Sermon 19th October 2014

From now until Advent, adults will ask, and discover answers to, questions on the fundamentals of the Christian faith.

One of our Honorary Ministers, Ben Hughes, continues our study - exploring answers to the question:

What about the Church?

 The reading is from Acts 2: 43-47

⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. ⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

What about the Church?

Well what about it you might ask!  People have real issues with the Church both worldwide and locally! And you do not have to go far in either direction from where we are today to find people who have a great deal to say about the Church and what goes on inside it! Both good and bad!

But let’s not be discouraged!   Many people and usually the silent voice in our society actually love and value the church – certainly its buildings, traditions and presence - even if they do not go every Sunday.

But whatever you viewpoint – the church is and remains a constant in our society and  to the critics irritation of course:  – As Ian Hislop once said – The Church is on its last legs and will be gone in a decade’s time. He added that was said in 1760 and we are still all here today. The Church of England is the longest standing on its ‘last legs organisation in existence’ and gladly and hopefully will not go away!

So now a few facts about the world wide Church:

Christianity is still the fastest growing Religion worldwide.

According to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life (2011)-

There are 360million Christians in Africa

There are 247 million Christians in North America and, in 2010, 45 million in the UK.

According to the Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

34% of the world's population is considered to be Christian of whom a billion are Catholic

We often forget about our Eastern Orthodox brethren as well – they make up 260million and survived a century of communism and are still going strong today.

12.8% of the world's Christian population identify themselves as Pentecostals of which 304 million (14%) are Charismatic. Alleluia!

According to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life (2011)-

There are 1.31 million full-time Christian workers worldwide.

Approximately 78.5 million Bibles are distributed globally per year.

And sadly according to the Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (2006)

An average of 159,960 Christians worldwide are martyred for their faith per year – a number which is going up as we speak!

So Christianity a spent force – not really!

And you just have to look at our Church here today!  We do not need to know people’s motives for attending church - that is theirs and God’s business alone – but then here we are! The 21st Century – the church alive and kicking in Herne Hill (and a brand new one at that) joining others both far and wide across the globe! The Universal Church of Christ

As a members of this Church in the parish of Herne Hill – yes we are just part a tiny small drop of a very big ocean but that doesn’t matter though – because Church is not really a ‘numbers game’ even if there are only two of you Christ is amongst us – we also share with others too - you see when Father McKenzie in the song Eleanor Rigby ‘writes  a sermon that no one will hear’ – what John Lennon failed to understand was that the Christ and the whole company of heaven were present listening anyway!  That’s the power of the truth of the ecclesia that is our church – the church omnipotent of Christ on this earth! His presence is among us and is determined by two people minimum.

And finally another more theological rather than purely statistical point to think about And I shall paraphrase and  quote from our Alpha study book “ To join the church is not just about joining the universal church across the globe but it is the church through the ages who profess and have professed  the name of Christ. These faithful brothers and sisters who have gone before us” The church stretches backwards and forwards in time you see! The church is past, present and future! We share and will participate in all three be then in the past – the  history, traditions the hymns we sing and prayers we use etc, now in the present here today and then tomorrow on this earth or otherwise

So friends we are all in excellent company, we should be proud of our heritage and have everything to look forward to.

And at this point an invitation - if you are not a Christian and feel that you are missing out and would like to join the church – then that’s not a problem either – people here are around to discuss further your search - over a coffee in the upper room after the service – or in the corner over there are people who will pray with you and help you facilitate a commitment to faith! 

I am now going to draw a quick picture if I may and to help us understand our need for the church and one another? (draw person)

This is a person like you and I in relationship with God – probably baptized and signed up in faith (draw vertical lines). Yes it’s very good to pray on your own to God, and to worship Him and read your bible – but can you do that on your own for the rest of your life?

But if we are to stretch out to receive and to give to others (Draw people either side of vertical line) we begin to move horizontally (draw horizontal lines).

What you can now see is the cross. Our vertical movement to God and our horizontal movement towards one another creates that cross - that really has to be at the centre of all Christian fellowship. We sing Jesus be the centre and what we mean is as this basic illustration shows. That a Church without Christ at its centre is either missing the horizontals and or the verticals.  We need to respond to God as individuals and then together to become the Church of Christ.

If we then link everyone together and form a ring and keep weaving our crosses overlapping and entwining then we become a crown of thorns (draw illustration)

You see the crown of thorns is vital because Church is a broken church too – not broken like it’s useless or abandoned – no -  it’s broken because Christ has suffered to make it so. The church in this world has to be broken because it has been designed that way because it is where we need to go to get fixed. There is nowhere else in the world that can fix sin – the only place is the cross - because Jesus died there for us and instead of us. And the Church is the haven in the storm where we can go and receive the grace of heaven which is the means and vehicle of the fix.  If you look to the church for perfection then you will and should be disappointed – Church has to be a place where those who feel isolated and lost in life can find hope. If the Church is proud and inaccessible - then the fragile and disheartened will be scared away. The Church has to have a welcoming, warm and visible presence in the community and has to be a place where good and lasting friendships can easily develop. The church is where people can meet with God and He with them. If the building, the music styles of worship as two examples get in the way of such then we need to think again about what we are doing. We do not ‘do’ church to please ourselves. We go to Church to serve God and others. Amen.

Now you might all be thinking at this point! Is the Church a building? Looks like one to me! I am sitting here now! Well the answer is both yes and no? Churches are buildings made from bricks, mortar stone, wood and paint! I cannot deny that. But precisely speaking it is really a building within a building - or if you want to be more poetic it’s a – giant Cathedral squeezed into a tiny hut - Tardis style! - How’s is that possible you might ask? Well Christ uses the metaphor of ‘buildings’ a number of times in the Gospels - describing himself as the corner stone and us  Christians – as the living stones. In this way become the bricks, windows and parapets- the putty in the glazing and so on…. and in this way  God’s Church becomes  us – inhabited by His Holy Spirit growing up wards and outwards as more are added to the number!  The physical building such as we are in cannot be Holy but the people who use it and worship in it allows God to make it Holy. It’s the action of people in response to God that brings Holiness to a place! That is the church. And using St Paul’s example of the body of Christ - Like any building – no part  is more important than another. The pane of glass cannot say to its frame - I do not need you. The light switch cannot say that he or she is more important than the junction box! The flooring staple – believing itself more important than the carpet it secures.  We as living stones - all have our roles and are interdependent on one another. So we must cut out lofty status and vain hierarchies that some of us like so much! And remind ourselves that we are here to serve and that we all equal in Christ - as our reading from the epistle describes.   And quite a bit of any building is unseen as well-  often the most important - the footings and foundations, the damp proof course ,  the floor joists flagstones, airbricks and the pipework etc - Jesus uses the image of a house built on rock and the ancient church fathers talk about Christ being the one sure foundation. Jesus reminds us that unless we build our lives on him –our own building attempts will crash and burn, and leak and clatter to the ground when the storms come! Unless the Lord builds the house the workers labour in vain!

And why is this? Why do we need Jesus Christ as our rock – Well when Christ gave up his spirit on the cross the temple curtain was torn in two – this illustrates the old order gone and the new one ushered in. His body is the new temple and all are welcome – No curtains, steps, walls or doors remain to stop God getting out.  The great cathedral is now Christ’s body ‘rendered unto thee’ that we remember and celebrate in a moment. Any church is now a vessel and temporary container and a place of shelter for the collective activity of the love feast to take place. The permanency and life is in Christ’s inhabitation of the worship. Jesus is alive and has replaced the great rock pile that was Herod’s temple! Christ’s body is the New Jerusalem and any attempt to hold or contain Christ otherwise is like the shacks that the disciples wanted to build when they saw the transfiguration!  You cannot keep God indoors anymore! The cat is out of the bag - And we need God in our lives because we need his help, protection and love in our homes and community which is where he wants to be not in some leaky church down the road. That is the new order you see and the new way! Christ alive in our lives today

So yes the buildings that we build and call churches are important but should never be the reason for what we do. They are there to serve the body of Christ which is the greater force and a force that represents God in the community, in our homes and where we live and work

So we are people are the Church, the family of God – we are prepared to use the resource of the church to serve Christ. What can we learn about how we should act towards one another as living stones? As Christian brothers and sisters!

Well families of human brothers and sisters do not always get on and may not see one another for long periods of time. To be realistic, people in Church do and will occasionally fall out. I have seen it and to my shame have been part of such things. It is an easy thing to happen and it’s important to be on one’s guard.  What do we do when it happens? …Jesus prays regarding his disciples in John 17 11 – ‘may they be as one’ – so prayer is essential!  St Paul says in Ephesians ‘Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit’. So we are to endeavor to always seek unity. How do we do that, well it is in Christ and Christ alone that we become one – symbolised in the sharing of the communion. The Holy Spirit makes the connections. And if we are still upset and angry with our brother or sister - then we might  look to our leaders and elders to help us when we struggle with our differences. And it is helpful to remind ourselves that in the big picture of the glory to come – much of what we fall out over in church – will become like the details in a landscape that fade away as we take off into the sky! St Paul is good on advice here and in particular his letters to Timothy where he offers guidance for Church and ministerial leadership.

And now - how can the family of God we call the church help us better live our lives!  Well as my illustration hopefully revealed – you cannot really be a church of one! That is too hard – you will lose heart – we need the support of one another and the presence of the Spirit and the Lord to help us along. It’s the minimum of two rule!

Nicky Gumball describes three levels of Church that we can participate in – like the three bears – large medium and small.  This is helpful and I think can act as a blessing for us here because we do all three very well in Herne Hill. He calls the first the ‘ gathering’ – this is the big services where we all congregate together, weddings ceremonies etc -  perhaps when both St Paul’s and St Saviours join such as Christmas or Easter. Next he says the medium type which are the ‘assemblies’ – these are smaller events – and enables more intimacy -  like all the children churches going on in the school hall or the back and upper rooms. Usually a bit New Testament style – informal, friendly and a bit ad- hoc – that is the Spirit of the assembly and St Saviours does this type really well.  Finally Nicky Gumbal describes the ‘cell’– the small groups – like our home group that meets fortnightly at James and Suzanne’s. Really worthwhile and precious - where you can be more intimate and share worries and blessings – you might study and discuss the bible and so grow together in faith.

Like a healthy diet – a balance of all three is good and I encourage everyone to get a slice of each. See Gill for home groups and get involved with your gifts in the assemblies because the informality makes them inclusive and accessible and all are welcome as you know -  Music coffee, chairs, children’s church use your living stones gifts as God has called you to – there is a role that fits everyone I am sure.  The big gatherings are the parties and should be fun and is where we evangelize and look outwards into the world.

In all three - we build lasting friendships – and who can think of a place where people of every race, creed background can meet and get on so well – I cannot really think of one can you?

And a really good tip for those that travel – when your away –find a church –one that looks warm and friendly – go in share you faith – you will see a part of the country or place you visiting in a totally different way! Nothing but faith can cross boundaries of language, class and culture than the church!

So to end – have you heard the joke that if you find the perfect Church then you better leave it before you spoil it – Well hopefully nobody here wants to leave here – but if you do – perhaps - because you are burnt out or broken by the church – disappointed- disillusioned or feeling rejected or things are not how they used to be – or whatever then the truth is – talk to Gill or Cameron or a prayer friend – share how you feel. Pray about it. The truth is – if you are feeling a bit rubbish about the church then I believe that you are the people that the church really needs - you are the ones that God can work in – you are the people that God can grow the church through because you know your need of Him – on the other hand - if you are feeling comfortable and pleased with what you are doing in the church then of course - well done! There are many of us that work hard and sacrifice in the service of the Church and you know your rewards in faith will be great - that is guaranteed (but that is not why we do it of course)!!  – If you are feeling like that – do give yourself a pat on the back – but pinch yourself too – at the same time if you can! Remind yourself that Church has got to be slightly uncomfortable, if it’s going to be a place where God can do His bidding in you!  If your pew is too comfortable get up walk about and find another more uncomfortable pew to sit on!

So wherever you are whatever your pew or seat – in the font back or middle of the Church or even outside on the park bench!  – Let’s come together now in the Unity of Christ, sharing our communion together with the whole company of heaven one in Christ and Christ in one.