Put out to the deep - transcript of sermon St Anne's Brown Edge 10/02/2019

Sermon St Anne’s, Brown Edge The Fourth Sunday before Lent

Isaiah 6.1-8[9-13] Psalm 138
1 Corinthians 15.1-11 Luke 5.1-11

It is a historical fact that Jesus lived and died.

The question that remains however is did Jesus die and live.

Say yes to that question and everything changes.

Say no and still everything changes but in a different way and a different order.

Say no and you are wasting your time here this morning. You might be better going to the Garden Centre and grabbing a bacon butty.

Because if you say no, then all of this Church and Christian malarkey is based on lies, miss-truths, speculations, hearsay and a bunch of other stuff.

Basically it is built on sand and sham.

As we read in 1 Cor 15.17 ‘And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.’

Words from St Paul, who originally said no to the resurrection then following a dramatic encounter with the risen Jesus, said yes – and his life was turned upside down or perhaps the right way up.

And as we heard this morning he also wrote these words to the Christian Community in Corinth…

 For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died

Here in these words lie some of the credibility behind the resurrection.

Then he (Jesus) appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died

Well then – if Paul says there are over five hundred people who met with Jesus let’s go and ask them and check out the veracity of this claim.

Unless Paul was sure of the resurrection this was either a bold or a stupid thing to say that could easily refute claims of the resurrection by asking some of the witness who claimed to have seen him.

Another piece of evidence is in front of you and all around you, this building and the People of God, the Church.

How could a small group of frightened and dispirited followers of Jesus move with such boldness and conviction that within a short time Faith Communities were being established across the known world and eventually the might of Rome would capitulate to the Gospel message.

And although the Church has wandered off the straight and narrow path, quite seriously on occasions, and although there are dark periods and stains on the Church it still remains a powerful force for good across the world.

In our own country Christian’s contribute thousands of hours in social care and other practical expressions of the Faith - Loving God and Loving Neighbour. 

Without the Christian Church the social fabric of this country would quickly disintegrate.

However we can still lose sight of the primary calling of the Church, and that includes this Church.

ABC Justin Welby I believe  summed it up succinctly when he said this…

“I want to start by saying just two simple sentences about the church. First, the church exists to worship God in Jesus Christ.

Second, the Church exists to make new disciples of Jesus Christ. Everything else is decoration. Some of it may be very necessary, useful, or wonderful decoration – but it is decoration.”

Let’s go out on a limb this morning and let me ask you what you think of this idea, turn to your neighbour and chat about it for a minute.

I would argue that without the latter, the making of disciples, the former would not happen.

Because who are those who worship God in Christ Jesus, today’s disciples.

No disciples = no worship of God

We have in our Gospel and in our reading from Isaiah two models to help us think through how we are called to this task of making disciples.

From our passage in Isaiah we hear an individual call to be as a prophet to the people.

You and I have a personal and an individual call upon our lives as Christians.

 ‘You are a unique and irreplaceable actor in the drama of human history, and Jesus Christ has need of you to make known his salvific work in this particular place and at this particular moment in history.’  

Michael Quoist ‘The Christian Response’

Each and every one of us has a distinct and unique vocation.

And it is this distinct and unique contribution that goes towards the building up of the body of Christ.

And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for works of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ.… Ephesians 4.11-13

If you are not playing your part you are playing apart.

Then let us consider the story we heard from Luke’s Gospel.

And here I want to draw attention to the corporate nature of the Church, the Body of Christ, the Faith Community, the People of God.

Following a time of teaching Jesus invites Peter to put out for a catch. To a seasoned fisherman this is all nonsense; fish go down deeper in the middle of the day, that’s why you fish at night or early morning.

But as daft as it might sound Peter obeys.

For a very small Methodist Chapel in Polzeath the idea that they could do much more than accept the large sum offered for the premises seemed a tad ridiculous.

                                          www.tubestation.org

Yet they went to prayer, made contacts, looked to God and today that little Chapel is called Tubestation, a Fresh Expression of Church.  It is still a Methodist Church but now serves the surfer community with a cafe and has a regular through flow of over 30,00 people a year and with contacts across the world.

What might God want to do here at St Anne’s, Brown Edge – or do you think God has finished with you and you are merely seeing your time out until this fishing vessel is hauled ashore or sold on?

When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.

Who might be your partners in the task of making disciples? Perhaps ‘Connect 2’, which is also a Fresh Expression of Church here in Brown Edge.

It is now well established and flourishing, meeting in St Anne’s school every Sunday afternoon.

And here is the key verse I implore you to hear, take to heart and put into action like Peter did, although what he was asked to do all sounded a bit ridiculous at the time.

‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch. 

Put out into the deep in prayer.

Put out into the deep in discipleship.

Put out into the deep in study of the Scriptures.

Put out into the deep of fellowship with one another.

Put out into the deep and see who else might come alongside you to help bring in a great catch.

Put out into the deep – or, prepare to haul your boat ashore, cast your nets into a corner and spend your remaining days talking about how good the fishing used to be and how much easier it was in the old days.  The choice is yours to make!

 

Let me close with a prayer attributed to Sir Francis Drake, hoping and praying you will make it your own.

Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves,

When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.

Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch. 

Retirement Blog Two

For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes 
Luke 12.23


During a recent holiday cruising around the Canaries, Jane and I indulged in one of our pastimes especially when on holiday, people watching and acting as ‘fashion police.’ (And I know we are not the only ones who do this!)

Sometimes we give people scores and at other times have to restrain each so that we don’t go and tell them off for appearing in public dressed like that!

Men in particular seem to put on whatever shorts or trousers are available and then whatever shirt first comes to hand. No thought about colours or patterns and stripes, etc.

And we did see several of the ultimate offence – socks and sandals, not even white socks but brown socks. 

It is all a bit of fun and I am sure people are also looking at us in the same way as well. 

However taking into account the places we visited what you wear is important, or rather what you don’t wear. For example going into Churches requires ladies to be decently attired and in some cases for men not to wear shorts.  (What’s that about I have no idea, although I remember during my Church Army training when men wearing shorts was a new fashion (early 80’s) I went into Chapel in shorts and the Principal reminded me of Psalm 147.10.

Of course when we docked in Agadir (Morocco) what we wore was even more important and it would have been very easy to have caused deep offence.   

The CEO of Church Army Mark Russel quipped that the Church Army is not a Uniformed Organisation so much as an organisation with uniforms!  

The Church Army have for the most part set aside uniforms, certainly the familiar grey battle dress uniform is hardly ever worn with the exception of a very few older officers. 

Currently a working party is looking into the whole uniform, titles, etc. thing with some feeling that it is all a tad anachronistic.

What I found puzzling is that as the Church Army was stepping out of its uniforms the world seemed to be stepping into them.  Today in any store or bank or fast food chain or coffee store you know who the staff are because they have a ‘uniform’ giving them a corporate identity.

In around the 1990’s the Church Army began offering its Officers uniform polo shirts and sweatshirts. I quickly took to wearing these whenever I was ‘on duty.’  This really helped our children as they were growing up, because they knew when daddy was ‘at work.’

Because ministry is a funny old thing and there is no clear demarcation of clocking on or clocking off.  It is very fluid and personal life and family life and ministry all bleed into each other.

I was discussing this with an Ordinand recently and asking him what he intended to wear once he was ordained Deacon this summer apart from Choir dress for when he conducts Services, etc.  I encouraged him to think of something that he would wear, perhaps a clerical collar, that could help distinguish when we he ‘on duty’ and when he was ‘off duty.’  (Although as we know ‘off duty nurses, police man, etc, often will be the first to jump and won’t stand there and say I am off duty)

Personally I have found it a great help in my life and ministry to always put on something that denotes I am a Church Army Officer when I am ‘on duty.’

I remember preaching at HMS Raleigh in Plymouth and the Officer talking about young recruits. One of the very first things they do and soon as they arrive is get them into uniforms. That helps them to be part of the team, they belong and have an identity bound up with others in the same enterprise. 

I also remember a Nun being asked about wearing a habit and she said it was great because she didn’t have to worry or fuss as to what she wore. She got up and put on her habit. It is a bit like that for me, I get up and if it’s a work day on goes something of Church Army according to what I am doing.  (I am one who does think about what I am wearing, ask my family about packing for holidays!)

So here is where this is all leading to in my reflecting and considering retirement.  What will I wear and how strange will it be not to put on my Church Army sweatshirt as a matter of course.  (And what do I do with the dozen or more shirts and sweatshirts)

This is of course tied in with identity. Because I have always worn Church Army uniform I was always identified as such, that Church Army man.

In the grand scheme of things and given what else is happening around the world it is almost laughable to even be reflecting on such a matter.

However consider this, for the last 30 years I have worn something that denotes me as a Church Army Officer for the majority of that time.

Now that’s going to take some adjustment.  

Perhaps I will need to be weaned off them gradually, one shirt less per week until I can kick the habit!  

And should you think what you wear is trite or trivial matter take a look at this TED talk…

Take a look at what you’re wearing — does it convey the complex, intriguing person that you are? If it doesn’t, it might be time for you to rethink your wardrobe, according to style coach Stasia Savasuk.

Watch her TEDxPortsmouth talk here:

https://youtu.be/L5n3V0VYGNg

What happened to the gold, frankincense and myrrh? Transcript of Sermon - Epiphany Two 2019 ~ Jesus' Baptism

Sermon St Anne’s, Brown Edge 13^th January 2019

Isaiah 43.1-7 Psalm 29 Acts 8.14-17 Luke 3.15-17, 21, 22

Have you packed away all the Christmass decorations yet?

Maybe so – but perhaps you are allowing the Nativity scene to linger longer.

Many Churches keep their Nativity on display until the 2^nd February and the Feast of Candlemass – the story of Jesus’ presentation in the temple as according to custom. Or as I saw in many Churches on holiday recently at least the Baby Jesus in his crib.

Candlemass is the time when Mary and Joseph take Jesus to the Temple after forty days and they are greeted by Anna and Simeon.

Then there is silence apart from Luke who alone gives us that intriguing story of Jesus at the age of twelve going on a visit to the Temple.

I picked up a book titled The Lamb some years ago when I was in America. (Christopher Moore, Harper Collins 2007)) 

Perhaps not so well known over here, in America it was very popular even among Christians.

I say that because it is a story based around Jesus’ childhood. It is a tad tongue in cheek in most places and yet it has a certain charm and an allure.

Of course there are other works that try and make suggestions about Jesus as a child, often with fantastical tales as he discovers his powers.

But we simply do not know about Jesus’s childhood from any firm Biblical sources.

What puzzles me is what people thought about Jesus as he grew up.

Not long ago we heard about angels visiting shepherds, strange visitors bringing exotic and deeply symbolic gifts. We hear about Simeon and Anna and their prophecies over Jesus.

We are told that the shepherds told everyone of what had occurred.

And something new I learned last year. These particular sheep where Temple sheep, bred for sacrificial purposes and the shepherds would have regular contact with the temple.

How hard is it to imagine that given all of this, Mary and Joseph simply returned to Nazareth and took up their life again? 

Today, coming out of the puzzlement and silence of his childhood years Jesus emerges as his cousin is baptizing in the river Jordan – being about thirty years old as the Scripture tells us.

Today’s Gospel offers us only a few scant verses with regard to Jesus’ baptism by John. It is well worth looking at the other Gospel accounts and reading all that we are told about this event.

Although we have a scant reading we do have the very important witness to Jesus’ call.

In much the same way as we have been thinking about as we have reheard and rehearsed once more the Christmass story, "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against,

The Spirit descends as a dove and then a voice declaring, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased.’

Jesus would have heard similar words before.

At some point Joseph would have taken Jesus into the market place and said something similar.

I am pleased to announce this is my son and we are now in business together.

This was to announce that father and son are now working together. What one says and does goes for both of them. If you have trusted the father and have found him worthy of employment then you can now trust the son in the same way.

At his baptism Jesus receives a new vocation and a new calling, this time from His Father in heaven.

This time he is building the Kingdom of Heaven upon earth.

He will fashion it well and call others to help in the task.

It is an open structure as read about in Acts where Samaritans are welcomed into the fellowship of God, previously debarred and considered unclean.

It is a Kingdom of God that thunders with praise as we heard from our Psalm, 

‘The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord over mighty waters.’

It is a Kingdom full of promise as prophesied by Isaiah…

‘But now says the Lord, he who created you O Jacob, he who formed you O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.’   

I have called you by name, you are mine,’ words to be echoed years later at Jesus’ baptism as the Holy Spirits falls upon him in the form of a dove.

What slightly puzzles me is that given all that we have heard about Jesus’ birth and his presentation in the temple, with Simeon and Anna. Given all that was said about Jesus as a baby, how is it that his appearing at his baptism as someone ‘marked out’ and his subsequent ministry was such an apparent surprise, even to his own family?

We even have that curious episode where Jesus’s mother and his family seem to think he has lost the plot and go to try and constrain him, only to receive a slight rebuff from Jesus about whom his family really is, and that’s not about biological lineage.

Have you ever pondered on what ever happened to the gold, frankincense and myrrh?

That leads me to reflect that we can also be forgetful about the things God has said and done in our lives in the past.

Okay we need to be cautious about living on yesterday’s manna – we need to always walk in God’s will and way as it revealed to us today.

However if learn anything from the Old Testament and the People of God it is that they remembered God’s faithfulness in the past and this gave them hope for the future.

Hope – as an acronym… H O P E

Holding Onto Past Experiences.

I wonder what stories you can tell about God’s faithfulness, both as individuals and as the People of God at St Anne’s, Brown Edge.

What is your equivalent of gold, frankincense and myrrh?

What gifts has God bestowed upon you?

And looking back to the faithfulness of God, the gifts given and the words of the prophets, God’s People wondered if John the Baptist might be the long expected Messiah.

The one they were expecting to come and usher in God’s Kingdom.

‘As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah.’

What are you expecting God to do through you and with you in 2019?

What is your hope?

Where is it founded?

Do we look back in thankfulness and forwards in expectancy and hope?

In contrast a negative narrative that continues to talk about a reduction in numbers engaging with the Church becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy and leads to hopelessness, despair and lack of confidence in what God can do through us.

As we move into 2019 maybe we could take to heart the words of this well known hymn by Keble…

New every morning is the love

 our wakening and uprising prove;

 through sleep and darkness safely brought,

 restored to life and power and thought.

New mercies, each returning day,

 hover around us while we pray;

 new perils past, new sins forgiven,

 new thoughts of God, new hopes of heaven.

If on our daily course our mind

 be set to hallow all we find,

 new treasures still, of countless price,

 God will provide for sacrifice.

The trivial round, the common task,

 will furnish all we need to ask,

 room to deny ourselves, a road

 to bring us daily nearer God.

Or you could simply put away all the decorations, the gold, frankincense and myrrh, the Nativity set along with baby Jesus, either now or at Candlemass. We can choose to ignore and forget about God’s words spoken over Jesus at his baptism. We can continue whistling in the darkness of despair with nothing more than a vague hope for the future.

However if you are willing to accept these words that God speaks over those baptized in the Faith; ‘You are my precious son, you are my precious daughter, in you I am well pleased.

If we can accept our commission and seek diligently the plan and purposes God has for our lives and for the life of the People of God at Brown Edge, then be prepared to be amazed at the things God will do in us and through us in the  year ahead.

Let us pray together as we move deeper into 2019

Father, pour out your Spirit upon us

Grant us a new vision of your glory.

A new experience of your power.

A new faithfulness to your word,

And a new consecration to your service,

That your love may grow among us

And your Kingdom come;

Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Retirement Blog One

Blog One

January 1^st 2019

I always think of a New Year a little like a field covered in snow where no one has trod, it is unmarked, pure, clean and clear.

However the reality is that almost immediately we get a new calendar or diary it begins to fill up with appointments and engagements each one dancing and calling for attention, some of even demanding attention with threats of dire consequences should you neglect to attend to them, like birthdays and anniversaries.  

(Interestingly one 'anniversary' I recall is my making a New Year's Resolution on the 1st January 1975 to become a Christian)

As the New Year begins I am very conscious that in six months I am scheduled to retire.

However for most Christian Ministers employed or engaged by the Church this means not only the end of current engagement but relocation as well.

That relocation will also mean in most cases, a serious downsizing. It will call for the needful task of dispensing of accumulated books, files, resources and a whole host of others things that sit alongside a busy and fulsome ministry.

That is before you begin to think of furniture which has a distinct habit of growing to fill every available space. If you have a four bed-roomed house with a study and possibly a lounge and dining room, chances are it will be filled with furniture and other things.

We are moving from such a house to a three bed-roomed house with one reception room, a lounge diner.

We have known this for some time and have occasionally talked about it and even got rid of some stuff, but there is still a huge elephant in the room.

I am hoping that like Dali Swan’s Reflecting Elephants that is what we find when we finally do tackle it face on. That those big cumbersome elephants once brought to the surface are indeed swans. 

I am also acutely aware that I have files, both hard copy and electronically that once they surface will bring back a flood of memories.

It feels in some ways like clearing out someones effects following their death and I am reluctant to begin.

However now that the calendar is shouting 2019 at the top of its voice and there is a big red R on the 30^th June it is time to tackle the elephants in all of the rooms!

And do you know how to eat an elephant – one bite at a time!