Sermon for Sunday 2nd July 2023. Trinity 4. Hearing God Call.
Sermon & Readings for Sunday 2nd July 2023. Trinity 4.
Let
the…
In all the readings today, we
hear about prophets, about people who bring news and predictions.
Jeremiah insists that only a
prophet who tells of peace, has been sent by God.
In Psalm 89, there is a
declaration that the love of God is for ever, that this will be passed from
generation to generation, and that this oath is from the faithfulness of God to
all the descendants of David, which includes Jesus and all those who believe in
him.
Then in Matthew, Jesus is
finishing the sermon on the mount, which we have heard from for the last few
weeks. Jesus is summing up his mission for the twelve disciples, being sent out
to proclaim the Good News to all people.
He predicts persecutions and
tells them not to stay where they are not wanted. They are to be prophets who
may not find their task easy, but will also receive the promised reward, which
is the inheritance of the Kingdom, of eternal life with the Father.
To the extent that a simple gift
of water to a child (in a place where cold water can be scarce) is to be
rewarded as if given to Jesus.
All of this, once again, takes
us back to the calling of all Christians, to be ambassadors for faith. To tell
the story of the Good News of Jesus Christ, of God, through the power of the
Holy Spirit.
This reflects what we heard from
Ken a couple of weeks ago, when the people Jesus called were ordinary. They had
no previous qualifications or experience, if they had a CV, then it would
contain almost nothing of relevance to the task ahead, yet Jesus called on them
anyway, like he calls us all, no experience necessary.
This spoke to me, because I have
felt the call to ministry several times over the years, but often it wasn’t
God’s timing or I lacked the words.
So I explored other ways to
serve the church, each time wondering if this was my calling, and finding that,
yes, music, deanery synod, prayer ministry, chalice bearer, intercessions, were
all part of my calling, but with the sense there was something more, still
lacking the words to express what the calling was.
Still, the calling never left, I
knew I had a story to tell, so I persevered until the words came and the time
became right.
Everyone’s story is different,
last week we celebrated Catherine’s ordination as priest in a wonderful service
at the cathedral, and Fiona spoke about the ways we may hear God.
Through scripture, creation and
other people, through revelation in the mind, or your knower or through dreams
and visions. And of course, we need to test these callings, to see if they are
from us or from God, and what is truly the calling.
And this is where talking to
someone can help, praying it through with them and all of us are happy to help
with this.
As many of you know, I started a
new job just over a month ago and before starting went on silent retreat in
North Wales.
I confessed that I was
struggling to be still, partly because I had just been diagnosed with ADHD, to
add to the dyslexia, which made me much more aware of the restlessness which
had always been there.
Anyway, later that day, on a
rocky outcrop, in a tiny chapel, was an open Bible on the altar.
There was Psalm 46, and verse 10
usually reads, Be still, and know that I am God, which is often
quoted as an aid to meditation and prayer.
Well I had complained about this
very verse just that morning to the retreat director appointed to me, saying I
found being still almost impossible.
But the version of the Bible in
that chapel had a different phrasing which I'd never seen before, it said, Pause
a while, and know that I am God.
The stress I had felt suddenly
left me in a wave of emotion, because I thought, yes, I can pause, even if I can’t
be still, and it’s what I needed to hear just then.
Photo of Psalm 46. Verse 10.
And I think God has spoken to
many of us over the years, a nudge here, a gentle hand there.
Perhaps preaching a sermon or
standing on a street corner with a megaphone isn’t for you, but we can tell the
Good News just as powerfully in how we live our lives, respond to needs around
us, or engage with others and in the kindnesses.
Perhaps we just need to ‘preach
the Gospel at all times and if necessary use words.’ A phrase often attributed
to St Francis of Assisi, it tells us that the way that we treat people and the
world around us is as important as our words, and of course, it
is.
How can we claim to be Christian
if our behaviour and words are the opposite of what people might expect? If we
are rude, wasteful or unkind, what does that tell people about our faith?
Some people would argue that not
using words is unacceptable, that we must evangelise using scripture at every
opportunity.
But I know that if I started
quoting Bible verses at the coffee machine at work, quite rapidly, I would be
labelled a weirdo, and if I persisted, HR would get involved. Much like the
Spanish inquisition, never expected but always lurking.
But people instead, are rarely
surprised when they find out what I am, because humble-brag alert! I try
to treat everyone with respect. I don’t swear, much… I stick up for people, I
think I have a moral and ethical viewpoint which I hope is compatible with
faith.
Justice and truth, integrity and
the environment, speaking up for the unheard, all are important to me. Of
course, I make mistakes sometimes as well,
And when people ask me about my
views, what I did at the weekend or church or faith, then we can have a
conversation which I try to make relevant to where they are, not where I might
think they should be. It’s not my place to judge anyone.
This wasn’t always easy.
Learning how to talk about faith takes time, meeting up with others to chat
about the Bible, about dilemmas we face, about our prayer lives, helps to give
us the tools we need over time to have the words we need. It’s what we do in
our life groups.
It’s interesting that many of
the prophets, including Jesus, are being direct. They are challenging.
And perhaps this is a challenge
to me as well, to be more direct sometimes, but we also tell the Good News in a
way which reflects who we are and who we’re with. We’re not all trained the same
way, our personalities are different, our voices are different.
We spoke about this subject in
our Life Group a few weeks ago, we all had different gifts, different ways of
meeting people, in work, online, at the school gate, in town, in Thursday cafe
and we all were living our lives as Christians where we were.
In the kindnesses we show, the
time we give to others, the listening ear, the technical help.
And then, in that way Jesus has
of insisting that anyone who welcomes another, even a child, I know, whoever
heard of such a thing! welcomes him.
And I rejoice that we found this
church sixteen years ago, because we were made welcome. And I’ve realised that
this welcome isn’t unique to whoever is vicar.
Because Fiona is the third vicar
I've known here, and she is welcoming to everyone, but it’s you, the people,
and the people who came before you, and those who will come after you.
Somehow, the people here have
always been welcoming, it’s in these prayer-soaked stones, and in doing so, we have
encouraged each other in welcome and calling.
And could you be next? What is
your calling? I know we have asked this before but have a think about what God
may be asking you to do.
It may be in church or
elsewhere. It may be something you’re already doing, or it may seem impossible,
but do come and talk to one of us. God is often in the impossible.
Perhaps consider joining a Life
Group, where we can talk about all these things in a safe place. Perhaps it’s
something practical, like setting up church or cleaning, perhaps something
creative like singing in the choir, playing an instrument, doing the flowers,
writing something or doing social media.
Perhaps God is nudging you to
prayer ministry or to stand up here. Perhaps it’s to simply to come to church
and worship, and if that is your calling, whatever it is, you are welcome here.
We’d love to hear about what you can offer, when you are ready, because all are
welcome in this place. All are welcome. Amen.
Jeremiah 28.5–9
5 Then the
prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests
and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord; 6and the
prophet Jeremiah said, ‘Amen! May the Lord
do so; may the Lord fulfil the
words that you have prophesied, and bring back to this place from Babylon the
vessels of the house of the Lord,
and all the exiles. 7But listen now to this word that I speak in your hearing and in
the hearing of all the people. 8The prophets who preceded you
and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many
countries and great kingdoms. 9As for the prophet who
prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes true, then it will be
known that the Lord has truly sent
the prophet.’
Psalm 89.1–4,15–18*
1
My song shall be always of the loving-kindness of the Lord: ♦︎ with my mouth will I proclaim your
faithfulness
throughout all generations.
2 I will declare that your love is established for ever; ♦︎
you have set your
faithfulness as firm as the heavens.
3 For you said: ‘I have made a covenant with my chosen one; ♦︎ I have
sworn an oath to David my servant:
4 ‘ “Your seed will I establish for ever ♦︎
and build up your
throne for all generations.” ’
15 Happy are the people who know the shout of triumph: ♦︎
they walk, O Lord,
in the light of your countenance.
16 In your name they rejoice all the day long ♦︎
and are exalted in
your righteousness.
17 For you are the glory of their strength, ♦︎
and in your favour
you lift up our heads.
18 Truly the Lord is our shield; ♦︎
the Holy One of
Israel is our king.
Matthew 10.40–42
40 ‘Whoever
welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.
41Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a
prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a
righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; 42and
whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name
of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.’
https://archive.org/details/thejerusalembible1966
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