Sermon – Sunday 10th August 2008
Elijah and Peter
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Amen
Two men with something in common – one a great leader and a prophet who has challenged Israel’s lack of faith and idolatry and the other one who will become a great leader of the church - both lose faith, both have a crisis of faith and in many ways want to give up.� The work has got to them, Elijah fears for his life and wants to die and probably in today’s terms he is reactively depressed or stressed –and �for Peter, whatever the storms around are, they distract him so much from Christ’s calling and looking at Christ that almost literally he goes under.
But let’s have a look at both of them
Elijah the great prophet of the Old Testament challenges the prophets of Baal and the false worship that Israel has subscribed to under Ahab. Elijah calls them to a contest on Mount Carmel to prove that the God of Israel is God alone and the idols the priests of Baal worship is no god at all. Following the content Elijah puts the enemies of the God of Israel to death and then when Jezebel finds out she plans to kill Elijah so he runs frightened. Elijah is depressed and exhausted but he runs into the wilderness away in the opposite direction from where he has seen the power of God, and he hides under a broom tree and wants to die. �In the bible the wilderness is the place of barrenness, it is harsh and remote and a place where one goes to hide from god and from others and yet it is in the same wilderness that Moses meets God in the burning bush and the children of Israel struggle for a period of 40 years and where Christ goes for 40 days prior to commencing his public ministry. The wilderness is a place of pain, struggle and temptation but a place where strength is renewed in God if we are prepared to go through it.
As Elijah sleeps he is awoken by an angel on two occasions and compelled to eat and is told that the journey is long and too much for him – it is journey of (yes you guessed it) 40 days and so he sets of to the mountain of God. At Mount Herbed he finds a cave and whilst seeking solace there God asks him “what are you doing here”. Elijah you are meant to be elsewhere – you are meant to be in the front line of the battle. Elijah talks of his pain and the fear he has for his life and the belief that he has no friend and is the only faithful one left and now Ahab wants to kill him. God tells Elijah to stand on the mountain for God is about to pass by. Wind shattering rocks, Earthquake and fire all happen but God is not in them. God is not in the noise and the clamour of the hassles all around, God is not in that which can destroy and wreck. God is not in the emotional distress that Elijah feels is pulling his world apart.
Then comes a gentle whisper and Elijah knows it is God. The gentle whisper that speaks into Elijah’s very being that holds him and gives him courage to go on back into the battle. Once again Elijah is asked what is he doing here and God sends him back with renewed strength to the fight to do that which he has been called to do. In the Holy Gospel the disciples set of to the other side of the lake without Jesus as he dismisses the crowd. In the middle of the night as they are buffeted by the waves, they see a shadowy figure walk over the water and they are terrified. They think it is a ghost. Again the storms represent the things that are beyond our control and can destroy and the ghost is their worst fears. Alone and afraid they don’t know what to do. But the irony of this is that the thing they fear most – is Christ. He is coming to them and yet they are frightened, maybe because they don’t expect him or because they have never seen him do this before and it challenges their preconceived ideas about Christ.
Jesus tells them to take courage, don’t be afraid, it is I, Peter, in faith or almost in a “prove it” sort of way says “lord if it is you tell me to come to you on the water. And at the lord’s bidding Peter gets out of the boat and walks towards him. But when he sees the wind and the effect of it or when the noise and the clamour distract him and he realises what he is doing he starts to sink and cries out – Lord save me and Jesus reaches out a hand down to where peter is and restores him.
Two stories – two people with good intentions attacked and buffeted and both going under. Yet both have been called to serve. The prophet is called by God and anointed to challenge - to foretell and forth tell and in doing so a prophet is never popular – in fact if you know a person who is a prophet they can be a right pain. The prophet brings the people of God to account by delivering God’s message of hope and words of rebuke.� The disciple is called to be with Christ wherever he may lead, to learn from God and to be a shepherd of the people of god. �Both have been strong and have been called and both as a result of going out in faith feel beleaguered and think it is all over.� Yet God had called them to ministry and to mighty tasks, not to introspection and depression. �Elijah after his wobble goes back and challenges King Ahab about his idolatry and sin and greed which ultimately leads to murder and calls Ahab to repent before God. At the end of his ministry because he doesn’t give up Elijah is afforded the honour of being taken up into heaven in a whirlwind with angels and chariots. Peter has a few more trials to come but in the power of god he becomes the man who God has called him to be and he transforms a small frightened group into the church of Christ.
Wilderness periods are necessary for it is out of the trials and pain of the wilderness when all seems to be lost that we hear the small voice of God and the hand that lifts us up back onto firm ground so that we can continue in the ministry to which we have been called.�
St John of the cross calls it – the dark night of the soul and the psalmist asks the question “why are you downcast oh my soul” and then says “still trust in God”. �We need the feeling of uncertainty in order to hear the word of God and to re-evaluate where we are and time and again God calls his people into the wilderness when we fail to hear his word. The wilderness is where the distractions of life cease and we are alone with God - where he calls us to listen. This is why our daily devotions are so important so that we as the people of God can hear God speaking in the still small voice. (as an aside if you don’t use daily bible reading notes can I commend them to you and can recommend some helpful ones).
As I have reflected on these two passages I realised that there is something about the wilderness period that we all must experience –struggle and despair is part of our faith. The highs and lows, the mountain tops and the wades’, the valley of the shadow of death and the table prepared for us.� It comes with being a people of faith who are not static but on a journey. We need to feel at times that all that is dear is crumbling about in earthquake, wind and fire and have the unsettling feeling – but it is only destructive if we fail to listen to the still small voice of God and what God is calling us to be. In our world or in our land or within the church we might feel despair about what is going on, and want to sit under a broom tree and hope to die but as we listen to God and seek him in prayer there is a realisation that we are called to be the people of God in this and every generation. Yesterday afternoon I watched the film “Chariots of Fire” the first thing that struck me was the relay race and the passing on the baton. It requires skill on both parts – Elijah is told to go and anoint Elisha who will succeed him and we are called to pass on that which has been entrusted to us and as the parish church here in Soho we have a responsibility to faithfully hand on the word of life to future generations - but the other thing that was more powerful was the story in this film of Eric Liddel, the Scottish Christian missionary who faced so much opposition because he would not run on the Sunday. He stood the criticism and I’m sure he felt like Elijah under the broom tree yet God honoured him as on a different day he ran the 400m race and won gold.
Like Peter, Christ calls us from the safety of the boat to trust him - It might mean we have to get our feet wet and we might even start to sink – but if we don’t step out in faith there is always the possibility that the boat will sink.
As we read and hopefully reread these two passages let us see the hope contained in them. Even the great and the godly despair , want to give up and go under so we have something good to model ourselves on– but in the strength of God� we keep on going knowing that no matter how difficult the battle is, God speaks in the still small voice and assures us that there is glory and a future. �
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Amen
The Rector�s First Sermon � Sunday 5th May 2008. �When I was nine my mother bought me a little electronic organ and instead of a proper seat we had this tall three legged stool I used to sit on to play. It was great and comfortable when you were nine and I saw it as my little seat � no one else used it and I felt as if it was something that was truly mine. One day when I was playing my aunt came to visit, at that stage she would have been in her late sixties, and when she came into the lounge she came over to the electronic organ, plonked herself down on the stool with the hope of playing but hadn�t realised that it was three legged nor had she got her balance and so she ended up on the floor in a very ungraceful way - much to her annoyance and our amusement. The stool remained intact but her dignity wasn�t. Now there is a moral when you are going to use a three legged stool, that you make sure all the legs are on the floor and that the weight above on the seat is equally placed. If not, disaster happens. And disaster happened in such a spectacular way. Today you have a new Rector � and I�m sure maybe some of you are wondering where St Anne�s will go?� My elderly aunt would have done well to look first, listen and check out before jumping onto something that she didn�t know about and it is my intention to look and listen so there will be no immediate changes, although change may happen as with each of us we have different ways of doing things. I have no plans to take St Anne�s away from what it has been to become something new � it is the parish church and as such it is in the heart of the community and anyway why fix something when it isn�t broken. There will be things that as I look around with fresh eyes will change � but I prefer change to happen slowly rather than for the sake of putting my stamp on � to do something like that is the way to certain disaster. Secondly as Rector it is my job to keep all the feet on the floor, whilst you can swing on a 4 legged chair, you can�t swing on a three legged stool � all the feet must be on the floor. There are many different groups and potential conflicts in any congregation and in St Anne�s as much potential for conflict due to the diversity of the congregation and the area. We have the old Soho community residents, the gay community, the theatres, the businesses, the Chinese community, the worshippers - those who live locally or those who travel in and the school - there is such a mix and from this area we have an eclectic congregation. Now with these different sets, there is potential to think �Oh he is more interested in the old people�. Or �the gays� or �the school�, but the bishop has entrusted the cure of souls which is both his and mine and that includes all. It is not my intention to favour one group more than others or have special friends - It is my job with Simon, the wardens and PCC to ensure that all those legs are on the floor and they must all receive equality. I want to see St Anne�s grow and flourish � and to continue to welcome all to this place no matter who they are or what their background is. The welcome you give here is the welcome of Christ and the welcome that all churches should give. The other thing about a three legged stool is that it takes lots of confidence to sit on it in a steady manner � one wobble and everything can come tumbling around you and you end flat on your back with legs in the air. As your Rector you need to know this is new territory for me � I have never been a Rector before. I have only been a Curate. So officially I have been a trainee and whilst I managed a parish last year during my training incumbent�s extended illness and whilst I did all the work, the responsibility was someone else�s. There is the story of the swan that looks so graceful on top of the water but underneath it is kicking and splashing for all of its worth � I have to say I know that feeling at this moment in time. It is scary. All you have to do is think how nervous I looked last week during the legal parts of the service and you will see that I was terrified especially kneeling in front of the bishop. I will make mistakes. There will be times I get it wrong. There will be times that like the new Mayor of London I will stumble in full public view and it may get a laugh or people might think �what a clown� � sometimes my mistakes will be out of good motives and I hope they will never be malicious or from uncaring motives � this is a big job � the last incumbent had 9 yrs or so to practice getting it right and may have failed at times � so give me time. Allow me to make mistakes and rather than smile and say �I told you so� � lets look and see where we go from here. Sometimes when a new Rector arrives in post �people will think I don�t like him or her and I�m leaving � one of my closest friends in Danbury when she first met me at a meeting thought � I�ll not like him, but after a pastoral encounter and she realised I was able to be the priest that she needed her views changed.� All I ask from you as my congregation is that we both give each other a good period of time to get to know each other. And if anyone needs to chat, the Rectory door is open � lift the phone or ring the bell and lets have a chat and I will want to come and visit you in the parish (always open for invites!). So where does this leave us today then - In the holy gospel (John 17: 1-11) Jesus prays for all who follow after him � that is us he is praying for � just before he dies his concern is for us. His prayer is not for himself �but that they may have eternal life and he says this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent�. At this new beginning � my prayers may be many things but if it is not that we grow in the knowledge and love of God and his son Jesus Christ then as your Rector and priest I have failed in this place. Jesus continues, I pray for them. �I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name�the name you gave me�so that they may be one as we are one�. At this new beginning we need to be one body � not because the Rector wants it but unity is what Christ prayed for his church. My desire here is that this church shows unity amidst our diversity and that we show Christ�s love to the church. To this area and as wide as it shall go. As we remain in the world serving God in this area may we know the oneness that He gives. The seat of the three legged stool is useless without the legs. The legs are useless on their own � only together are we one as Christ intends us to be and together we work for the kingdom of God. May God bless you as we get to know each other and grow in Him. Amen � �