Sermon 8th May 2011
This Sunday, our Vicar, Cameron Barker, delivers a shortened sermon - due to the fact that today is our Annual General Meeting here at St. Paul's. He preaches, based on the reading from Hebrews 10 verses 19-25.
It is only just after Easter; but fast-forward in your mind if you can – to Christmas. Picture a happy family gathered round the tree, opening presents. For his younger son, the proud father has got an iPod; for his daughter, he has bought an iPhone; for his older son, he has splashed out on iPad. Domestic bliss is ruptured when his wife opens her present – to find an iRon!
I want to say that today's joke has nothing to do with the short sermon that follows. But then I realise that it perhaps does, after all. It may be that the point of it is this: none of us, no matter what our age, our gender, our standing in the family, or anything else, receive anything other than the very best that God can give. Because of Jesus, and his death for us we are invited to enter into the Holy of Holies, the inner throne room of heaven – with confidence! Wow!! What a place to be; what a standing to have; what a privilege to have been given, for free. And all 'just' because God loves us, and so has himself paid the price for us to come in!
Today is a 1-off; it's a transition, from Easter to life beyond, with our AGMs added into the mix too. But it's still worth saying that this is where the application begins in this letter. Up to this point, it has been ground-work. Here's where we begin to grasp what it really means, that Jesus is who he is, and has done what he has. And there could be no better launching-pad than that. For both reviewing the year that's behind, and setting the agenda for the year ahead, where else could we want to look? Where else other than to this amazing privilege that we now have, because of Jesus' death?
This really is the best context for us to do our necessary task in. Each year at this time we are challenged to work out again what it means for us to be God's Easter people. How do we live in the light of this story that we rightly re-tell year in and year out? For all good Anglicans, the church annual meetings are never far behind Easter. So we have this ready-made framework. It invites us to ask questions about our past year of being God's Easter people; and to resolve how we will be that in the year ahead. But do note how both hinge on us being God's Easter people. How we lived last year, and how we will live out this one, depend on us being those for whom all things have changed, for all time.
Yes, we are those for whom all things have now changed, because of Jesus' death at Easter. But I believe that God's message to us for the year ahead is mostly about Him wanting us to carry on as we have been! That's not a secret, as anyone who's seen the programme card knows. Today's heading, based on these words from Hebrews, is a call to persevere – to keep on keeping on. As we look forward, let us indeed then “Consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds”, as it's phrased here.
Doing that won't be anything new, it must be said. Spurring one another on toward love and good deeds is something we had plenty of practice of in the last year. Now, strange as it may seem, we are looking back today to see how we did that, and more, in the calender year of 2010. That was quite a year, for some of us personally, and for all of us corporately. It was another year when we had to depend on God, and grew in faith and trust and hope, in ways that we couldn't possibly have foreseen. And we did both depend on God and grow in 2010 – not least because He who promised is faithful.
As usual, by the time we get here, we are already well into the year that we are looking ahead to. That doesn't matter much – because part of what we're doing today is 'only' affirming the course that we are already on in this new year. In that sense, this is simply a health-check; but it is a well-timed one, coming this soon after Easter. So it's worth us thinking about how confident we really are about entering the Most Holy place. We know that can do that, because of Jesus: but do we? How confidently? And how sincere are our hearts if and when we do so; not just today but every day? And then, how unswervingly are we holding onto the hope that we profess? How much are we trusting in God's faithfulness – and, in particular, in how He keeps His promises?
These are all questions that we can, and should, be asking ourselves today, and as we go on from here. Looking back at the past year, in this Easter context, should encourage us in every way that we need. It reminds us first and foremost of what God has done – and that it truly all depends on Him. We couldn't ever do any of this for ourselves; but He has done it for us, and now invites us in. 'All' we have to do is to respond, in faith and hope and trust: and then we do have to persevere, to carry on as we are!
So, there is the challenge, and the encouragement for today – looking both forwards, and backwards. As we look back, let's see what God has done, and praise Him for it. That's not 'just' for the good news of Easter, but also for all that we saw and experienced for ourselves in 2010. And as we look forward, let's do so with confidence in what God has done, and in what that means. Let's enter His throne room with confidence; drawing near with sincere hearts; holding unswervingly to the hope we profess; trusting in God's faithfulness; and spurring one another one to love and good deeds, day in and week out; in and for Him. And so let's pray ...
It is only just after Easter; but fast-forward in your mind if you can – to Christmas. Picture a happy family gathered round the tree, opening presents. For his younger son, the proud father has got an iPod; for his daughter, he has bought an iPhone; for his older son, he has splashed out on iPad. Domestic bliss is ruptured when his wife opens her present – to find an iRon!
I want to say that today's joke has nothing to do with the short sermon that follows. But then I realise that it perhaps does, after all. It may be that the point of it is this: none of us, no matter what our age, our gender, our standing in the family, or anything else, receive anything other than the very best that God can give. Because of Jesus, and his death for us we are invited to enter into the Holy of Holies, the inner throne room of heaven – with confidence! Wow!! What a place to be; what a standing to have; what a privilege to have been given, for free. And all 'just' because God loves us, and so has himself paid the price for us to come in!
Today is a 1-off; it's a transition, from Easter to life beyond, with our AGMs added into the mix too. But it's still worth saying that this is where the application begins in this letter. Up to this point, it has been ground-work. Here's where we begin to grasp what it really means, that Jesus is who he is, and has done what he has. And there could be no better launching-pad than that. For both reviewing the year that's behind, and setting the agenda for the year ahead, where else could we want to look? Where else other than to this amazing privilege that we now have, because of Jesus' death?
This really is the best context for us to do our necessary task in. Each year at this time we are challenged to work out again what it means for us to be God's Easter people. How do we live in the light of this story that we rightly re-tell year in and year out? For all good Anglicans, the church annual meetings are never far behind Easter. So we have this ready-made framework. It invites us to ask questions about our past year of being God's Easter people; and to resolve how we will be that in the year ahead. But do note how both hinge on us being God's Easter people. How we lived last year, and how we will live out this one, depend on us being those for whom all things have changed, for all time.
Yes, we are those for whom all things have now changed, because of Jesus' death at Easter. But I believe that God's message to us for the year ahead is mostly about Him wanting us to carry on as we have been! That's not a secret, as anyone who's seen the programme card knows. Today's heading, based on these words from Hebrews, is a call to persevere – to keep on keeping on. As we look forward, let us indeed then “Consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds”, as it's phrased here.
Doing that won't be anything new, it must be said. Spurring one another on toward love and good deeds is something we had plenty of practice of in the last year. Now, strange as it may seem, we are looking back today to see how we did that, and more, in the calender year of 2010. That was quite a year, for some of us personally, and for all of us corporately. It was another year when we had to depend on God, and grew in faith and trust and hope, in ways that we couldn't possibly have foreseen. And we did both depend on God and grow in 2010 – not least because He who promised is faithful.
As usual, by the time we get here, we are already well into the year that we are looking ahead to. That doesn't matter much – because part of what we're doing today is 'only' affirming the course that we are already on in this new year. In that sense, this is simply a health-check; but it is a well-timed one, coming this soon after Easter. So it's worth us thinking about how confident we really are about entering the Most Holy place. We know that can do that, because of Jesus: but do we? How confidently? And how sincere are our hearts if and when we do so; not just today but every day? And then, how unswervingly are we holding onto the hope that we profess? How much are we trusting in God's faithfulness – and, in particular, in how He keeps His promises?
These are all questions that we can, and should, be asking ourselves today, and as we go on from here. Looking back at the past year, in this Easter context, should encourage us in every way that we need. It reminds us first and foremost of what God has done – and that it truly all depends on Him. We couldn't ever do any of this for ourselves; but He has done it for us, and now invites us in. 'All' we have to do is to respond, in faith and hope and trust: and then we do have to persevere, to carry on as we are!
So, there is the challenge, and the encouragement for today – looking both forwards, and backwards. As we look back, let's see what God has done, and praise Him for it. That's not 'just' for the good news of Easter, but also for all that we saw and experienced for ourselves in 2010. And as we look forward, let's do so with confidence in what God has done, and in what that means. Let's enter His throne room with confidence; drawing near with sincere hearts; holding unswervingly to the hope we profess; trusting in God's faithfulness; and spurring one another one to love and good deeds, day in and week out; in and for Him. And so let's pray ...
posted by Parish Administrator at 11:19 am
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