Sermon 20th February 2011

Today, one of our Lay Readers, Adjoa Andoh-Cunnell, preaches based on the reading from Colossians 3:12-17.
My cousin Katie rang me last week
“Fabienne, her 9 year old daughter, on the way to
school that morning had said
“Why am I going to school? What’s the point of
being here, what’s my life for?”
Should she be worried about Fabi, cousin Katie
asked me.
The existential angst of the under 10’s… pretty
dramatic stuff, but Fabi’s a smart kid, I encouraged,
sounds to me like she’s just asking the question we
all ask at some point in our lives…What on earth am
I here for. Let her watch Kung Fu Panda I say, it’s
reassuring…but we’ll come back to that…

In the opening passage of the book we’re following in
our current study series, ‘The Purpose Driven Life’,
Rick Warren writes:
‘This is more than a book; it is a guide to a 40-day
spiritual journey that will enable you to discover the
answer to life’s most important question: What on
earth am I here for?
By the end of this journey you will know God’s

purpose for your life and will understand the big
picture – how all the pieces of your life fit together.
Having this perspective will reduce your stress,
simplify your decisions, increase your satisfaction,
and most important, prepare you for eternity.’

That’s quite a claim.
Yet when I began to read the section on Purpose 4 in
the Purpose Driven Life, the Purpose we’re focussing
on this morning, ‘You Were Shaped For Serving
God’, it seemed to me that the answer to Fabi’s
question lay in front of me.
Rick Warren contends that we were indeed shaped
by God for service and this is why..
He says
‘You were put on earth to make a contribution.
You weren’t created just to consume resources –
to eat, breathe, and take up space. God designed
you to make a difference with your life…..you were
created to add to life on earth, not just take from
it….it is called your ministry, or service’.
We were shaped for service?
So consumer or contributor?
If we follow Jesus then we are choosing to return
to God’s shaping of us, we are choosing to be a

contributor.

In Ephesians 2:10 Paul writes

‘God has made us what we are, and in our union
with Christ Jesus he has created us for a life of good
deeds,’-GN
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus to do good works- NIV

Once we choose to follow Christ then contribution is
our path, service is our shape.
God loves us simply because we exist, not because
of what we do, when we follow him and gives our
hearts and lives to him we rediscover the human
being he shaped us to be.
Just as the tree absorbs carbon dioxide and gives
out oxygen, as followers of Jesus, we are to absorb
the world and give out God’s love in service, using
the unique shape or gift He has blessed us with.
The oxygen expelling tree is just made that way and
so too are we, made for good deeds.
If we doubt the appeal and likelihood of being made
to be a servant in the 21st century, then lets look into

our hearts and ask ourselves if we would really prefer
a life lacking service where we would constantly
have everything done for us, get everything we want
whenever we want it, not having to try for anything,
never have a sense of achievement after having
worked hard, never feel that something we have
done has made life better for someone else, never
make someone smile through a kindness we’ve
done, never help someone who needs it.
Let’s ask ourselves if a life like that would be
preferable?
I wonder if that might not leave us feeling hollow and
pointless.
I would suggest that our natural joy is to contribute,
to be a part of something, to make a difference.
Look at the exhilaration of the people of Egypt, for
those who were in Tahria Square together; I heard
people interviewed talking about how sad they
were to leave the square after President Muhbarak
resigned. They didn’t want to lose that special feeling
they had discovered, being together with fellow
citizens, being brave and taking risks together,
making a difference with their protests and calls for
freedom for all Egyptians.
Contribution and service suit us, make us feel good

even if no one but God sees it. Jesus is clear
What are we for? To follow Him, to follow his
example In Matthew’s Gospel 20:28
He says we are to be
‘like the Son of Man, who did not come to be served,
but to serve and give his life to redeem many people’
‘just as the Son Of Man (who) did not come to
be served but to serve and to give his life as a
ransom for many.’

We are SHAPED for SERVING God.
So what service are we going to be good at giving?
And what is the shape God has given me?

One of the great things about having children,
grandchildren, God children, nieces and nephews,
working with children or having children around
in your life generally is that they can be cover for
doing fun stuff which others may assume you should
have ‘grown out of by now’.
This means I get to watch the classic cultural icon
that is the cartoon Kung Fu Panda and cry, and look
forward to the sequel this summer.
Kung Fu Panda as I’m sure you all know is the story
of a hapless pudgy panda, clumsy and daydreamy,

who works in his father’s café serving noodle soup,
but longs to be a kung fu superhero. He is unfit and
uncoordinated but in a series of adventures and
misadventures he realises his dream when the Kung
Fu Master discovers Panda has the gift of agility,
ingenuity and speed when food is the goal.
Gradually Panda’s skills are honed so that food is no
longer required and with his new found gift he is able
to do more than be a kung fu superhero, he is able
to use his gift to protect his family and neighbours,
defeat the villain and save the town.
The master has encouraged him to discover his gift
and use it at once to make a difference for good in
the town saying:
“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but
today is a gift, that’s why it’s called the present!”

Do we look at ourselves like pugdy hapless hopeless
Kung Fu Panda, do we dream but not believe that we
have skills and gifts to offer?
Are we stuck, not risking trying out these gifts we
have to offer today?
Are we scared to be in the present, to use God’s
shape in us, to be his gift in the world around us.
Are you familiar with that critical comment,

‘look at so and so they think they’re God’s gift..!’
Well what if we accept that we are God’s gift?
What if we accept Paul’s words that we are as verse
12 of this morning’s reading says:
‘…the people of God; he loved you and chose you for
his own’
‘...God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved’

We are God’s chosen people, he has blessed us with
gifts, so that we can be a blessing in the world.
Remember Ephesians
‘God has made us what we are, and in our union
with Christ Jesus he has created us for a life of good
deeds,’
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus to do good works

What’s the thing we’re good at, our gift, and our
shape?

It may not be physical agility and ingenuity when
the goal of tasty snacks lies ahead, like Kung Fu
Panda…or maybe it is…
Pens and post it notes are coming your way just
take a moment to consider and write down answers

to some questions I’ll put to you that may help us
identify what we might have a gift for, what might be
our shape. I’ll read the questions when we’re ready in
a minute but meantime consider;
it maybe that you’re a great cook, or you have a legal
brain and training that can help people work their
way through the law to sort out a problem, or you
may be the person who just makes people feel better
when you’re around them, who brings comfort or
encouragement, or laughter. Do you have a facility
for mechanics, are you creative with arts and crafts,
are you a good planner? Do you sing beautifully, are
you good at sports, Great with needle and thread,
a musician, do children like playing games with
you, are you cool to hang with teenagers, are you
the person who had a really terrible time at some
point in your life and can spot when someone else is
struggling in their life, are you a computer whiz, are
you happy to pray with people, can you give medical
advice or point someone in the right direction for
seeking help in the health service, are you a fabulous
flower arranger, can you serve coffee and tea with
a smile, can you share your office skills, are you a
people person not nervous to welcome a stranger or
visit the lonely.

In Romans 12:4-6 Paul says;

‘We have many parts in the one body, and all these
parts have different functions…we are one body in
union with Christ. So we are to use our different gifts
in accordance with the grace that God has given us.’
‘Just as each of us has one body with many
members, and these members do not all have
the same function, so in Christ we who are
many form one body…We have different gifts,
according to the grace given us..’

Note Paul doesn’t add, but some of us have no gifts
at all so just sit on the sidelines.
We all have gifts and no one gift is better than
another. All are different, all needed and we all have
one.
In 1 Peter 4:10, Peter encourages us,

‘Each one, as a good manager of God’s different
gifts, must use for the good of others the special gift
he has received from God’.
‘Each one should use whatever gift he has
received to serve others, faithfully administering

God’s grace in its various forms.’

So now to the gift questions for us to think about,
please write down any thoughts on your post its and
hold on to them:
What do I really enjoy doing most?
When do I feel the most fully alive?
What am I doing when I lose track of time?
Do I like routine or variety?
Do I prefer serving with a team or by myself?
Am I more of an introvert shy person or extravert up
front person?
Am I more a thinker or a feeler?
Which do I enjoy more – competing or cooperating?

The answers to these questions may help us come to
an idea of what God’s gift to each one of us is, what
shape he has blessed us with for service. There are
many types of gifts.
The novelist Aldous Huxley wrote
‘Experience is not what happens to you. It is what
you do with what happens to you’
Our gift may be in the sadnesses and struggles we
have experienced.
Paul knew about struggles and in his second letter

to the church at Corinth he writes in Ch1 v 4 of God:
(pto)

‘He helps us in all our troubles, so that we are able
to help others who have all kinds of troubles, using
the same help that we ourselves have received from
God.’
‘…who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we
can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort
we ourselves have received from God.’

As Rick Warren puts it
“God never wastes a hurt”
We may wonder why doesn’t God forgive us when
we come to him to be saved, save us and take us
straight to heaven,
But in a world as broken and suffering as ours, we
have work to do to bring God’s kingdom into being,
here in the world he created.
We are to stay here, to follow the path of service laid
down by Jesus on the Cross and risen again. When
we look at what we’ve written down, look around this
room at each other, we should be encouraged that
together we all have work to do, all of us here, we
have work to do to make a difference in the name of

Jesus.

There is a Danish proverb which goes:
‘What you are is God’s gift to you
What you do with yourself is your gift to God’.

This is not a one way street; we are made to be in a
relationship with God.
In the way we go about using our gift, our shape,
whatever it may be, we reflect God’s love to the
world, but we also reflect our love to God. That’s
what happens in a relationship; we are loved and we
love.
So when we serve in the world we show God how we
love him.
If we love God whole heartedly then we will serve the
world around us whole heartedly.
Rick Warren argues
‘While knowing your shape is important for serving
God, having the heart of a servant is even more
important….Your primary ministry should be in the
area of your shape, but your secondary service is
wherever you’re needed at the moment….No special
talent or gift is required to stay after a meeting to pick
up trash or stack chairs. Anyone can be a servant. All

it requires is character.’
Character or the attitude of a true servant’s heart.
John writes in his gospel in ch13: 3-4 of the example
we have of a true servant’s heart from Jesus: (pto)

‘Jesus knew that the Father had given him complete
power: he knew that he had come from God and was
going to God. So he rose from the table, took off his
outer garment, and tied a towel round his waist.’
‘Jesus knew that the Father had put all things
under his power, and that he had come from God
and was returning to God; so he got up from the
meal, took off his outer clothing and wrapped a
towel round his waist.’

Then Jesus washes his disciples’ feet.
The creator as foot washer, nothing was beneath him
because he came to serve.
A damning report into the NHS care of the elderly
came out this week. Discussing the report on Radio
4 the presenter asked what could be done to address
the seeming lack of care and compassion amongst
nursing staff, a Professor of behavioural sciences
observed that ‘…we are a society that values
glamour, what is the least glamorous thing one can

do? Be a care giver. We need to reassess our values
as a nation’

True humility, the attitude of a true servant heart, is
to focus on others not on ourselves. As Rick Warren
puts it.

‘When we stop focussing on our own needs, we
become aware of the needs around us’.

We can be compassionate towards the world around
us.
And in becoming compassionate, by allowing
ourselves the freedom of God’s service, we can be
released from worrying about the worlds criticisms
and opinions of us, we can stop worrying about the
worlds demands on us to chase status and success,
to value glamour above care giving….
We may feel that we are happy to humbly serve
God, we are happy to stack the chairs but we have
no confidence that we have that unique God given
shape or gift, that we are any good at anything in
particular.
Rick Warren suggests that
‘If God only used perfect people nothing would ever

get done’.
Paul writes to the church at Corinth encouraging
them 1Cor.15:58

‘So then, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm
and steady. Keep busy always in your work for the
Lord, since you know that nothing you do in the
Lord’s service is ever useless.’
‘Therefore my dear brothers stand firm. Let
nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully
to the work of the Lord, because you know that
your labour in the Lord is not in vain.’

We are shaped for serving God and he will make use
of that service.
Our parish aim as you can read every Sunday on the
service sheet is
‘..in God’s strength, to bring Jesus to the centre of
our lives and to the heart of our community.’

By his Grace, He has given each one of us a unique
gift to use in his service, the wholeheartedness of our
service, the attitude of our servant’s heart reflects his
love to the world and our love to God.
We don’t have to worry about any opinion about

our service but His, or worry whether we’ll be good
enough to serve, because we serve with his power
supporting us and we serve because we follow the
example of Jesus who came to earth to save and to
serve.

If we look over the wonderful words of this morning’s
reading during the week I hope we’ll all be
encouraged in our service for God, that we will gladly
use the shape he has blessed us with in our own
Purpose Driven journey through life, with Jesus.
As Paul writes in v 15 of today’s reading;
‘The peace that Christ gives is to guide you in the
decisions you make; for it is to this peace that God
has called you together in the one body.’
‘Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since
as members of one body you were called to
peace.’

So, in the shape we were made for, may we continue
in peace, to love and serve the Lord in the world he
created, till he calls us home.
Amen

Sermon 13th February 2011

Today, one of our Lay Readers, Trevor Tayleur, continues our lessons on The Purpose Driven Life.

Created to be like Christ

(Purpose Driven Life)

“Created to be like Christ.” That sounds a tall order

doesn’t it? How can we dare to imagine that we could

be like Christ? That’s the challenge that Rick Warren

sets before us in his book, The Purpose Driven Life.

This is the fourth sermon in a series on this book,

The Purpose Driven Life, which Cameron started last

month and will continue until the end of Lent; we’re

also hoping many of you will want to read it during Lent

this year. So far we’ve looked at the first two purposes:

Planned for God’s Pleasure, and

Formed for God’s Family.

And today it’s the third purpose – Created to be like

So, how do we begin to meet this challenge of being

like Christ? I’m going to start at the beginning of the

Bible, for Genesis 1 tells us that we human beings are

created in God’s image. That doesn’t mean that we

are God’s equals in any way; God is the creator and

we are his creatures. But yet the truth remains – God

created us in his image.

That sounds great – that God created us in his image.

Unfortunately things soon began to go wrong. One

aspect of being created in God’s image is that we

human beings know the difference between right and

wrong. Genesis tells us that humans rebelled against

God, they chose wrong, and so the image of God in us

has been distorted. We are capable of good, but we

are also capable, each of us, of doing great harm.

The winning Australian captain in the 1999 Rugby

World Cup was called John Eales; he was an

exemplary character both on and off the field. His

nickname was Nobody, because “Nobody’s perfect”!

And of course that is true. Nobody is perfect..

And yet we are made in the image of God – God

who is perfect in every way. It’s hard to grasp –

that we are created in the image of God who is all

knowing, all powerful, eternal and perfect. God is

way beyond our understanding, as much beyond our

comprehension as we human beings are beyond an

ant’s comprehension. But we have help. For the Bible

tells us that Jesus is the image of God. Colossians

1:15 tells us that Jesus is the image of the invisible

God. If we want to know what God looks like, we

look at Jesus. And it’s God’s goal for us to grow up

spiritually and to become like Christ.

To become like Christ. As I said at the start that

sounds a tall order, doesn’t it. But what a wonderful

God, think some of the great passages in the Bible, for

example in ! Corinthians 13 where St Paul describes

love. He starts, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does

not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” And he

finishes, “Love always protects, always trusts, always

hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”

Wouldn’t it be marvellous if those words were true of

us? And the more like Christ become, the greater our

love for God and for others will be.

It’s a slow and difficult process, becoming more and

more like Christ. Fortunately we’re not on our own.

We don’t have to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps;

that’s impossible. We have the Holy Spirit to help

us. Now the Holy Spirit isn’t going to transform us

magically overnight. We can’t sit back and expect to

become Christ-like without any effort on our part.

Christianity is based on faith, not good works. We are

saved by God’s grace, by the mercy God has shown

to us even though we don’t deserve it. God sent Jesus

to die for our sins, and it’s through our repentance and

belief in Jesus that we are saved – that we are put

right with God. But that’s only the start. The process

of becoming Christ-like is something that will go on

for the rest of our lives. We shall have the Holy Spirit

helping us, but we need to work hard at it.

How, then, do we grow, become mature spiritually

and more Christ-like? Rick Warren suggests it’s

through a combination of people, God’s Word and

circumstances.

In some religions those who are regarded as the most

holy are those who isolate themselves and live in

deserts and on mountain tops. Now, monasticism is

a worthy calling, but a minority one. Being part of a

community is, for most of us, a vital part of becoming

Christ-like. Part of becoming Christ-like is learning to

love people the way Jesus loved people. And we may

find certain people easier to love in their absence, but

that’s not Jesus’ way. Jesus said to his disciples, “My

command is this: Love each other as I have loved

you.” (John 15:12)

If we love one another as Christ loved us, we become

more like Christ. We can’t become Christ-like in

isolation; we need other people to be part of the

We also grow more Christ-like by studying God’s

Word, the Bible. As Rick Warren puts it – we are

Transformed by Truth. The underlying assumption

is that the Bible is authoritative – it’s trustworthy

and reliable. So, is the Bible reliable?. Believing

in its reliability is not intellectual suicide; there are

good reasons for believing in its reliability based on

historical evidence. And if you want to know more

about the Bible’s historical reliability, you can do the

Alpha course starting in the spring, where one of the

sessions covers this issue.

The Bible isn’t just a history book, though; it’s authority

for our lives. The Bible isn’t a simple book. There

are difficulties of interpretation. But these difficulties

should not be an excuse for ignoring its message. It

contains many essential truths about which there is

little argument. Loving God with all our heart and our

soul; faithfulness in relationships, concern for justice,

compassion for those in need. These are all truths

about which there is little argument.

Through reading and studying the Bible we become

more Christ-like. And that’s hardly surprising, is it? If

we spend a lot of time reading the newspaper, we’ll

know a lot about the news. If we spend a long time

practising a musical instrument, then we’ll become

better players of that instrument. If we stop practising,

we may remember how to play for a little while, but

soon we’ll lose our ability to play the instrument well.

If we spend time reading the Bible, we will get to know

Jesus better; it will help us to become more Christ-like.

And if we don’t, or if we stop, then inevitably we will

There are many ways of reading the Bible. One

option this coming Lent is to follow the studies in

The Purpose Driven Life. If you don’t feel that’s

for you, there are plenty of Bible notes that are

available; if you want more information, please feel

free to ask Cameron, Gill or me. And if you want the

encouragement of others, then why not join one of our

People help us to become more Christ-like. So does

God’s Word, the Bible. And so can circumstances;

we can also be Transformed by Troubles and Grow

through Temptation. God uses troubles to draw us

closer to himself. Rick Warren writes, “Your most

profound and intimate experiences of worship will likely

be in your darkest days.”

It’s very easy to sound glib when saying that God uses

suffering to bring us closer to him. But as a Parish

I think we’ve moved beyond the glib stage when it

comes to suffering. Many of us will remember last

year’s sermon series based on Lazarus in which those

who spoke offered personal reflections on the nature

of the suffering they had been through or had been

part of. Cameron, Adjoa, Adrian and Gill all spoke very

movingly and challengingly last year, and if you want

to read the talks, they’re on the Parish blog; you can

find them in April and May last year, or instead you can

ask the Parish Office for a copy.

In the light of what we heard last year, I’m hesitant to

say things that may sound glib. It’s easy to create the

impression that if God is with us, everything will be

alright. Mary and Martha went through great sadness

when Lazarus died, but their sadness turned to joy

when Jesus brought him back to life. But we know that

isn’t a universal experience. Christians are not immune

from tragedy – a young mother dying leaving children

behind, a parent losing a child. Bad things do happen,

and it’s in that light that I’m offering these thoughts;

in full awareness that healing will not always happen

in this life, we’ll have to wait for the resurrection life to

God wants us to become Christ-like, and if we are

to become like Christ, we’re going to experience

suffering. Jesus did. Indeed, the Bible tells us that

Jesus “learned obedience through suffering”, and that

he was “made perfect through suffering”.

Remember ICJO from Gill’s sermon a few weeks ago?

Instant Complete Joyful Obedience. If Jesus learned

obedience through suffering, then certainly that’s also

a way we’re going to learn obedience.

As well as being Transformed by Troubles, we’ll also

Grow through Temptation. Jesus was tempted, During

Lent, we remember the 40 days that Jesus spent in the

wilderness when Satan tempted Jesus. And if we’re

going to become more like Jesus, then we’re going to

face temptation, - and we’re going to defeat it. It’s not

a sin to be tempted. Often we can’t stop the thoughts

coming into our minds, but we can choose not to dwell

on them or to act on them. Yes, we are going to be

tempted, and so need to face up to the dangers of

temptation and not be intimidated by them.

Temptation comes in many forms, though often

money, sex and power are at the root of it: temptation

to fiddle a tax return; temptation to cheat on one’s

spouse; temptation to take the credit for a colleague’s

good work in order to gain a promotion. These are all

common temptations, and none of us are immune. We

must recognise our vulnerability.

How do we defeat temptation? A lot of it is common

sense. Diversion is a very good strategy. Temptation

begins in the mind. The thought pops in, “Why

don’t you do X?” X being something wrong. “If you

think, “I must not do X, I must not do X...”, the more

it consumes you, the more it takes you over. Instead,

focus on something else. Ignoring a temptation is a lot

more effective than battling to resist it.

Sometimes the best way of dealing with temptation is

to leave a tempting situation. Turning the computer off

or walking away from the bar isn’t cowardly; often it’s

The Bible is also a vital shield against temptation.

When Satan tempted Jesus, Jesus replied with a

quote from Scripture. When Satan said to him, “If

you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become

bread...” Jesus didn’t reply, “I’m not hungry.” Instead

he answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread

alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of

Again, there’s a risk of making it sound too easy. It

isn’t; it’s not often that we’re going to defeat temptation

overnight. Philip Yancey, another Christian writer

whose books we’ve often recommended, has written

a lot about people battling with addictions. He once

wrote, “Although an alcoholic may pray desperately

for the condition to go away, very few addicts report

sudden, miraculous healing. Most battle temptation

every day of their lives, experiencing grace not as

a magic potion, rather as a balm whose strength is

activated daily by conscious dependence on God.”

Created to be like Christ. Christlikeness is our eventual

destination, but it’s a very long journey – a journey

that will last a lifetime. Being part of a Christian

community will help us, as we learn to love others

as Jesus loved us. God’s Word, the Bible, is also an

invaluable resource. As we face troubles and suffering,

we shall grow. Similarly, we shall grow into maturity

by overcoming the temptations we face. But it’s not

going to be an easy journey, and at times we will feel

discouraged. I’ll conclude with some words from Rick

Warren; “Remember how far you’ve come, not just

how far you have to go. You are not where you want

to be, but neither are you where you used to be. Years

ago people wore a popular badge with the letters

PBGINFWMY. It stood for “Please Be Patient, God

is Not Finished With Me Yet.” God isn’t finished with

you, either, so keep on moving forward. Even the snail

reached the ark by persevering!”

Father, Thank for sending us your Son. In the power of

Sprit, may we face up to the challenge of this life and

become more like Him. Amen.

Sermon Sunday 6th February 2011

Today, one of our Lay Readers, Adrian Parkhouse, preaches based on the reading from Ephesians 1: 1-10.

The Purpose Drive Life: Formed for God’s Family:

“To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus.” Eph 1:1

1. This talk is rather like a detective story. So see how you do with the clues.

The date: 4th April 1968. The time: just after 6pm. The scene: a small motel. A man has emerged onto a first floor balcony. He is evidently killing time, waiting for a friend still inside their room. The noise? Perhaps a car back-firing in the nearby street?

2. This is the third of our series of sermons which prepares us for our Lent studies later in the Spring. Then, as a Parish, we are invited to join together in following the discipline of reading and considering each day of Lent the 40 short chapters of Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Drive Life - in which we are challenged to identify and examine what we regard as the reasons we live as we do – what drives us. The book suggest 5 reasons, 5 drivers, 5 “purposes”, for the Christian’s life and this introductory series is intended to provide a brief and personal comment on each of these purposes. Today my task is to speak on Purpose No.2 “You were formed for God’s Family”.
3. The city: Memphis, Tennessee; the motel: the Lorraine; the man on the balcony: Dr Martin Luther King Jr; the noise? No, not a car back-firing, but a shot from a Remington 760 sporting rifle. Its bullet has entered Dr King’s throat, pierced his spinal column and before the hour is out he is pronounced dead.
4. My regression into childhood continues: a few years ago, in my late-40s I could excuse the purchase of the Scaletrix I had never had; in much the same way, a little later, the miniature railway I had always craved; but a recent fascination with remote-controlled helicopters which crash constantly did begin to cause me some concern; and now, as if to confirm that the regression is something serious, I find myself reading late at night, under the bedclothes. Or at least the modern equivalent, plugging in my iPod and being read to.
One of the books downloaded is Selected Speeches and Sermons of Dr Martin Luther King. Why? Partly because I realised that part of one of his speeches was probably one of only two talks in my life that had lodged in my memory (except for odd phrases of Churchill) and yet I knew very little about the man.
And so now I know a bit more. How this son of a Baptist minister was a teenager who questioned his father’s faith, who went on to study sociology before going to theological college; how his first appointment to a church in Montgomery, Alabama, brought him into the centre of the increasingly active movement for civil rights for the black people of America; how he helped organise the year-long Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 (Rosa Parks), leading to a court ruling ending segregation on public transport in that city; how then he lead the new Southern Christian Leadership Conference which, under his influence, adopted the tactics developed by Ghandi against the British in India, non-violent protest; and how boycotts and strikes and marches and speeches by Dr King became an increasingly frequent occurrence in the years of the late-50s and early-60s as black people challenged the racist laws of the southern states and began too to question the history of the nation that had freed them from slavery but left them in poverty. How he became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (1964). And I know how he was threatened, his home fire-bombed, regularly imprisoned and, once, stabbed; how his message of rational but implacable criticism of the status quo won him enemies in government, while his commitment to non-violent means won him enemies among black-led groups wanting more definitive action.
And I listened to the speech I thought I knew, the “I have a dream” speech delivered to the crowds attending the mass “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom” in August 1963. And as I listened to more, I realised that there were certain themes which occur again and again in the sermons and speeches. I mention two that are relevant this morning: Dr King’s conviction that segregation was wrong was founded on the belief that we are created by God, not only to be equal before Him but also to be dependent on one another. Again and again he quotes John Donne, “No man is an island...”. And second that “dream” theme crops up often in his teaching – “the American dream” and then the Washington speech is given in various forms before the big march. But the reason I have laid this trail of clues is to lead us a “dream” sermon he preached on the 3 March 1968 – that’s a month before his assassination: a sermon with a poignant, prophetic title: “Unfulfilled Dreams”; a sermon based on the story of David and the disappointment at not being the one to be building God’s Temple in Jerusalem; a sermon delivered – and this is important for this morning – at Dr King’s “home church”, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia, surrounded by people he had worshipped with and shared with for much of his 39 years (his parents included); and a sermon which is a confession, not of failure in his cause, but of the battle in his life between good and evil. It is an emotional sermon and he reaches his crescendo as he says: “I don’t know about you, but I can make a testimony. You don’t need to go out this morning saying that Martin Luther King is a saint. Oh no. I want you to know today that I’m a sinner like all of God’s children. But I want to be a good man. And I want to hear a voice saying to me one day “I take you in and I bless you, because you try. It is well that it was within thy heart””. - “You don’t need to go out this morning saying that Martin Luther King is a saint”
5. And more briefly, may I pick up another clue laid earlier: the other sermon which has stayed me was, oddly, on the same sort of theme. In about 1980 I listened to Rev David Prior, then Vicar of St Aldgates in Oxford, preaching on the tricky passage from Acts 5 concerning the lies told by the new church members, Ananias and Saphira. The message I took away from that sermon was revolutionary to me: that the Church was in business for sinners and was made up of sinners. Our “sainthood” – the saints to whom Paul wrote in the opening verse of our passage today – is – like rest of the blessings and plans which Paul sets out in his letter to a community that he knew well and loved dearly – our sainthood is a result of the grace of God. Not us but Him. The same message as in MLK’s “Unfulfilled Dream”.
6. So at last we are ready for the final scene – the denouement in the drawing room. Is everybody here? My admission of regression into childhood we can ignore as a red herring; and the dramatic opening we can treat as window dressing intended to attract attention. What you may not yet have fathomed is the link between that confessional sermon of MLK (and the message I have carried from my time at college) and Rick Warren’s second purpose – our being formed for God’s family. Or is it obvious? That the Church, God’s family is made up of you and me and people like us, people who are far from perfect, do not see ourselves as “saints” and for whom, as Warren describes it, a “place to belong” is the more important; especially a place which he explains can be a place where friendships can be honest and authentic, where sympathy, mercy and forgiveness are the common currency, together with honesty and confidentiality. He has more to say about practising “being church”, but his words on these matters encourage me to encourage you to the conclusion, if you had not already reached it, that, no matter what your history, looking at yourself with critical eyes, there can be no reason to conclude that you are not formed for God’s family - to be one of the saints.
Elementary? Amen.