaged to Jesus and are called to live differently and look forward with expectant hope to the ‘marriage supper of the Lamb.’

How is that difference manifest…? 

Reading again from Galatians…

By contrast, (to living for self and in the way of the world) the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. ²⁴And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.

Jesus said, ‘The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.’  John 10.10

Not a life without its problems, its challenges, its disappointments, it hurts, sorrow and tears. But knowing through all of life, whatever we might encounter, that underneath are the upholding arms of God. 

That when we reach rock bottom Jesus is the rock at the bottom!

That is the Faith into which William and James are being baptised.

Can I ask that if you know that you are on the guest list and that your name is written in the Lambs Book of Life and if you feel comfortable helping someone else take a step of faith, if you are able, can I invite you to stand up.

Look around and if your name is not on the guest list, or you are not sure, these are your go to people.

Please sit down.

Now I would like to invite Jamie to come and play some quiet music, I would ask you to close your eyes. I now invite those who do not know or who are unsure about their names being on the guest list. Or whose names are written in pencil but want to ask Father God to write it in ink today - if you are able, would you stand please. Or if you are unable to stand, raise an arm.

In this moment, as we remember Jesus in bread and wine, which speaks to us of all that he did and continues to do for us, in us and through us.

On this day when James and William have their names written in pencil in the Lambs Book of Life – on this day you can leave here this morning assured your name is on the guest list, assured of your salvation, assured of God’s love, assured that a new way of life as a child of God is now being presented to you and that you can claim all the rich treasures of God’s love and grace.

You might like to echo this prayer after me… 

Dear Father God, I know you love me and that Jesus came to show us the way to the Father and to be embraced in His love. My heart’s desire is to be invited to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. I would ask that you now write my name in the Lambs Book of Life. I would ask for an infilling of your Holy Spirit that I might begin to walk in freedom and show forth the fruits of a new life. 

All that I have been I offer to you for your cleansing and healing. All that I am I offer to you for service in your name. For all of my future, my hopes and my dreams I now look to you and to you alone.

Amen.   

To God be the glory great things he has done....

https://youtu.be/pJMM4uLPHmU

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'Ride the Waves' - transcript of sermon at St Anne's, Brown Edge, Whit Sunday 2019

St Anne’s, Brown Edge Pentecost 2019

Genesis 11.1-9 Psalm 104.26-36,37b*
Acts 2.1-21  John 14.8-17[25-27]

Let’s back track a little starting with Acts 1.4…

On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.

This is the resurrected Jesus eating with them and giving them instructions.

Then, as we celebrated on Thursday 30^th May, Jesus ascended into heaven.

In obedience to Jesus’ command they are gathered together in an Upper Room, one hundred and twenty of them!  For such a large group it has been suggested that as not many rooms could hold such number of people it may well have been a room within the huge temple complex.

That would accord well with the cosmopolitan crowd they encountered when they spilled out of the room into the temple courts.

This crowd would have been gathering for one of the most important Jewish Festivals held at a time of the year when travel was easier and the weather kinder – which all helped boost the numbers.

Shavuot, in ancient Greek, Pentecost, is the Feast of Weeks, and celebrated seven weeks after Passover, commemorating the first fruits of the harvest and associated with the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai! It's taken from Leviticus 23 and Numbers 28, where two wheat loaves were offered in the tabernacle, representing the “choicest fruits”—an offering of thanks to God for Israel’s bounty—a festival of first fruits! On the morning of the first day of Shavuot, Jews gathered to read Exodus 19 and 20, which describes the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai. All stand when the Ten Commandments are read—commemorating this important day in the Jewish tradition.

Now, let me pick up the story from the account in Acts 1.13…

The Mount of Olives was about half a mile from Jerusalem. The apostles who had gone there were Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon, known as the Eager One, and Judas the son of James. After the apostles returned to the city, they went upstairs to the room where they had been staying. The apostles often met together and prayed with a single purpose in mind. (Note that)

The women and Mary the mother of Jesus would meet with them, and so would his brothers. One day there were about one hundred twenty of the Lord’s followers meeting together, and Peter stood up to speak to them.

As they met not only would they be seeking to be obedient to Jesus’ instructions, they would be mindful of the words we heard from John’s Gospel.

‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. ‘I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

A question – up to 120 disciples, most likely with some coming and going, but regularly all together, waiting, wondering, pondering and praying.

What do you think their conversations would have been about?

I imagine some of it would have recalling the times Jesus was with them. 

Perhaps someone was writing down precious fragments of memory.

But do you imagine that they would have been bemoaning the fact that everything had changed and that they found themselves in a new and unexpected place with strange things happening all around them.

Can you think of them sitting there and saying, ‘o it was so much better in the old days? We liked it that way, why do we have to see so much change. Why can’t things stay the same?’

In the middle of May I ran a Parish Away Day for St Mary’s, Knutton.  I began by inviting them to write down on a postcard their dreams for St Mary’s. We revisited those dreams towards the end of the day and through a process created a ‘Dream for St Mary’s, Knutton’ that they can take forward.

To encourage them I told the story of the Tubestation at Polzeath. I can’t imagine that I haven’t recalled that story here before. But let me refresh your memory by reading what they have written on their web site about their dream and where they have journeyed from.

‘Tubestation started life as an idea among a handful of old faithful’s in a Jesus church by the sea, to simply serve our local community, made up of surfers and ocean lovers, with the things that we found in our hands...’

https://tubestation.org/church/

Today that Methodist Chapel by the sea has been utterly transformed and engages with thousands of people from across the world and is rated as one of the best surfer cafe's in Cornwall and more, so much more.

And they still do Church.

I spent most of last week at a Church Army Gathering in Yarnfield. On one evening we had a session called ‘On the Shoulders of Giants’

This quote was famously used by Isaac Newton but can be traced further back to at least the 12th century theologian and author John of Salisbury.

We watched old footage of the original founder of Church Army, Wilson Carlile speaking about his vision for the Church Army. Then we had various photos and video recorded interviews with older Officers who have now been promoted to glory. 

We continued the Church Army story with some of our current older Officers present with us who recounted their own stories. Eventually we began to hear of our work today and the plans, dreams and visions for the future. So much has changed even over the last few years.

Tonight I will be celebrating forty years involvement with Church Army and I have seen massive changes. Massive changes and yet with that same heart and passion that our current CEO, Mark Russel put so well in his opening address.

‘Our passion is not to save the church from extinction but a passion to build the Kingdom of God on earth.’

At the end of May I was at another conference, this was the National Missioners Summer Gathering. We heard stories from Birmingham diocese of exciting initiatives seeking to engage with children and young people and from Coventry diocese about their work reaching out to those who are in their twenties and thirties.

We also heard about the Strategic Development Fund, grants that are being released to help dioceses reach out in mission and evangelism.  

There really is a new energy and spirit abroad; I would say a new fresh wind of the Holy Spirit blowing through the Church of England.

At the end of April I was at yet another conference called ‘On Fire Mission.’  Around 150 people gathered together, they are radically inclusive and worship in the style of Anglo-Catholic Charismatics. And they are growing and attracting more and more people to engage with this wonderful admixture of Anglo-Catholic worship, infused with contemporary worship songs and with a full manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit. Speaking and singing in tongues, healings, words of knowledge, prophecy, resting in the Spirit. It is truly the most amazing experience.

I began by referring to the one hundred and twenty apostles gathered together. 

In our reading from Acts we heard the story of the Spirit descending upon them as tongues of fire. Then they spill out into the crowd attracted by this exuberant praise of God. ‘And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.’

No solemnity here, no embarrassment, but full throated adoration and praise to God – outside!

God’s Holy Spirit cannot be confined, controlled or contained.

Now being filled with Spirit the disciples were no longer confined, contained and hiding in an Upper Room and the crowds gathering from many parts of the world…

‘…heard them declaring the wonders of God in their own tongue.’

Those surfers who gather around Tubestation know they are powerless to make the waves do what they might want.

They know that they have to wait for just the right moment and then catch the wave to ride along on its power.

Do you sometimes wonder how it is that we do not know and do not experience that same outpouring of the Holy Spirit?

Why do think that might be?

Someone once said that what began with a man with a message we have turned into a monument.

We cannot control the Holy Spirit; we can only wait, prayerfully, expectantly, hopefully.

And then climb onto our surfboards and enjoy the ride!

May, just maybe, that is why we see so little evidence of the Spirit filled life.

Because we are afraid of losing control, we are afraid of being embarrassed or it looking like we are drunk. 

    ‘But others sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’

Let me tell you brothers and sisters that there is a new wind of the Spirit blowing through many Upper Rooms, where for far too long God has been contained and controlled, measured and manipulated to fit and suit our agendas and not to further the Kingdom of God come upon earth.

What’s your dream, what do you think it would like to see the Kingdom of God in Brown Edge?

To see God’s name held in honour, to see His will being done and it is in heaven, to see forgiveness.

What do you imagine it would like if all of God’s people were filled with the Spirit of God and manifested the fruits of the Spirt?

^‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.’

‘Tubestation started life as an idea among a handful of old faithful’s in a Jesus church by the sea, to simply serve our local community, made up of surfers and ocean lovers, with the things that we found in our hands...’

Is this a Jesus Church?

Do you want to serve this community?

What things do you have to hand?

As this exuberant expression happened at 9am we might rightly assume that they had spent the night in prayer.

Many Churches will have been doing just that in the period from Ascension Day to today – this is under an initiative picked up globally called ‘Thy Kingdom Come.’

As I come to say farewell to you as this is my last time with you I want to exhort you to give yourself to prayer, more prayer and yet more prayer.

I want to encourage to sit and wait for that wave of the Spirit, then when it comes ride it for all your worth. 

Allow the Holy Spirit to blow away the cobwebs, and allow the Holy Spirit to develop in you those wonderful gifts.

Allow the Holy Spirit to take you on a journey to God knows where – that may sound scary but I can assure you it will be marvellous, wonderful and beyond your wildest dreams.

You can do this – or make an alternative choice.

I don’t think you need me to spell that out – I am pretty certain you know exactly what that other choice is and where it will lead.

Such a choice may well lead to having the word Ichabod written over the door of the Church.

If you don’t know that story then I suggest you read 1 Samuel 4:19-22 and you will get the picture clearly enough.

But I hope and pray that you will have the spirit of Joshua...

“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

                                      https://youtu.be/zasyz-tJkOg