‘So I draw a veil over Mr Ramesh who once, on the feast of St Simon and St Jude (Choral Evensong at six, daily services at the customary hour), put make-up on his eyes and bells on his ankles, and naked except for his little belt danced in the back room of the shop with a tambourine’.
Alan Bennett’s Bed Among the Lentils tells the story of Susan, a Yorkshire vicar’s wife who, caught between her husband’s appallingly glib piety and his parishioners’ fervent self-righteousness, turns quietly to drink. She disgraces herself over lunch with the Bishop, collapses while arranging flowers in the chancel, and only finds redemption, rather unpredictably, in the arms of the young Asian shopkeeper, Mr Ramesh, whose sad wonder at her perpetual inebriation steers her towards sobriety.
Why Alan Bennett chooses today’s feast as the date of a particularly memorable encounter between the vicar’s wife and the obliging shopkeeper is unclear. Bennett well remembers the eccentricities of his Anglican upbringing, of course, and it may be that Simon and Jude are simply names he recalls from some far-off Sunday evening spent flicking through the Prayer Book during a dull sermon. Or it may be that he relishes the sonorous resonance of the double celebration’s title, and the delicious contrast that is inexorably drawn between the solemnity of its Choral Evensong and the unlikely liaison that is taking place simultaneously in the upstairs storeroom of a little shop behind the Leeds Infirmary.
However I am enough of a fan of his to suspect that something else is at work. Alan Bennett has a sublime gift for taking the ordinary and making of it something extraordinary: the trams of his boyhood, his father’s butcher’s shop, the hellfire and damnation of his Sunday School, the genteel pretensions of his aunties. In the looking glass of his writing these become the narratives of our own lives and in his words we see ourselves as this remorseless observer of humanity sees us. As we shall see, he could not have chosen a more appropriate feast than today’s. Perhaps it’s a coincidence. Well, perhaps.
It is customary that the Collect for a Saint’s Day should at least name the saint who it honours. It is customary for the lectionary readings for a Saint’s Day to present some edifying glimpse of the said saint’s life and work. Yet cast your eyes over the Collect for today; scan the readings set, and you will find no trace at all of Simon and Jude. There are paeans to saintly virtues, and exhortations to us to imitate them, but the guests of honour are, as it were, absent from their own party.
This may have something to do with the uncertainty of those guests’ identity. They are honoured as Apostles, and both are probably both among the Twelve. Matthew and Mark list Simon ‘the Cananean’ and Luke ‘Simon the Zealot’, which tells us something about Simon’s Israelite nationalism. Jude is listed by Luke as the son of James. Matthew and Mark do not list him: they both name Thaddaeus, or Lebbaeus, instead. Our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters, never fond of untidiness, honour a conglomeration of the two: St Jude Thaddaeus, a compromise of which Anglicans ought to be proud.
What seems beyond controversy is that both Simon and Jude had namesakes among their fellow apostles who were destined for greater fame - or greater infamy - than were they. Simon the Zealot, of course, was to languish in the shadow cast by Simon the Rock; Judas son of James in that cast by Judas Iscariot. The result is that today we honour third-tier apostles, bargain basement apostles, apostles of whom we know nothing but their names. In fact the Church’s nervousness about Judas Iscariot’s sin was such that it robbed the other Judas of even that small dignity, shortening his name and labelling him Jude for all eternity. It is little wonder that the poor man has ended up appearing in the columns of the Daily Telegraph as the patron saint of lost causes.
So why are we here? We have so little to go on, such tiny biographical detail, such tangled historical roots. Does celebrating unknown saints really matter? Ought we not be proclaiming the Gospel instead?
The reason that the saints survived in the Church of England through the rigours of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries is that the Reformers saw in them useful role models for the instruction of the faithful. According to this standard, Simon and Jude are less than fit for purpose. We can point to no feats of endurance, no words of wise counsel, no selfless example that might shape our lives of faith. Yet if we honour only those who are of use to us; if we respect only those who give to us; if we celebrate only those who add value to our existence, then we do not see humanity as God sees it. We celebrate Simon and Jude because they are Simon and Jude, our distant and unseen forebears in faith. We need no other reason than that. Perhaps our celebrating them will affect our view of countless others around us, whose names we know, whose names we do not know, yet with whom we share this planet, this city, and this building, who appear to give us nothing.
Perhaps it will also transform our view of what we need to know about one another. We would all want to resist the notion that life in the West in 2007 is cheap, yet I wonder whether our resistance would withstand much examination. The voracious appetite for scandal is such that popular culture parades the lives of its celebrities in stomach-churning detail; the voracious appetite for gratification is such that poor women from Eastern Europe are trafficked in huge numbers to fill London’s brothels; the voracious appetite for global power is such that the blood spilt in its pursuit is fast losing its power to shock us. We constantly presume to know one another, to possess one another, to buy and sell one another. Perhaps our celebrating two names will recall us to the sanctity and the mystery of life; perhaps it will recall us to the holy ground upon which we tread when we approach another human being.
And lastly, perhaps it will also reawaken us to the extraordinary vision of the God served by Simon and Jude, the alchemical God whose touch turns the basest material into the purest gold. It is this God who chooses Simon Zealotes as well as Simon Peter; who chooses Judas of Lost Causes alongside Paul of many Epistles; it is this God who chooses us today; this God, whose choice knows no limits and whose imagination knows no bounds.
‘That’s the thing nobody ever says about God’ says Susan, vicar’s wife and reformed alcoholic ‘…he has no taste at all.’ She means it critically, and after her experience of his church, few would blame her. But in God’s tastelessness is our, and the world’s, salvation.
Amen.
Sunday 28 October 2007,
Isaiah 28: 14-16;
John 15: 17-end.
Monday, 29 October 2007
Sunday, 21 October 2007
The Twentieth Sunday after Trinity
Direct references to organized sport are few and far between in the Bible. On the morning after the trauma of England’s defeat it is difficult for the preacher who wishes to mark the occasion appropriately to derive either inspiration or authority from the pages of Holy Scripture. Or so you might think. As you know, I enjoy a challenge.
The exhausted players and the commiserating supporters might in fact find painful echoes of their recent experience in not one but two passages from this morning’s readings. That from the Old Testament features one of the most famous wrestling matches in history: Jacob’s epic struggle by the Jabbok. This clash of the titans might serve as a metaphor for yesterday’s heroic efforts, but it’s the story’s ending, which has the victor limping past Penuel rubbing his dislocated hip that will bring a rueful smile to the face of rugby fans everywhere.
The Gospel, on the other hand, seems at first a much less promising seam for us to quarry, concentrating as it does upon a dry legal dispute, many miles away from the Stade de France. Pay attention to the language, though, and the kaleidoscope of interpretation shifts. When the unjust judge utters his frustrated cry ‘because this widow bothers me, I will vindicate her’ he actually uses the language of the boxing ring rather than the language of the law-court. Translated strictly the judge exclaims ‘because this widow keeps blacking my eye, I will vindicate her’. I’ll wager there were a few black eyes on the Eurostar last night.
Perhaps I have just established that with a little ingenuity Scripture can be made to say whatever its reader would like it to say. Yet Paul insists to Timothy that it is all inspired by God and therefore profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training. What are we to make of his stricture, when a text is so obviously open to exploitation and abuse?
I don’t believe it will do simply to abandon the stricture, and with it the texts to which Paul applies it. As catholic Christians we revere the written word of God, the Bible, as we revere the living Word of God, Jesus Christ. The twin foci of the liturgy are the proclamation of the Gospel from among you and the sharing of the sacrament among you. In the Eucharist we expect to meet the living Word in broken bread and wine outpoured, but we expect to do so only after we have met him in the written word, broken and shared just as the Eucharistic bread will be broken and shared.
Scripture cannot be set aside and replaced by our habits and convictions. But if we are to read it well then we need to recall that its reading is primarily a communal activity. It is not something that we do alone. The writings that we regard as holy were created in an era when literacy was limited. Paul’s letters were written to be read aloud when Christians gathered to worship in Corinth, or Rome, or Thessaly. The Gospels were anthologies, collections of sayings and stories of Jesus that were remembered and retold when Christians met. None of them were originally designed for private study, for an individual to pore over in the hope that God’s meaning might thereby be revealed to him or her. And although one of the great achievements of the various Reformations was to make Scripture accessible for exactly that kind of study we need always to be cautious when engaging in it, using a commentary, or notes, or the fellowship of a reading group: anything that links our individual reading into the corporate reading of the Church.
Secondly, it is to be read as a whole. There is a huge danger in doing what I did when I began: in other words, of hiving off little bits here and there and inflating their importance. This is proof-texting. It means our approaching the Bible with a fixed idea and looking for something that will back the idea up. That may be an honest and proper use for the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, but in relation to Scripture it is neither honest not proper, however benign our intentions. In the parable we’ve heard this morning Jesus apparently speaks approvingly of an unjust judge, and even draws a parallel between him and God. I suppose it could be turned into a story that is supportive of corrupt and venal officers of the law. It has to be read alongside the overwhelming testimony of the Bible to God’s identification with the causes of justice and truth.
And thirdly it is to be read – and then read again, and again, and again. ‘When the Son of Man comes’ asks Jesus ‘will he find faith on earth?’ Yet the image of faith that today’s readings creates is very distinct. There is the faith of Jacob, who clings to God throughout the livelong night, Jacob who will not let God go so convinced is he that his unknown assailant is the one who has authority to bless him. There is the faith of Paul, who urges young Timothy to be unfailing in his patience and to teach and preach with urgency both in and out of season. And there is the faith of the widow, who returns to the judge day in, day out, clamouring for her rights and refusing to fall silent when they are denied her.
Faith, in other words, does not look neat and tidy. If it were meant to be so then perhaps God would not have sent us his Son at all; perhaps he would have sent us a tract containing a few lines of neat instruction, rather a young man to whom the startling language and unimaginable stories, the mystery and the glory of the holy book around which we gather bear witness.
Faith is a journey, an unfolding relationship. Faith can be hard work. Perhaps the God in whom we have faith knows us rather better than we do ourselves.
Sunday 21 October 2007,
Genesis 32: 22-31;
2 Timothy 3: 14-4:5;
Luke 18: 1-8
The exhausted players and the commiserating supporters might in fact find painful echoes of their recent experience in not one but two passages from this morning’s readings. That from the Old Testament features one of the most famous wrestling matches in history: Jacob’s epic struggle by the Jabbok. This clash of the titans might serve as a metaphor for yesterday’s heroic efforts, but it’s the story’s ending, which has the victor limping past Penuel rubbing his dislocated hip that will bring a rueful smile to the face of rugby fans everywhere.
The Gospel, on the other hand, seems at first a much less promising seam for us to quarry, concentrating as it does upon a dry legal dispute, many miles away from the Stade de France. Pay attention to the language, though, and the kaleidoscope of interpretation shifts. When the unjust judge utters his frustrated cry ‘because this widow bothers me, I will vindicate her’ he actually uses the language of the boxing ring rather than the language of the law-court. Translated strictly the judge exclaims ‘because this widow keeps blacking my eye, I will vindicate her’. I’ll wager there were a few black eyes on the Eurostar last night.
Perhaps I have just established that with a little ingenuity Scripture can be made to say whatever its reader would like it to say. Yet Paul insists to Timothy that it is all inspired by God and therefore profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training. What are we to make of his stricture, when a text is so obviously open to exploitation and abuse?
I don’t believe it will do simply to abandon the stricture, and with it the texts to which Paul applies it. As catholic Christians we revere the written word of God, the Bible, as we revere the living Word of God, Jesus Christ. The twin foci of the liturgy are the proclamation of the Gospel from among you and the sharing of the sacrament among you. In the Eucharist we expect to meet the living Word in broken bread and wine outpoured, but we expect to do so only after we have met him in the written word, broken and shared just as the Eucharistic bread will be broken and shared.
Scripture cannot be set aside and replaced by our habits and convictions. But if we are to read it well then we need to recall that its reading is primarily a communal activity. It is not something that we do alone. The writings that we regard as holy were created in an era when literacy was limited. Paul’s letters were written to be read aloud when Christians gathered to worship in Corinth, or Rome, or Thessaly. The Gospels were anthologies, collections of sayings and stories of Jesus that were remembered and retold when Christians met. None of them were originally designed for private study, for an individual to pore over in the hope that God’s meaning might thereby be revealed to him or her. And although one of the great achievements of the various Reformations was to make Scripture accessible for exactly that kind of study we need always to be cautious when engaging in it, using a commentary, or notes, or the fellowship of a reading group: anything that links our individual reading into the corporate reading of the Church.
Secondly, it is to be read as a whole. There is a huge danger in doing what I did when I began: in other words, of hiving off little bits here and there and inflating their importance. This is proof-texting. It means our approaching the Bible with a fixed idea and looking for something that will back the idea up. That may be an honest and proper use for the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, but in relation to Scripture it is neither honest not proper, however benign our intentions. In the parable we’ve heard this morning Jesus apparently speaks approvingly of an unjust judge, and even draws a parallel between him and God. I suppose it could be turned into a story that is supportive of corrupt and venal officers of the law. It has to be read alongside the overwhelming testimony of the Bible to God’s identification with the causes of justice and truth.
And thirdly it is to be read – and then read again, and again, and again. ‘When the Son of Man comes’ asks Jesus ‘will he find faith on earth?’ Yet the image of faith that today’s readings creates is very distinct. There is the faith of Jacob, who clings to God throughout the livelong night, Jacob who will not let God go so convinced is he that his unknown assailant is the one who has authority to bless him. There is the faith of Paul, who urges young Timothy to be unfailing in his patience and to teach and preach with urgency both in and out of season. And there is the faith of the widow, who returns to the judge day in, day out, clamouring for her rights and refusing to fall silent when they are denied her.
Faith, in other words, does not look neat and tidy. If it were meant to be so then perhaps God would not have sent us his Son at all; perhaps he would have sent us a tract containing a few lines of neat instruction, rather a young man to whom the startling language and unimaginable stories, the mystery and the glory of the holy book around which we gather bear witness.
Faith is a journey, an unfolding relationship. Faith can be hard work. Perhaps the God in whom we have faith knows us rather better than we do ourselves.
Sunday 21 October 2007,
Genesis 32: 22-31;
2 Timothy 3: 14-4:5;
Luke 18: 1-8
Monday, 15 October 2007
Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity
‘Muslims and Christians together make up well over half of the world’s population. Without peace and justice between these two religious communities, there can be no meaningful peace in the world. The future of the world depends on peace between Muslims and Christians’.
That assertion, as startling as it is sonorous, heads a letter issued this week to the leaders of the Christian churches by representatives of global Islam. It seeks common ground between the writings that our two traditions call holy, and identifies a basis for peace and understanding between Christian and Muslim.
The letter’s authors find that basis in the shared conviction that God is one and that humankind is called to love him, citing both the New Testament and the Qu’ran in support. Jesus Christ teaches that the Shema, the ancient prayer of Israel, is the greatest of the Commandments: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is One. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ And the first Shahadah of Islam is comparable: ‘there is no God but God’. The Qu’ran teaches ‘devote yourself to God with a complete devotion’. The similarity is plain.
Love of neighbour constitutes a second foundation stone of this basis. The letter rehearses Jesus Christ’s commandment ‘you shall love your neighbour as yourself’ alongside that of the prophet Muhammad: ‘none of you has faith until you love for your neighbour what you love for yourself’.
So, in the light of what the letter’s authors term the ‘Two Commandments of love’, Muslims invite Christians to come together, to come to a common word.
I suspect that what I have disclosed of the letter’s contents will come as little surprise to you. Perhaps you are already aware of the agreement of the faiths as to these essentials; perhaps you think such agreement bland and unspecific; perhaps you are unconvinced of its cash value. Or perhaps you are even of the opinion that the opening statement, with which I began and which is the essential rationale for the letter, can be criticized. It perhaps overstates the potential for damage of conflict that is properly inter-religious rather than economic or geopolitical. It perhaps plays unwittingly into the hands of those who seek to caricature our present status as that of combatants in a war on terror. It almost certainly miscalculates wildly the numbers of those who can be called Christians in any real sense.
I am no scholar of Islam, but it seems to me that three features of the letter merit our particular attention. The first is the collective authorship. It is the work of one hundred and thirty-eight Muslim scholars and academics, whose diversity must call us to listen. They come from north Africa, eastern Europe, north America, Asia and, crucially, from the Gulf and Middle Eastern states, and so the letter appears genuinely comprehensive in its origins.
Secondly, the letter is clear in its bold suggestion that the prophet Muhammad did not bring anything fundamentally or essentially new to God’s revelation. It instead surmises that in calling the faithful to love the one God the prophet of Islam restated and alluded to the Hebrew Bible’s commandment to love the one God.
And, thirdly, it has little truck with those of any tradition who use or sponsor violence to achieve their ends. It states ‘…to those who relish conflict and destruction for their own sake or reckon that ultimately they stand to gain through them, we say that our very eternal souls are all also at stake if we fail to sincerely make every effort to make peace and come together in harmony’. It has little truck with Muslims who seek to make enemies of Christians and reminds its readers that in the words of the Qu’ran Christians and Jews are ‘people of the Scripture’, among whom ‘there is a staunch community who recite the revelations of God, falling prostrate before him. They believe in God and in the Last Day, and enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency, and vie with one another in good works. These are of the righteous’.
Those three features persuade me that in this letter we have more than a series of worn-out platitudes whose repetition will do little to change the face of God’s earth. In the diversity of authorship, in the acknowledgment of our common ancestry in the Abrahamic tradition, and in its rejection of violence it seems to me that we have received a peace-offering. It might serve as a new basis for the treatment of religious minorities, whether Christian or Muslim. It might lead to a re-casting of the fear and suspicion with which we have come to view one another.
For this morning, of course, we heard retold the story of a Syrian warrior, the forbear perhaps of those who bring bloodshed and division to the Middle East today. It is the story of an Arab who seeks healing at the hands of his Israelite enemy, who is asked to undress and bathe seven times in the waters of a foreign stream. It is the story of a man who, in his willingness to submit to a strange jurisdiction, and in his nakedness before something he does not understand, is made whole in body and brought to a knowledge of the truth.
Dare we follow him into those unknown waters, or will we remain in the security of a chariot parked safely on the river-bank? Amen.
Sunday 14 October 2007
2 Kings 5: 1-5, 7-15c;
2 Timothy 2: 8-15;
Luke 17: 11-19.
That assertion, as startling as it is sonorous, heads a letter issued this week to the leaders of the Christian churches by representatives of global Islam. It seeks common ground between the writings that our two traditions call holy, and identifies a basis for peace and understanding between Christian and Muslim.
The letter’s authors find that basis in the shared conviction that God is one and that humankind is called to love him, citing both the New Testament and the Qu’ran in support. Jesus Christ teaches that the Shema, the ancient prayer of Israel, is the greatest of the Commandments: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is One. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ And the first Shahadah of Islam is comparable: ‘there is no God but God’. The Qu’ran teaches ‘devote yourself to God with a complete devotion’. The similarity is plain.
Love of neighbour constitutes a second foundation stone of this basis. The letter rehearses Jesus Christ’s commandment ‘you shall love your neighbour as yourself’ alongside that of the prophet Muhammad: ‘none of you has faith until you love for your neighbour what you love for yourself’.
So, in the light of what the letter’s authors term the ‘Two Commandments of love’, Muslims invite Christians to come together, to come to a common word.
I suspect that what I have disclosed of the letter’s contents will come as little surprise to you. Perhaps you are already aware of the agreement of the faiths as to these essentials; perhaps you think such agreement bland and unspecific; perhaps you are unconvinced of its cash value. Or perhaps you are even of the opinion that the opening statement, with which I began and which is the essential rationale for the letter, can be criticized. It perhaps overstates the potential for damage of conflict that is properly inter-religious rather than economic or geopolitical. It perhaps plays unwittingly into the hands of those who seek to caricature our present status as that of combatants in a war on terror. It almost certainly miscalculates wildly the numbers of those who can be called Christians in any real sense.
I am no scholar of Islam, but it seems to me that three features of the letter merit our particular attention. The first is the collective authorship. It is the work of one hundred and thirty-eight Muslim scholars and academics, whose diversity must call us to listen. They come from north Africa, eastern Europe, north America, Asia and, crucially, from the Gulf and Middle Eastern states, and so the letter appears genuinely comprehensive in its origins.
Secondly, the letter is clear in its bold suggestion that the prophet Muhammad did not bring anything fundamentally or essentially new to God’s revelation. It instead surmises that in calling the faithful to love the one God the prophet of Islam restated and alluded to the Hebrew Bible’s commandment to love the one God.
And, thirdly, it has little truck with those of any tradition who use or sponsor violence to achieve their ends. It states ‘…to those who relish conflict and destruction for their own sake or reckon that ultimately they stand to gain through them, we say that our very eternal souls are all also at stake if we fail to sincerely make every effort to make peace and come together in harmony’. It has little truck with Muslims who seek to make enemies of Christians and reminds its readers that in the words of the Qu’ran Christians and Jews are ‘people of the Scripture’, among whom ‘there is a staunch community who recite the revelations of God, falling prostrate before him. They believe in God and in the Last Day, and enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency, and vie with one another in good works. These are of the righteous’.
Those three features persuade me that in this letter we have more than a series of worn-out platitudes whose repetition will do little to change the face of God’s earth. In the diversity of authorship, in the acknowledgment of our common ancestry in the Abrahamic tradition, and in its rejection of violence it seems to me that we have received a peace-offering. It might serve as a new basis for the treatment of religious minorities, whether Christian or Muslim. It might lead to a re-casting of the fear and suspicion with which we have come to view one another.
For this morning, of course, we heard retold the story of a Syrian warrior, the forbear perhaps of those who bring bloodshed and division to the Middle East today. It is the story of an Arab who seeks healing at the hands of his Israelite enemy, who is asked to undress and bathe seven times in the waters of a foreign stream. It is the story of a man who, in his willingness to submit to a strange jurisdiction, and in his nakedness before something he does not understand, is made whole in body and brought to a knowledge of the truth.
Dare we follow him into those unknown waters, or will we remain in the security of a chariot parked safely on the river-bank? Amen.
Sunday 14 October 2007
2 Kings 5: 1-5, 7-15c;
2 Timothy 2: 8-15;
Luke 17: 11-19.
Monday, 8 October 2007
Harvest Thanksgiving, Sunday 7 October 2007
How deliciously ironic that something so inoffensive, so nostalgic, so quintessentially English as the parish Harvest Thanksgiving should provide irrefutable evidence that there’s something in historical materialism. Marx’s doctrine was first propounded to me over twenty years ago at an undergraduate party, by someone who had had too much to drink. ‘You see’ he declaimed ‘the worker may have a vocation to make a chair. But under capitalism he will only ever screw legs onto chairs on a production line’. Those words came back to haunt me this week as I watched schoolchildren (and their parents and grandparents) depositing dried pasta, muesli and disposable razor blades around the altar steps. All of them were undoubtedly alienated from the means of production, distribution and exchange – although, it has to be said, they evinced little sign of despair at their plight.
Harvest in London in 2007 is a rite in search of a meaning. Its origin is often traced to Robert Hawker, the splendidly eccentric Victorian vicar of a Cornish village. On one occasion Father Hawker dressed up as a mermaid (history records neither the occasion nor the excuse); on another he excommunicated his cat for catching mice on Sunday. A more lasting innovation was his Harvest Thanksgiving, instituted in 1843. Hawker and his contemporaries served a largely rural and agrarian community. There was a sporting chance that those who came to the chancel steps came bearing the crops that they had grown themselves. The Mosaic injunction to the Israelites to bring sheaves of the first fruits of the harvest to offer to God had a meaningful resonance, which changing patterns of residence, employment and consumption have stifled. Thanksgiving to the Creator for the harvest was a response to God from those whose lives and livelihoods were intimately bound up with the vagaries of the weather and the health of the soil.
Those bonds have disappeared, and so contemporary celebrations of Harvest have sought to invest it with contemporary relevance. There is nothing objectionable in that. Hawker himself established the Harvest Thanksgiving in a deliberate attempt to capitalize on the thoroughly secular (and I suspect rather bibulous) harvest home celebrations that occupied his farmer parishioners in the autumn. Over the years the Church has been skilled at appropriating existing celebrations and putting them to her (or rather, to God’s use). So in parishes around the country Harvest will be used as a season to ponder the environmental crisis with which many believe we are threatened. In others it will be used to draw attention to the inequities of global trade and to make the case for international exchange that is freer and fairer. And in others it will be used to comment upon the costs and risks of modern food mass-production: indeed, our school’s celebration on Friday included a re-telling of the story of the Enormous Turnip, no doubt a chilling allegorical warning against the menace of genetically-modified root vegetables.
There’s nothing wrong with any of those emphases. Each is a valid, indeed inescapable Christian concern. But perhaps we might remind ourselves why it is that on this of all Sundays we bring bars of soap and tubes of toothpaste into Church. Surely they are not the first fruits of our lives, the first fruits that we are asked to offer to God: surely those first fruits are more than bags of rice and tins of baked beans. How are we tending the acreage of our souls – what are we bringing to the altar and offering to God in prayer, in worship, and in the nurture of our faith? How are we ploughing the furrow of work and relationships that is set before us – what are we bringing to the altar and offering to God in changed behaviour, in new honesty, humility and transparency to one another? How are we disbursing the produce of our fields, the resources at our disposal – what are we bringing to the altar and offering to God in time spent with and for others, skills given to and for others, help given to and for others? In short, what harvest is God set to reap in you and in me?
Of course we today give God thanks for the harvest and for the goodness with which he crowns the year; of course we pledge ourselves to be good stewards of the earth and to safeguard the inheritance of our children; of course we affirm our longing to see hunger and thirst banished from this planet. But we recognize too that our bringing of gifts is at risk of becoming what therapists call displacement activity, a sop to tender conscience or a nod to quaint tradition. Our bringing of gifts is instead a tangible and sacramental symbol of the transformation that the Lord of the Harvest is bringing about in us, and of our consequent determination to transform the lives of others. Today our efforts will feed the hungry. But what will we do tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that? Let there be no end to our thanksgiving for the harvest. Amen.
Harvest in London in 2007 is a rite in search of a meaning. Its origin is often traced to Robert Hawker, the splendidly eccentric Victorian vicar of a Cornish village. On one occasion Father Hawker dressed up as a mermaid (history records neither the occasion nor the excuse); on another he excommunicated his cat for catching mice on Sunday. A more lasting innovation was his Harvest Thanksgiving, instituted in 1843. Hawker and his contemporaries served a largely rural and agrarian community. There was a sporting chance that those who came to the chancel steps came bearing the crops that they had grown themselves. The Mosaic injunction to the Israelites to bring sheaves of the first fruits of the harvest to offer to God had a meaningful resonance, which changing patterns of residence, employment and consumption have stifled. Thanksgiving to the Creator for the harvest was a response to God from those whose lives and livelihoods were intimately bound up with the vagaries of the weather and the health of the soil.
Those bonds have disappeared, and so contemporary celebrations of Harvest have sought to invest it with contemporary relevance. There is nothing objectionable in that. Hawker himself established the Harvest Thanksgiving in a deliberate attempt to capitalize on the thoroughly secular (and I suspect rather bibulous) harvest home celebrations that occupied his farmer parishioners in the autumn. Over the years the Church has been skilled at appropriating existing celebrations and putting them to her (or rather, to God’s use). So in parishes around the country Harvest will be used as a season to ponder the environmental crisis with which many believe we are threatened. In others it will be used to draw attention to the inequities of global trade and to make the case for international exchange that is freer and fairer. And in others it will be used to comment upon the costs and risks of modern food mass-production: indeed, our school’s celebration on Friday included a re-telling of the story of the Enormous Turnip, no doubt a chilling allegorical warning against the menace of genetically-modified root vegetables.
There’s nothing wrong with any of those emphases. Each is a valid, indeed inescapable Christian concern. But perhaps we might remind ourselves why it is that on this of all Sundays we bring bars of soap and tubes of toothpaste into Church. Surely they are not the first fruits of our lives, the first fruits that we are asked to offer to God: surely those first fruits are more than bags of rice and tins of baked beans. How are we tending the acreage of our souls – what are we bringing to the altar and offering to God in prayer, in worship, and in the nurture of our faith? How are we ploughing the furrow of work and relationships that is set before us – what are we bringing to the altar and offering to God in changed behaviour, in new honesty, humility and transparency to one another? How are we disbursing the produce of our fields, the resources at our disposal – what are we bringing to the altar and offering to God in time spent with and for others, skills given to and for others, help given to and for others? In short, what harvest is God set to reap in you and in me?
Of course we today give God thanks for the harvest and for the goodness with which he crowns the year; of course we pledge ourselves to be good stewards of the earth and to safeguard the inheritance of our children; of course we affirm our longing to see hunger and thirst banished from this planet. But we recognize too that our bringing of gifts is at risk of becoming what therapists call displacement activity, a sop to tender conscience or a nod to quaint tradition. Our bringing of gifts is instead a tangible and sacramental symbol of the transformation that the Lord of the Harvest is bringing about in us, and of our consequent determination to transform the lives of others. Today our efforts will feed the hungry. But what will we do tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that? Let there be no end to our thanksgiving for the harvest. Amen.
Monday, 17 September 2007
Parish Vision Sunday, 16 September 2007
When I arrived at college more than twenty years ago I found stuffed into my pigeon-hole (alongside summonses to see my tutor, invitations to join the Communist Party and flyers for the university Morris men) a publication called The Little Blue Book. This was full of biological and anatomical information designed to guide the innocent undergraduate through the perils and snares of the fleshpots of Cambridge in the mid-1980s (rather tame and unlikely fleshpots, it must be said). The Little Blue Book was received with derision. It treated its audience with contempt and told them nothing that they did not already know.
Today we launch our very own Little Blue Book. My hope is that it does not provoke among you the response that its similarly coloured but otherwise unrelated predecessor provoked among my contemporaries, even if the appearance of a new Vicar with a new Plan invites comparisons with (on the one hand) Stalin’s megalomaniac schemes and (on the other) the worst sort of modern management culture, all jargon and targets with nothing of merit or substance.
What our Little Blue Book, our Mission Action Plan, does is identify four priorities for the life of the Parish in the next five years, and make creative suggestions about what we might do to realize them. It is not my personal scheme. It has emerged through the combined efforts of PCC members (thanks to them) working together. It is not utterly comprehensive. There are of course areas of our life upon which it does not touch. It is not yet complete. It will need your input and approval. Finally, it is not a museum piece in waiting, to be agreed with rapture one week and then left to gather dust the next. It will be a living document, to which we return for strategic guidance, and which we will revisit and refresh whenever necessary.
It begins, of course, with worship, which is at the heart of our common life, and it sets us the challenge of offering all who come here the possibility of an encounter with almighty God. Worship can strike a spark in people’s souls; it can bring them to their knees, turn them around and send them out transformed. Different kinds of worship achieve that common end for different kinds of worshippers. We serve a diverse and eclectic community, and what this parish has learned is that one size does not fit all. Some encounter God through the fine music of this Eucharist, and some through the preaching (or they used to, at any rate). Some encounter God through the less-than-sedate welcome of the Family Eucharist and through the space that it makes for every individual, whatever their age. Both acts of worship are valid; neither is a junior partner; each plays its own part in our mission, and we must ensure continually that each is of the highest possible quality. Hence the trial change in timings of which you are already aware.
Our diversity is our strength, but so too is our unity. The Plan recommends that we should occasionally worship together as a parish family, in a new liturgy that attempts to reflect our breadth and strength, and that gives us all the new experience of belonging together. And because we believe that worship can have a profound effect upon the worshipper (and particularly worship offered in surroundings such as these) we want to look for new ways of allowing people to experience it, whether in seasonal Choral Evensong or a candle-lit jamboree for children at the beginning of Advent.
Growth in faith, the nurture of the spark that worship strikes, has a distinguished pedigree in the parish, and the Plan wants to develop it, placing a fresh emphasis on our learning instead of on your instruction. Growth in faith is not the ecclesiastical equivalent of taking up flower-arranging or acquiring a fourth classical language. It is not something done for our personal entertainment; and it is not something optional. It is an integral part of the pilgrim journey of every baptized person; it is part of our formation as the people of God, of our growing together into the full stature that our heavenly Father wishes and wills for us. An opportunity for growth is vital at every stage of faith’s journey, particularly so at its beginning, or before its beginning, in the realm of exploration and questioning. If we don’t provide those opportunities then someone else will and we will be missing a trick. This will sound familiar, but such opportunities must be different for different people: opportunities for reading and study, of course, but also for conversation and shared laughter, through our being together around a glass of wine as well as together receiving from the chalice.
If the spark is lit and if the flame is fed it will shed light all around. It will shed light on the miseries of injustice and exploitation that disfigure God’s world, and so it will pose a challenge. The third priority of the Plan is the role of our Church in the World. When Jesus returns to the synagogue in Nazareth he reads from the prophecy of Isaiah, and declares its promises fulfilled in him: release for captives, sight for the blind and liberty for the oppressed. That is our task too: the Church, I have always believed, exists to change the world, not just the condition of men’s souls. So perhaps we might become a more environmentally conscious Church, taking seriously our stewardship of creation corporately and severally. Perhaps we might better recollect our obligations to the worldwide Church through a genuine partnership with another congregation in a less affluent part of the Communion. Perhaps we might select a local project with the young or with the homeless and use our resources to make a real difference to it. Perhaps, surrounded as we are by embassies from every corner of the globe, we might play our part in the struggle for human rights and human dignity. Perhaps we might build the kingdom of heaven in Victoria and Belgravia; perhaps we might make a start, at the very least.
And undergirding everything is our fourth priority: our resources, our building, our staff and our finances. Without attention to these then all our hopes and dreams will crumble: with appropriate attention then there will be nothing that we cannot achieve in God’s name. We want to budget for year-on-year increases in our income from giving, and for year-on-year increases in our giving away. Thus will we fund the realization of our hopes, demonstrate our commitment to the self-giving way of the cross, play a full part in the life of the Diocese, and secure our future.
So let me offer you a vision of the Church that we might be a few years from now:
- a Church with more than one substantial and growing congregation, out of which vocations to accredited ministry are grown regularly;
- a Church whose liturgy and worship are a beacon for the national Church, to which pilgrims come in search of the transcendent God;
- a Church which is a centre for the spiritual growth of those who are its regular members and those who are not;
- a Church that has profound links into its geographical setting and sponsors a midweek worshipping presence in Victoria Street;
- a Church acknowledged as an agent in its community’s transformation.
Together, through the grace of God, we can make the vision a reality. Amen to that. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Sunday 16 September 2007,
Parish Vision Sunday
Today we launch our very own Little Blue Book. My hope is that it does not provoke among you the response that its similarly coloured but otherwise unrelated predecessor provoked among my contemporaries, even if the appearance of a new Vicar with a new Plan invites comparisons with (on the one hand) Stalin’s megalomaniac schemes and (on the other) the worst sort of modern management culture, all jargon and targets with nothing of merit or substance.
What our Little Blue Book, our Mission Action Plan, does is identify four priorities for the life of the Parish in the next five years, and make creative suggestions about what we might do to realize them. It is not my personal scheme. It has emerged through the combined efforts of PCC members (thanks to them) working together. It is not utterly comprehensive. There are of course areas of our life upon which it does not touch. It is not yet complete. It will need your input and approval. Finally, it is not a museum piece in waiting, to be agreed with rapture one week and then left to gather dust the next. It will be a living document, to which we return for strategic guidance, and which we will revisit and refresh whenever necessary.
It begins, of course, with worship, which is at the heart of our common life, and it sets us the challenge of offering all who come here the possibility of an encounter with almighty God. Worship can strike a spark in people’s souls; it can bring them to their knees, turn them around and send them out transformed. Different kinds of worship achieve that common end for different kinds of worshippers. We serve a diverse and eclectic community, and what this parish has learned is that one size does not fit all. Some encounter God through the fine music of this Eucharist, and some through the preaching (or they used to, at any rate). Some encounter God through the less-than-sedate welcome of the Family Eucharist and through the space that it makes for every individual, whatever their age. Both acts of worship are valid; neither is a junior partner; each plays its own part in our mission, and we must ensure continually that each is of the highest possible quality. Hence the trial change in timings of which you are already aware.
Our diversity is our strength, but so too is our unity. The Plan recommends that we should occasionally worship together as a parish family, in a new liturgy that attempts to reflect our breadth and strength, and that gives us all the new experience of belonging together. And because we believe that worship can have a profound effect upon the worshipper (and particularly worship offered in surroundings such as these) we want to look for new ways of allowing people to experience it, whether in seasonal Choral Evensong or a candle-lit jamboree for children at the beginning of Advent.
Growth in faith, the nurture of the spark that worship strikes, has a distinguished pedigree in the parish, and the Plan wants to develop it, placing a fresh emphasis on our learning instead of on your instruction. Growth in faith is not the ecclesiastical equivalent of taking up flower-arranging or acquiring a fourth classical language. It is not something done for our personal entertainment; and it is not something optional. It is an integral part of the pilgrim journey of every baptized person; it is part of our formation as the people of God, of our growing together into the full stature that our heavenly Father wishes and wills for us. An opportunity for growth is vital at every stage of faith’s journey, particularly so at its beginning, or before its beginning, in the realm of exploration and questioning. If we don’t provide those opportunities then someone else will and we will be missing a trick. This will sound familiar, but such opportunities must be different for different people: opportunities for reading and study, of course, but also for conversation and shared laughter, through our being together around a glass of wine as well as together receiving from the chalice.
If the spark is lit and if the flame is fed it will shed light all around. It will shed light on the miseries of injustice and exploitation that disfigure God’s world, and so it will pose a challenge. The third priority of the Plan is the role of our Church in the World. When Jesus returns to the synagogue in Nazareth he reads from the prophecy of Isaiah, and declares its promises fulfilled in him: release for captives, sight for the blind and liberty for the oppressed. That is our task too: the Church, I have always believed, exists to change the world, not just the condition of men’s souls. So perhaps we might become a more environmentally conscious Church, taking seriously our stewardship of creation corporately and severally. Perhaps we might better recollect our obligations to the worldwide Church through a genuine partnership with another congregation in a less affluent part of the Communion. Perhaps we might select a local project with the young or with the homeless and use our resources to make a real difference to it. Perhaps, surrounded as we are by embassies from every corner of the globe, we might play our part in the struggle for human rights and human dignity. Perhaps we might build the kingdom of heaven in Victoria and Belgravia; perhaps we might make a start, at the very least.
And undergirding everything is our fourth priority: our resources, our building, our staff and our finances. Without attention to these then all our hopes and dreams will crumble: with appropriate attention then there will be nothing that we cannot achieve in God’s name. We want to budget for year-on-year increases in our income from giving, and for year-on-year increases in our giving away. Thus will we fund the realization of our hopes, demonstrate our commitment to the self-giving way of the cross, play a full part in the life of the Diocese, and secure our future.
So let me offer you a vision of the Church that we might be a few years from now:
- a Church with more than one substantial and growing congregation, out of which vocations to accredited ministry are grown regularly;
- a Church whose liturgy and worship are a beacon for the national Church, to which pilgrims come in search of the transcendent God;
- a Church which is a centre for the spiritual growth of those who are its regular members and those who are not;
- a Church that has profound links into its geographical setting and sponsors a midweek worshipping presence in Victoria Street;
- a Church acknowledged as an agent in its community’s transformation.
Together, through the grace of God, we can make the vision a reality. Amen to that. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Sunday 16 September 2007,
Parish Vision Sunday
Tuesday, 11 September 2007
St Peter's Eaton Square Mission Action Plan 2007-20012 (proposed)
ST PETER’S EATON SQUARE
PROPOSED MISSION ACTION PLAN 2007-2012
OUR PARISH VALUES
St Peter’s Eaton Square strives to be an inclusive parish of the Church of England,
offering inspiring worship to Almighty God, deepening its discipleship
of Jesus Christ, working for his world’s transformation, and extending hospitality to all
THE PARISH MISSION PRIORITIES AGREED BY THE PCC
Ø Worship
Ø Discipleship and Evangelization
Ø Church in the World
Ø Resourcing our Mission
A: WORSHIP
1). The Eucharist on Sunday
We want the offering of worship of God to be at the heart of our common life as a parish, and we want it to offer to all who participate in it the possibility of a transforming encounter with God. We value the integrity of each of our three acts of worship on Sunday morning. We believe that each has the potential to appeal to a part of the diverse and eclectic community that we serve. We therefore propose to maintain the early morning Prayer Book Eucharist; the Family Eucharist; and the Sung Eucharist. We see these as partners, equal but different, in our offering of worship, and therefore in our mission.
Ø a). In response to the exponential growth that is occurring in the Family Eucharist, in order to create a less hurried space between the Family and Sung Eucharists, and in order to allow the clergy to spend valuable time with both congregations we propose that for a trial period the Family Eucharist should begin at 9.45 am and the Sung Eucharist at 11.15 am. The trial will begin on Sunday 28 October 2007, will run for three months and will then be assessed and evaluated, allowing the congregations the opportunity to comment.
Ø b). In response to the range of liturgical material now available we propose to review the liturgy of the Family Eucharist and the Sung Eucharist to determine how each might be enhanced and better serve the needs of its congregations.
Ø c). In response to the age (and quality) of the present Family Eucharist hymn books we will investigate the material that is now available and purchase replacements.
2). Children’s provision
Our children are part of today’s church, and we are determined to give them a good experience of church life, a proper introduction to worship, and to relate to them as full and equal partners in our common life.
Ø a). We propose the refurbishment of the Welcome Room so that it lives up to its name and provides a comfortable environment for parents and their children who need to spend a short time away from either the Family or the Sung Eucharist.
Ø b). We propose that a video link be considered so that those in the Welcome Room can follow the progress of the service in Church.
3). The Parish Eucharist
We believe in the integrity of our three acts of worship: we believe also that the people of God should learn to worship together on occasion.
Ø a). We therefore propose that three times a year the Family Eucharist and the Sung Eucharist be replaced by a Parish Eucharist at 10.30. This will be a new liturgy: with a congregational Mass setting; contributions from both our choirs; two Scripture readings; a mixed serving team, and a short homily.
Ø b). We propose that the Parish Eucharist might be celebrated at Candlemas, Petertide and Harvest Thanksgiving.
4). Additional acts of worship
We wish to provide other opportunities for worship outside the Sunday mornings with which we are familiar, to give our congregations different experiences of the church and to broaden our appeal to those who do not yet worship with us regularly.
Ø a). We are committed to the business carol service and the Good Friday workshop.
Ø b). We propose introducing a Christingle service in Advent; carol-singing in Cardinal Walk; and occasionally choral evensong. We propose introducing at least one ‘outdoor’ act of worship as an act of witness and mission, such as the beating of the parochial bounds at Rogationtide.
Ø c). We will continue to review this commitment and to introduce new opportunities for worship.
5). Miscellaneous
We would also like to propose:
Ø a). A review of the present PA system in the church, to determine whether we might be better served by its replacement;
Ø b). The recruitment of more servers, and the possibility of mixed child/adult serving teams at each of the principal Sunday Eucharists;
Ø c). The recruitment and training of more lay readers, intercessors and Lay Eucharistic Ministers.
6). Implementation
We want to establish a forum for the continuing review of our worship, a forum which will also take responsibility for overseeing the implementation of the PCC’s decisions.
Ø We therefore propose the establishment of a PCC Worship sub-committee, to be convened by one of the parish clergy. Its membership should comprise the Director of Music, the Family Eucharist organist, two lay members of the PCC and two other lay members. Its membership, remit and terms of reference should be established by the PCC and reviewed by them.
B: DISCIPLESHIP & EVANGELIZATION
1). Learning for our wider community
We want to provide as many opportunities as we can for people to cross our threshold and feel welcome among us. We want them to have a sense of belonging with us. We want to offer every opportunity for them to enquire about the Christian faith and to explore it for themselves.
Ø a). We propose the introduction of two St Peter’s Lectures each year, with speakers and topics likely to attract a wide audience. We propose that such lecture evenings incorporate an act of worship for those who would value it, and that they include a follow-up opportunity for discussion.
Ø b). We propose the introduction at St Peter’s of an introductory course on the Christian faith, such as Emmaus. We recognize that such a course will need to be repeated if it is to gain momentum and attract a following, and acknowledge that maintaining this will be a substantial commitment.
Ø c). We propose to look for other opportunities to increase learning and participation in learning. We will be mindful of our multi-layered community and its different needs, and will attempt to respond to them by, for example, running a ‘Questions children ask us’ course for parents
Ø d). We propose the development of attractive and accessible materials describing our faith and our worship that can be handed out to all who enter our building (such as concert-goers, for example).
2). Learning for our congregation
We are committed to the development of the discipleship of those who already worship with us, at whatever stage of the journey of life and faith they may be.
Ø a). We propose the use of Sunday mornings after the Family Eucharist as a time to offer parallel learning and study for adults and children. This might begin as a trial on a few specified Sundays in the year, and then grow into something more regular. It might be combined with a social occasion: a lunch/barbeque for those attending. Again, we acknowledge that this will be a substantial commitment and require considerable investment of clergy (and volunteers’ time).
Ø b). We believe that experiences of pilgrimage and retreat are valuable and will look for ways to extend these. We will offer to send Year 6 at our school on a day pilgrimage to Canterbury in the summer term, and we will offer to provide chaplaincy on their week away at Sayer’s Croft. We will incorporate an element of pilgrimage into all candidates’ preparation for confirmation. We will offer one Quiet Day out of London in 2008, and will look for an opportunity to create a day’s Family Pilgrimage as well. We will repeat the PCC retreat in 2008.
Ø c). We will not overlook the need to develop the learning of those members of our congregations whose needs will not be met either by Emmaus or by the Sunday morning learning proposal.
Ø d). We will take seriously our congregations’ need for spiritual development, looking for ways to offer teaching on prayer and the different traditions of spirituality in our faith.
3). Communicating our common life and our common faith
While we need to communicate information and make data about our life and worship available to all we need also to communicate our faith in terms that will enable others to explore it more readily.
Ø a). We want to enhance our capacity to communicate electronically. This we believe to be more environmentally friendly and more in tune with the needs and habits of those we serve. We propose the creation of a comprehensive database of e-mail addresses from those on our mailing lists
Ø b). We will seek advice on the best software available to facilitate the re-launch of our website. We will identify a person to act as webmaster; and we will identify a person (or group) who will take responsibility for editing the site’s content.
Ø c). We will seek to identify a proactive Directing Editor for the Parish Magazine, who will take responsibility for the shape and content of each month’s edition.
Ø d). We will refresh Cross Keys and re-launch it as more professional-looking item for general distribution to our community.
4). Working with young people
We believe that through our involvement with St Peter’s CE Primary School we make good provision for the needs of our children. We are conscious that with the exceptions of the Family Eucharist voluntary choir and the serving team we offer little provision for young people, either those at the secondary school transition stage, or those in their mid-teens.
Ø We will consult with the young people in our congregations and ascertain how we might better serve their needs.
5). Proclaiming the Gospel
We need to take responsibility afresh for our geographical parish and for its diverse business community, looking for opportunities to give its members a sense of belonging in their parish church, and to share the Christian faith with them.
Ø a). We will seek to establish better and closer relations with the business community in Belgravia, building on contacts and relationships that already exist and actively seeking to create new ones.
Ø b). We wish to see a visible Anglican presence in the former parish of Christ Church Westminster, and are committed to researching the demography and habits of the area and establishing a fresh expression of church there.
6). Implementation
We want to establish a body that oversees the implementation of the Discipleship & Evangelization recommendations that ultimately appear in the Mission Action Plan. This body will take on the work previously done by the Education Committee and the Information Group.
Ø We propose the creation of a Discipleship & Evangelization Committee, to be convened by one of the parish clergy. Its membership should comprise three lay members of the PCC and three other lay members. Its membership, remit and terms of reference should be established by the PCC and reviewed by them.
C: CHURCH IN THE WORLD
1). A socially conscious Church
We are mindful that when Jesus Christ addressed the synagogue in Nazareth he declared the fulfilment of Isaiah’s ancient prophecy: good news for the poor, release for captives, sight for the blind and freedom for the oppressed. We accept his imperatives as our imperatives and are determined to work for his world’s transformation and the building of the Kingdom.
Ø a). we reaffirm our target of spending 10% of total church expenditure on external causes, and will work towards this by setting intermediate targets (eg 5% by 2010, 7% by 2012, 8% by 2014)
Ø b). we will focus our giving more closely, picking one local (eg youth project) and one international cause (eg relationship with overseas community) to support over the long term; we will ensure proper communication with beneficiaries so we can respond to their bigger needs; in other giving, we will choose causes for which our level of finance will have a genuine impact
Ø c). we will attempt to integrate social action into the life of the church, eg adopting an Amnesty International prisoner of conscience or by linking with a St Peter’s in the Holy Land; we will take steps to provide petitions or action cards for people to sign at end of services and church meetings
Ø d). we will explore ways of expanding the immediate social mission of the church in the community, eg expanding our provision of vouchers as alms to the needy, volunteering at the Passage or other local charities, and by increasing support for older members of the community
Ø e). we will ensure the green audit (below) includes reference to social issues as well, eg use of fairly traded as well as green goods. We will consider a possible revival of the harvest festival Traidcraft stall
2). An environmentally responsible Church
We take seriously all threats to the health and well-being of God’s creation and wish to play our part in preserving and enhancing it for this and future generations
Ø a). we will conduct a green self-audit of the church, using one of the free kits available via the Church of England’s ‘Shrinking the Footprint’ campaign.
Ø b). we will designate one Sunday each year as Green Sunday, with appropriate teaching and resources
Ø c). we will include ‘green tips’ as a regular feature in all our communications
Ø d). we will encourage the young people of our congregations to take an active part in this work, eg by creating a 40-year time capsule to be planted in the church grounds, or by setting up a children’s/youth environmental group
Ø e). we will involve ourselves in national action on climate change, e.g. through the Operation Noah campaign or other suitable church-based action
Ø f). we will work towards a St Peter’s entry for the Green Church Awards in 2008
3). A thinking Church
We want to see these Church in the World mission priorities embedded and integral to the life of faith in our parish and not as optional extras to it
Ø a). we will communicate our social action ever more effectively, so as to engage the entire congregation and broader parish with these priorities, underlining the centrality of this action to the Christian message
Ø b). we will explore the possibility of an annual lecture/debate/dinner from (a) high-profile figure(s) on contemporary social issues
Ø c). we will ensure children’s involvement, particularly from older children, via a Junior PCC or via activities such as young persons’ debates on topical issues
Ø d). we will learn from others, actively seeking out examples of good practice in other churches and ask for input from external advisory groups where necessary
4). Implementation
We want to establish a body that oversees the implementation of the Church in the World recommendations that ultimately appear in the Mission Action Plan. This body will take on and expand the work previously done by the Mission Committee.
Ø We propose the creation of a Church in the World Committee, to be convened by a lay member of the PCC. Its membership should comprise three members of the PCC and three other lay members. Its membership, remit and terms of reference should be established by the PCC and reviewed by them.
D: RESOURCING OUR MISSION
We recognize that our parish has inherited valuable resources both material and financial. We will act as prudent stewards of these in order that God’s mission in this place may flourish and that we may achieve what we set out to achieve in his name.
1). Objectives for 2007-2012
We identify the following as key objectives for the next five years:
Ø a). we will continue to work for the long-term financial security and self-sufficiency of the Parish
Ø b). we will seek to maximize income from congregational giving; donations; investments, and; rentals
Ø c). we will fund the St Peter’s Mission Action Plan
Ø d). we will enable the Parish to contribute to the Church’s mission within and beyond the Parish and as a full participant in the Diocese of London
2). Policies and Procedures
Ø a). we will prepare, agree and implement comprehensive financial policies and procedures for the prudent management of the Parish’s assets. These policies will have as their aim maximising the Parish’s net income from all available sources; properly controlling and reviewing all costs and expenditure whilst being mindful of the Parish’s commitment to environmentally friendly and ethical policies; maintaining the value of the Parish’s capital and long-term investments and assets.
Ø b). we will prepare, agree and implement comprehensive financial procedures, which will include: regular financial reporting to the PCC; routine preparation of appropriate budgets and cash flows and, when appropriate, zero-base reviews of expenditure; regular review of all management systems and risk assessments; responsibility for staffing matters, including reviewing annual performance reviews and remuneration; following best practice in accounting and financial management
3). Giving
Ø a). we will raise congregational awareness of the Church’s finances through greater transparency and communication
Ø b). we will continue to build and encourage an effective targeted stewardship campaign, aimed at increasing congregational giving and general support for the work of the Parish
Ø c). we will agree annual targets for both congregational giving to the Parish and the Parish’s donations
4). Budgeting
Ø a). we will plan and budget for the ongoing and periodic maintenance of the Church buildings and budget to ensure that the Repair Fund is maintained at a sufficient level
Ø b). we will review rental and other income generating activities to achieve maximum net returns
5). Implementation
We want to establish a body that oversees the implementation of the Resourcing our Mission recommendations that ultimately appear in the Mission Action Plan. This body will take on and expand the work previously done by the Finance Committee. It will not act as the Standing Committee of the PCC
Ø We propose the creation of a Resources Committee, to be convened by a lay member of the PCC. Its membership should comprise three members of the PCC and three other lay members. Its membership, remit and terms of reference should be established by the PCC and reviewed by them.
PROPOSED MISSION ACTION PLAN 2007-2012
OUR PARISH VALUES
St Peter’s Eaton Square strives to be an inclusive parish of the Church of England,
offering inspiring worship to Almighty God, deepening its discipleship
of Jesus Christ, working for his world’s transformation, and extending hospitality to all
THE PARISH MISSION PRIORITIES AGREED BY THE PCC
Ø Worship
Ø Discipleship and Evangelization
Ø Church in the World
Ø Resourcing our Mission
A: WORSHIP
1). The Eucharist on Sunday
We want the offering of worship of God to be at the heart of our common life as a parish, and we want it to offer to all who participate in it the possibility of a transforming encounter with God. We value the integrity of each of our three acts of worship on Sunday morning. We believe that each has the potential to appeal to a part of the diverse and eclectic community that we serve. We therefore propose to maintain the early morning Prayer Book Eucharist; the Family Eucharist; and the Sung Eucharist. We see these as partners, equal but different, in our offering of worship, and therefore in our mission.
Ø a). In response to the exponential growth that is occurring in the Family Eucharist, in order to create a less hurried space between the Family and Sung Eucharists, and in order to allow the clergy to spend valuable time with both congregations we propose that for a trial period the Family Eucharist should begin at 9.45 am and the Sung Eucharist at 11.15 am. The trial will begin on Sunday 28 October 2007, will run for three months and will then be assessed and evaluated, allowing the congregations the opportunity to comment.
Ø b). In response to the range of liturgical material now available we propose to review the liturgy of the Family Eucharist and the Sung Eucharist to determine how each might be enhanced and better serve the needs of its congregations.
Ø c). In response to the age (and quality) of the present Family Eucharist hymn books we will investigate the material that is now available and purchase replacements.
2). Children’s provision
Our children are part of today’s church, and we are determined to give them a good experience of church life, a proper introduction to worship, and to relate to them as full and equal partners in our common life.
Ø a). We propose the refurbishment of the Welcome Room so that it lives up to its name and provides a comfortable environment for parents and their children who need to spend a short time away from either the Family or the Sung Eucharist.
Ø b). We propose that a video link be considered so that those in the Welcome Room can follow the progress of the service in Church.
3). The Parish Eucharist
We believe in the integrity of our three acts of worship: we believe also that the people of God should learn to worship together on occasion.
Ø a). We therefore propose that three times a year the Family Eucharist and the Sung Eucharist be replaced by a Parish Eucharist at 10.30. This will be a new liturgy: with a congregational Mass setting; contributions from both our choirs; two Scripture readings; a mixed serving team, and a short homily.
Ø b). We propose that the Parish Eucharist might be celebrated at Candlemas, Petertide and Harvest Thanksgiving.
4). Additional acts of worship
We wish to provide other opportunities for worship outside the Sunday mornings with which we are familiar, to give our congregations different experiences of the church and to broaden our appeal to those who do not yet worship with us regularly.
Ø a). We are committed to the business carol service and the Good Friday workshop.
Ø b). We propose introducing a Christingle service in Advent; carol-singing in Cardinal Walk; and occasionally choral evensong. We propose introducing at least one ‘outdoor’ act of worship as an act of witness and mission, such as the beating of the parochial bounds at Rogationtide.
Ø c). We will continue to review this commitment and to introduce new opportunities for worship.
5). Miscellaneous
We would also like to propose:
Ø a). A review of the present PA system in the church, to determine whether we might be better served by its replacement;
Ø b). The recruitment of more servers, and the possibility of mixed child/adult serving teams at each of the principal Sunday Eucharists;
Ø c). The recruitment and training of more lay readers, intercessors and Lay Eucharistic Ministers.
6). Implementation
We want to establish a forum for the continuing review of our worship, a forum which will also take responsibility for overseeing the implementation of the PCC’s decisions.
Ø We therefore propose the establishment of a PCC Worship sub-committee, to be convened by one of the parish clergy. Its membership should comprise the Director of Music, the Family Eucharist organist, two lay members of the PCC and two other lay members. Its membership, remit and terms of reference should be established by the PCC and reviewed by them.
B: DISCIPLESHIP & EVANGELIZATION
1). Learning for our wider community
We want to provide as many opportunities as we can for people to cross our threshold and feel welcome among us. We want them to have a sense of belonging with us. We want to offer every opportunity for them to enquire about the Christian faith and to explore it for themselves.
Ø a). We propose the introduction of two St Peter’s Lectures each year, with speakers and topics likely to attract a wide audience. We propose that such lecture evenings incorporate an act of worship for those who would value it, and that they include a follow-up opportunity for discussion.
Ø b). We propose the introduction at St Peter’s of an introductory course on the Christian faith, such as Emmaus. We recognize that such a course will need to be repeated if it is to gain momentum and attract a following, and acknowledge that maintaining this will be a substantial commitment.
Ø c). We propose to look for other opportunities to increase learning and participation in learning. We will be mindful of our multi-layered community and its different needs, and will attempt to respond to them by, for example, running a ‘Questions children ask us’ course for parents
Ø d). We propose the development of attractive and accessible materials describing our faith and our worship that can be handed out to all who enter our building (such as concert-goers, for example).
2). Learning for our congregation
We are committed to the development of the discipleship of those who already worship with us, at whatever stage of the journey of life and faith they may be.
Ø a). We propose the use of Sunday mornings after the Family Eucharist as a time to offer parallel learning and study for adults and children. This might begin as a trial on a few specified Sundays in the year, and then grow into something more regular. It might be combined with a social occasion: a lunch/barbeque for those attending. Again, we acknowledge that this will be a substantial commitment and require considerable investment of clergy (and volunteers’ time).
Ø b). We believe that experiences of pilgrimage and retreat are valuable and will look for ways to extend these. We will offer to send Year 6 at our school on a day pilgrimage to Canterbury in the summer term, and we will offer to provide chaplaincy on their week away at Sayer’s Croft. We will incorporate an element of pilgrimage into all candidates’ preparation for confirmation. We will offer one Quiet Day out of London in 2008, and will look for an opportunity to create a day’s Family Pilgrimage as well. We will repeat the PCC retreat in 2008.
Ø c). We will not overlook the need to develop the learning of those members of our congregations whose needs will not be met either by Emmaus or by the Sunday morning learning proposal.
Ø d). We will take seriously our congregations’ need for spiritual development, looking for ways to offer teaching on prayer and the different traditions of spirituality in our faith.
3). Communicating our common life and our common faith
While we need to communicate information and make data about our life and worship available to all we need also to communicate our faith in terms that will enable others to explore it more readily.
Ø a). We want to enhance our capacity to communicate electronically. This we believe to be more environmentally friendly and more in tune with the needs and habits of those we serve. We propose the creation of a comprehensive database of e-mail addresses from those on our mailing lists
Ø b). We will seek advice on the best software available to facilitate the re-launch of our website. We will identify a person to act as webmaster; and we will identify a person (or group) who will take responsibility for editing the site’s content.
Ø c). We will seek to identify a proactive Directing Editor for the Parish Magazine, who will take responsibility for the shape and content of each month’s edition.
Ø d). We will refresh Cross Keys and re-launch it as more professional-looking item for general distribution to our community.
4). Working with young people
We believe that through our involvement with St Peter’s CE Primary School we make good provision for the needs of our children. We are conscious that with the exceptions of the Family Eucharist voluntary choir and the serving team we offer little provision for young people, either those at the secondary school transition stage, or those in their mid-teens.
Ø We will consult with the young people in our congregations and ascertain how we might better serve their needs.
5). Proclaiming the Gospel
We need to take responsibility afresh for our geographical parish and for its diverse business community, looking for opportunities to give its members a sense of belonging in their parish church, and to share the Christian faith with them.
Ø a). We will seek to establish better and closer relations with the business community in Belgravia, building on contacts and relationships that already exist and actively seeking to create new ones.
Ø b). We wish to see a visible Anglican presence in the former parish of Christ Church Westminster, and are committed to researching the demography and habits of the area and establishing a fresh expression of church there.
6). Implementation
We want to establish a body that oversees the implementation of the Discipleship & Evangelization recommendations that ultimately appear in the Mission Action Plan. This body will take on the work previously done by the Education Committee and the Information Group.
Ø We propose the creation of a Discipleship & Evangelization Committee, to be convened by one of the parish clergy. Its membership should comprise three lay members of the PCC and three other lay members. Its membership, remit and terms of reference should be established by the PCC and reviewed by them.
C: CHURCH IN THE WORLD
1). A socially conscious Church
We are mindful that when Jesus Christ addressed the synagogue in Nazareth he declared the fulfilment of Isaiah’s ancient prophecy: good news for the poor, release for captives, sight for the blind and freedom for the oppressed. We accept his imperatives as our imperatives and are determined to work for his world’s transformation and the building of the Kingdom.
Ø a). we reaffirm our target of spending 10% of total church expenditure on external causes, and will work towards this by setting intermediate targets (eg 5% by 2010, 7% by 2012, 8% by 2014)
Ø b). we will focus our giving more closely, picking one local (eg youth project) and one international cause (eg relationship with overseas community) to support over the long term; we will ensure proper communication with beneficiaries so we can respond to their bigger needs; in other giving, we will choose causes for which our level of finance will have a genuine impact
Ø c). we will attempt to integrate social action into the life of the church, eg adopting an Amnesty International prisoner of conscience or by linking with a St Peter’s in the Holy Land; we will take steps to provide petitions or action cards for people to sign at end of services and church meetings
Ø d). we will explore ways of expanding the immediate social mission of the church in the community, eg expanding our provision of vouchers as alms to the needy, volunteering at the Passage or other local charities, and by increasing support for older members of the community
Ø e). we will ensure the green audit (below) includes reference to social issues as well, eg use of fairly traded as well as green goods. We will consider a possible revival of the harvest festival Traidcraft stall
2). An environmentally responsible Church
We take seriously all threats to the health and well-being of God’s creation and wish to play our part in preserving and enhancing it for this and future generations
Ø a). we will conduct a green self-audit of the church, using one of the free kits available via the Church of England’s ‘Shrinking the Footprint’ campaign.
Ø b). we will designate one Sunday each year as Green Sunday, with appropriate teaching and resources
Ø c). we will include ‘green tips’ as a regular feature in all our communications
Ø d). we will encourage the young people of our congregations to take an active part in this work, eg by creating a 40-year time capsule to be planted in the church grounds, or by setting up a children’s/youth environmental group
Ø e). we will involve ourselves in national action on climate change, e.g. through the Operation Noah campaign or other suitable church-based action
Ø f). we will work towards a St Peter’s entry for the Green Church Awards in 2008
3). A thinking Church
We want to see these Church in the World mission priorities embedded and integral to the life of faith in our parish and not as optional extras to it
Ø a). we will communicate our social action ever more effectively, so as to engage the entire congregation and broader parish with these priorities, underlining the centrality of this action to the Christian message
Ø b). we will explore the possibility of an annual lecture/debate/dinner from (a) high-profile figure(s) on contemporary social issues
Ø c). we will ensure children’s involvement, particularly from older children, via a Junior PCC or via activities such as young persons’ debates on topical issues
Ø d). we will learn from others, actively seeking out examples of good practice in other churches and ask for input from external advisory groups where necessary
4). Implementation
We want to establish a body that oversees the implementation of the Church in the World recommendations that ultimately appear in the Mission Action Plan. This body will take on and expand the work previously done by the Mission Committee.
Ø We propose the creation of a Church in the World Committee, to be convened by a lay member of the PCC. Its membership should comprise three members of the PCC and three other lay members. Its membership, remit and terms of reference should be established by the PCC and reviewed by them.
D: RESOURCING OUR MISSION
We recognize that our parish has inherited valuable resources both material and financial. We will act as prudent stewards of these in order that God’s mission in this place may flourish and that we may achieve what we set out to achieve in his name.
1). Objectives for 2007-2012
We identify the following as key objectives for the next five years:
Ø a). we will continue to work for the long-term financial security and self-sufficiency of the Parish
Ø b). we will seek to maximize income from congregational giving; donations; investments, and; rentals
Ø c). we will fund the St Peter’s Mission Action Plan
Ø d). we will enable the Parish to contribute to the Church’s mission within and beyond the Parish and as a full participant in the Diocese of London
2). Policies and Procedures
Ø a). we will prepare, agree and implement comprehensive financial policies and procedures for the prudent management of the Parish’s assets. These policies will have as their aim maximising the Parish’s net income from all available sources; properly controlling and reviewing all costs and expenditure whilst being mindful of the Parish’s commitment to environmentally friendly and ethical policies; maintaining the value of the Parish’s capital and long-term investments and assets.
Ø b). we will prepare, agree and implement comprehensive financial procedures, which will include: regular financial reporting to the PCC; routine preparation of appropriate budgets and cash flows and, when appropriate, zero-base reviews of expenditure; regular review of all management systems and risk assessments; responsibility for staffing matters, including reviewing annual performance reviews and remuneration; following best practice in accounting and financial management
3). Giving
Ø a). we will raise congregational awareness of the Church’s finances through greater transparency and communication
Ø b). we will continue to build and encourage an effective targeted stewardship campaign, aimed at increasing congregational giving and general support for the work of the Parish
Ø c). we will agree annual targets for both congregational giving to the Parish and the Parish’s donations
4). Budgeting
Ø a). we will plan and budget for the ongoing and periodic maintenance of the Church buildings and budget to ensure that the Repair Fund is maintained at a sufficient level
Ø b). we will review rental and other income generating activities to achieve maximum net returns
5). Implementation
We want to establish a body that oversees the implementation of the Resourcing our Mission recommendations that ultimately appear in the Mission Action Plan. This body will take on and expand the work previously done by the Finance Committee. It will not act as the Standing Committee of the PCC
Ø We propose the creation of a Resources Committee, to be convened by a lay member of the PCC. Its membership should comprise three members of the PCC and three other lay members. Its membership, remit and terms of reference should be established by the PCC and reviewed by them.
Monday, 10 September 2007
Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity
‘And Hogwarts…but he knew that his Horcrux there was safe, it would be impossible for Potter to enter Hogsmeade without detection, let alone the school. Nevertheless, it would be prudent to alert Snape to the fact that the boy might try to re-enter the castle…to tell Snape why the boy might return would be foolish, of course; it had been a great mistake to trust Bellatrix and Malfoy: didn’t their stupidity and carelessness prove how unwise it was, ever, to trust?’
Yes, the Vicar’s summer reading was, as this congregation would expect, irretrievably high-brow. I take comfort in the knowledge that I was not the first among you to devour Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (I am looking in the direction of two senior members of the PCC. They know who they are). In reading that particular passage to you I give nothing away, so if the book’s six hundred pages are a peak as yet unscaled you have nothing to fear. The seventh novel in the series reads as a three-cornered struggle between the hero, Harry, the arch-villain Lord Voldemort and the saintly but departed Albus Dumbledore. Yet in those few lines JK Rowling bares Voldemort’s very soul, uncovering both the originating root and the inexorable consequence of his malevolence. For Voldemort is utterly alone, consumed with a hideous vanity, and incapable of confidence in or reliance on any other living being.
Saint Paul’s letter to Philemon, one of the shortest books in the New Testament, also reads as a triangular human drama, although at that point the preacher ought to stop looking for similarities between it and the realm of Rubeus Hagrid and Luna Lovegood. The first player is Paul himself: at the time of writing an old man and a prisoner. The second is Philemon, Paul’s friend, to whom the letter is addressed; and the third is the subject of the letter and its probable bearer too, the slave Onesimus, whose Greek name means ‘useful’. Philemon has despatched his slave to care for Paul while he languishes in prison; the letter accompanies Onesimus as he returns to his master, his service of the apostle complete.
A momentous change has occurred during the time that Onesimus has spent with Paul. The slave, writes Paul, has become his child. He has become the slave’s father. Now, as Onesimus returns to Philemon, Paul urges his friend to receive him as a slave no longer, but instead as a beloved brother. Something radical has happened, something that has burst the ties of convention and habit and rendered them redundant. It is something that compels the elderly Paul to accept the pagan slave as his own child, and that compels him to ask his friend to treat Onesimus, hitherto his property, as his equal.
What has happened is spelt out by Paul in clever wordplay that no English translation can ever adequately explain. Before the change, he writes, the supposedly useful Onesimus had in fact been useless. Since the change he has begun to live up to his name by becoming truly useful. The Greek word for ‘useless’ is achristos. What is concealed from our ears is that achristos, useless, is also, a-christos, ‘without Christ’. When he was without Christ Onesimus was useless: now, writes Paul, he is truly useful. Onesimus has been baptized.
It is this that has wrought the transformation in his relations with Paul and with Philemon. His baptism means that he is no longer a heathen or a slave. He is the dear son of one; he is the brother of the other. Baptism has brought solidarity out of hierarchy. It is to this that Jesus is pointing when he addresses the multitudes in the stark terms that open this morning’s Gospel: ‘if anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and bothers and sisters…he cannot be my disciple’. In Christ a whole new set of relationships is forged: in him the unthinkable becomes the reality.
No prison walls surround us but we come together as Paul and Onesimus must have done, to baptize with water, and to break bread. And today a transformation will take place just as it did in that far-off cell. It may be difficult to discern. There are miracles, after all, and miracles. The child we baptize this morning will return home the same bundle of mischief her family knows and loves. But although the water will dry and the oil will fade the change will be real. In a few moments she will take her place as a member of the body of Christ, one with every one of us who has been baptized, one with the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Pope and the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, one with Philemon and Onesimus, one with Paul himself. And in a few years she will take her place at the altar, where the baptized recall their unity by feeding on the one bread and drinking from the one cup, those living symbols of the presence of Christ, the Christ who is the ground of their unity.
As with all good novelists, JK Rowling’s books tell us truths about ourselves and about the society we inhabit. Voldemort’s arrogant isolation spells disaster for the wizarding world, and our suspiciousness and refusal to trust, which he might applaud, spell disaster for ours, as the headlines from Liverpool and Basra and Praia da Luz attest every day. The choice before us is the choice that Moses puts to the Israelites: ‘I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live…’
In choosing the Christ we choose one another for we choose the unity and interdependence of baptism. In choosing the Christ we choose life. Amen.
Sunday 9 September 2007
Deuteronomy 30: 15-end;
Philemon 1-21;
Luke 14: 25-33
Yes, the Vicar’s summer reading was, as this congregation would expect, irretrievably high-brow. I take comfort in the knowledge that I was not the first among you to devour Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (I am looking in the direction of two senior members of the PCC. They know who they are). In reading that particular passage to you I give nothing away, so if the book’s six hundred pages are a peak as yet unscaled you have nothing to fear. The seventh novel in the series reads as a three-cornered struggle between the hero, Harry, the arch-villain Lord Voldemort and the saintly but departed Albus Dumbledore. Yet in those few lines JK Rowling bares Voldemort’s very soul, uncovering both the originating root and the inexorable consequence of his malevolence. For Voldemort is utterly alone, consumed with a hideous vanity, and incapable of confidence in or reliance on any other living being.
Saint Paul’s letter to Philemon, one of the shortest books in the New Testament, also reads as a triangular human drama, although at that point the preacher ought to stop looking for similarities between it and the realm of Rubeus Hagrid and Luna Lovegood. The first player is Paul himself: at the time of writing an old man and a prisoner. The second is Philemon, Paul’s friend, to whom the letter is addressed; and the third is the subject of the letter and its probable bearer too, the slave Onesimus, whose Greek name means ‘useful’. Philemon has despatched his slave to care for Paul while he languishes in prison; the letter accompanies Onesimus as he returns to his master, his service of the apostle complete.
A momentous change has occurred during the time that Onesimus has spent with Paul. The slave, writes Paul, has become his child. He has become the slave’s father. Now, as Onesimus returns to Philemon, Paul urges his friend to receive him as a slave no longer, but instead as a beloved brother. Something radical has happened, something that has burst the ties of convention and habit and rendered them redundant. It is something that compels the elderly Paul to accept the pagan slave as his own child, and that compels him to ask his friend to treat Onesimus, hitherto his property, as his equal.
What has happened is spelt out by Paul in clever wordplay that no English translation can ever adequately explain. Before the change, he writes, the supposedly useful Onesimus had in fact been useless. Since the change he has begun to live up to his name by becoming truly useful. The Greek word for ‘useless’ is achristos. What is concealed from our ears is that achristos, useless, is also, a-christos, ‘without Christ’. When he was without Christ Onesimus was useless: now, writes Paul, he is truly useful. Onesimus has been baptized.
It is this that has wrought the transformation in his relations with Paul and with Philemon. His baptism means that he is no longer a heathen or a slave. He is the dear son of one; he is the brother of the other. Baptism has brought solidarity out of hierarchy. It is to this that Jesus is pointing when he addresses the multitudes in the stark terms that open this morning’s Gospel: ‘if anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and bothers and sisters…he cannot be my disciple’. In Christ a whole new set of relationships is forged: in him the unthinkable becomes the reality.
No prison walls surround us but we come together as Paul and Onesimus must have done, to baptize with water, and to break bread. And today a transformation will take place just as it did in that far-off cell. It may be difficult to discern. There are miracles, after all, and miracles. The child we baptize this morning will return home the same bundle of mischief her family knows and loves. But although the water will dry and the oil will fade the change will be real. In a few moments she will take her place as a member of the body of Christ, one with every one of us who has been baptized, one with the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Pope and the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, one with Philemon and Onesimus, one with Paul himself. And in a few years she will take her place at the altar, where the baptized recall their unity by feeding on the one bread and drinking from the one cup, those living symbols of the presence of Christ, the Christ who is the ground of their unity.
As with all good novelists, JK Rowling’s books tell us truths about ourselves and about the society we inhabit. Voldemort’s arrogant isolation spells disaster for the wizarding world, and our suspiciousness and refusal to trust, which he might applaud, spell disaster for ours, as the headlines from Liverpool and Basra and Praia da Luz attest every day. The choice before us is the choice that Moses puts to the Israelites: ‘I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live…’
In choosing the Christ we choose one another for we choose the unity and interdependence of baptism. In choosing the Christ we choose life. Amen.
Sunday 9 September 2007
Deuteronomy 30: 15-end;
Philemon 1-21;
Luke 14: 25-33
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