The Presentation of Christ in the Temple

Hebrews 2.14-16; Luke 2.22-40

Today we come to the official end of the Christmas season and to the turning point in the Church's year that takes us in the direction of Passiontide and Easter. And we shall mark that especially towards the end of the service with our now traditional procession to the font, the place of our initiation into the Body of Christ and our own dedication to God.

The reading from Hebrews this morning reminds us in its own way about God's incarnation in Jesus Christ and what that means for us and our relationship with God through Jesus. It reminds us that Jesus was like one of us, really and actually. Although we believe him to be God he was a real human being exactly like us. And because of that his suffering on the cross, his sacrifice bridged the gap between us and God so that our relationship with God was renewed and restored for all time. A new covenant was made, once and for all. This could not have happened if God had not come in human flesh. Without Christmas there can be no salvation.

And the gospel reading, in a way, highlights the fact that Jesus is truly human but also God and God's anointed one. His parents bring him to the Temple to perform their religious duty as they would with any child of theirs and being their first born he is specially dedicated to God as their religion prescribes. So that's an acknowlegement from the human side. But then we see Simeon, prompted by the Holy Spirit to recognise Jesus as belonging to God in a special way. It has echoes of John the Baptist, still developing in Elizabeth's womb, moving when Mary comes to visit her cousin. And then John in his ministry recognising Jesus without having to ask who he is. The Holy Spirit is already working in and around Jesus. And the prophet Anna too, recognises Jesus as the one to redeem Israel. And we are reminded that St. Paul says that you cannot call Jesus Lord, except by the Holy Spirit working in you. So we see the Holy Spirit working in all these encounters that people have with Jesus, the better for us and everyone else to be convinced about him.

But we aren't convinced that Jesus is God solely by the words of other people. There's much more to belief and faith in God than that. In our baptism we are dedicated to God and much more than that we are baptised into the life of Jesus. We become, in our baptism, part of the Body of Christ. By the Holy Spirit, given in baptism we are able, by God's grace to live in relationship with him all our life, to receive the gifts of the Spirit that God deigns to give us, and bear the fruit of the Spirit.

But, the way that most people look at baptism is that once it's done that's it, they've got their child's passport stamped, they need not fear for the child's eternal salvation and it can all be left at that. And sadly, many so called committed Christian, church going people believe that too. They think that leading a good life is simply enough for salvation. Well, unfortunately that's very far from the truth. If it was the truth we need not come to church, we need not confess our sin during every service, we need not forgive or be forgiven, we need not worship God at all. No, baptism is simply the start of a relationship in which we are to respond to God's grace by doing the work on ourselves that makes us daily more like Christ himself, who was without sin. Jesus said to his disciples, 'be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect', and he meant it. We are to strive to perfection, to work out our salvation in fear and trembling as St. Paul says.

And why does this not happen, why do people not respond to their baptism in this way, and strive to be perfect as Jesus commanded? Well I do believe it's that these days there is no fear of God and therefore no feeling of the need for love of God either. We are 'dead in our trespasses and sins' as St. Paul so eloquently put it in his letter to the Ephesians. And we are content to be dead because being dead doesn't take any effort at all. But the realisation of that can be the starting point for God's grace to work in us. As I said, today we turn to look towards Passiontide and Easter, our greatest festival. And just as Jesus was resurrected to life more glorious by the grace and power of God, so we are called to be resurrected from our death in trespasses and sins to the glory of life in Christ through the power and grace of God working in us now, today.

Each one of us here today who has been baptised has been specially dedicated to God and been given the gift of the Holy Spirit. As we turn from Christmas and look to Easter, now is the time to let God's grace work in you by striving to conform to His commandments to love Him and our neighbour, to make His will your will, to repent and believe the gospel.

Second Sunday of Epiphany

1 Corinthians 12.1-11; John 2.1-11

We are continuing the Epiphany season, following the readings, which help us to see how Jesus reveals God to us and how God is revealed through Jesus, in the world. And so we come today upon the first miracle that Jesus did in his ministry, the turning of water into wine at the wedding in Cana. And also we think about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. You'll find that we'll think about something similar - the fruit of the Spirit, during the Summer time, spoken of again by St. Paul. Taken together, the gifts of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit do indeed show forth the power and presence of God in the world being made manifest through us, Jesus's disciples. Or so is God's intention as we come closer to Him and live a Spirit filled life. How that comes about is probably a better subject for Lent. But as something to whet your appetite with respect to that just the first of two short sentences to take away with you today. 'The purpose of the Christian life is to become by grace what God is by nature'. I picked that one up last Friday, listening to a presentation about the teaching of a recent Russian saint, St. Seraphim. And I think that sums up what the work of a Christian is in this world, on a personal level. We talk about becoming Christ like as we draw closer to Him and as His teaching takes effect in our life, as it takes our life over. But we have to do some work for that to happen, and again that's probably a better subject for Lent as we talk about such things as repentance. But I'd like you just to hold on to that sentence - 'The purpose of the Christian life is to become by grace what God is by nature.'

So, what are we here for? That's probably the biggest question that we can ask ourselves. And I'd like to answer it with the second sentence it would be good for you to keep hold of this morning. The first (I think) article of the Westminster Confession says that 'The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him for ever.' I was told, at theological college that it was St. Thomas Aquinas who coined that phrase first. Maybe the person who told me that just wished it was, as the Westminster Confession, I understand, is a Presbyterian confession. Well, whoever said it first St. Thomas Aquinas or John Knox, it's not a bad answer to the question. And that's because it puts God first and humankind in relation to Him and at the same time expresses our ultimate purpose in terms of giving to God but getting something positive in return for ourself, which isn't a bad deal. So on these terms, all we are and do in life is meant to point to God and to speak of Him in the best terms. That's how Jesus lived His life, that's what His miracles were about, one of which we've read of today. They weren't so much about Jesus as about His heavenly Father, about His power and His presence in life right there at the time, and working in and through Jesus. And as I've reminded us many times before, Jesus Himself said to His disciples that they would do the same and much more besides.

It wasn't easy for people to see or apprehend God's presence in their lives even when Jesus was around, that's why He was asked so many questions and why people doubted so much. And it's not easy to see God now, at least for those who are spiritually blind; and all of us are to one degree and another. That's where repentance comes in. And we have the example of St. Paul who, having been struck blind physically, when he repented, was able to see in both a physical and also a spiritual sense. Repentance though, needs a special sort of work on our part, a special attention and application if it is to bear fruit. Jesus demanded this of people. That's why He didn't, by and large, explain His parables, He just let them sit with people. And that's why He didn't do miracles in the hope that people would believe, because He knew it was pointless. He knew that an extraordinary happening didn't prove anything and that people wouldn't necessarily believe He was the Son of God because of them. If the parables did anything it was point to the glory of God. You might recall that Jesus prayed that the raising of Lazarus would say something about God's glory and He prayed for nothing more than that, either for Himself or for Lazarus's relatives and friends.

So from these events in Jesus's own life it comes home to us that our lives are first and foremost for the purpose of the telling of God's glory and so that others might be drawn to God in faith and love. And we can only do that if we have the relationship with God intended for us before the fall of Adam, one to which we continually turn throughout our lives in repentance and in the acquisition of the Holy Spirit and thereby our lives are gifted by God and bear the fruit of the Spirit. And you might say then that the whole of our life is an offering to God, a continual sacrifice in that sense to God. And that sacrifice is offered in many different ways and especially when we gather together in worship to offer our sacrifice of thanks and praise to God, as the wise men offered their gifts. We offer, in the same way, our lives back to God as gifts to Him and symbolically and actually in our worship, as well as before and after we come together in worship.

And with that in mind I'd just like to take a moment to mention our worship generally and our worship at St. Andrew's in particular. As someone who's experienced different forms of worship all within the Anglican Church it's made me realise that different people express their love of God differently. They also see and hear God in different ways in worship, more readily in some ways than in others. And that has led me to work towards our having a choice of different styles of worship here at St. Andrew's, all set within our received tradition, which is eucharistic and traditionally choral. Many churches have the same act of worship every Sunday and those coming to it have to accept that. These days I think that people tend to look for what is pleasing to them and are easily 'turned off' by what doesn't suit them. I think there's a tension there. It's not always good to have a choice, because worship, if it's symbolic of the Christian life of offering and sacrifice, isn't always about doing what we like to do, it's about offering our best to God; and that isn't always easy or pleasant. But worshipping God should also be a joy in a more rounded sense which includes from time to time feelings of joyfulness and happiness. And we also need to remember that those feelings arise for different people in different ways, so that for one it will mean a less formal, more simple act of worship, while for another a more formal and ceremonial and stylised form of worship.

And with that in mind we have been working towards providing different styles of worship here at St. Andrew's. So at 10.45 on the first Sunday we have the Service of the Word, on the Second Sunday we have the Young Generations Sunday Slot. On the third Sunday we have our normal 'standard' parish eucharist which is very relaxed and also on the fifth Sunday when there is one. At 9.00 a.m. we have a similar eucharist on the 1st and 3rd Sundays and a said Communion service on the 2nd and 4th Sundays. The 9.00 a.m. Holy Communion services and the 3rd Sunday at 10.45 are the core of the tradition here at St. Andrew's around which the other services have been developed. And with that in mind starting next week, to provide a contrast to the other less formal services we will be introducing at 10.45 what might be termed a 'higher', more anglo-catholic style of Eucharist. The choir will take a more prominent part in the leadership, the service will have more ritual and ceremonial. There will be three Bible readings, a gradual psalm as well as a gospel hymn and anthem and a new setting of the Gloria etc. We will also be using incense (in a light touch way) and bringing back the sanctuary bell. So as I said, this service will contrast with the other less formal services and I hope people will come and experience this and join in especially if you haven't experienced anything like it before and especially if you have experienced it and not felt it to be 'your thing'. I'd like you to come and 'give it a go' in your own familiar surroundings and in a way that is being developed for this particular church. The choir and the servers especially are working hard to make it their own best offering.

All our worship should be our best, no matter in what style it is presented and offered to God. All of our worship leads us further into the mystery of God - immortal, invisible, almighty, omnipotent, omnipresent; yet Father, abba, one to whom we can talk as to a familiar friend as Moses did with God. When we come to worship, no matter what form it takes, we stand on Holy ground, where we are bidden to take off our shoes as Moses was before the burning bush, and to avert our eyes as he did when God passed before him. Worship is serious stuff, a duty to God, yet a joy and delight and something that we can't wait to do. And so of itself our worship should show forth God, to His glory, first and foremost, because it's not what we take away with us from worship that's important, but, like the wise men, what we bring to God and what we offer. And what more can we bring but the whole of our self and the whole of our life, no matter how broken, because it's in the offering of our lives in worship that God is glorified and we receive the enjoyment of a healed, transfigured and redeemed body, soul, mind, spirit and life.

Epiphany of the Lord

Ephesians 3.1-12; Matthew2.1-12

Today we celebrate the visit of the wise men to Jesus, which the Church in the West has taken to think especially about what it also calls, the Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles. And so this part of the season around the birth of Christ is used to think about mission and Christian unity. What I'd like to do today though is simply to look at this part of the story and consider it in the same terms that we considered the first part of the nativity story, the birth of Christ and the visit of the shepherds. When we were thinking about that at Christmas I asked that we might come to the story not so much with our rational minds but with our hearts and in faith; to try and put our doubts to one side let God speak to our hearts through it and thereby perhaps to hear Him speak to us in ways we haven't heard Him speak to us before. I can't tell you what to expect when you do that, only you will know how you respond to God in the story of Jesus' birth. And I think maybe we can look at the story of the wise men to help us consider the sorts of ways we might respond and what sorts of things might happen when we do just that, when we open our hearts, in faith to God in this Christmas story.

First of all the wise men saw the sign indicating the birth of a new king of the Jews. They must have been open to seeing the sign, must have had some sort of anticipation, expecting to see something of importance in their surroundings. Maybe looking at the stars was part of their own religion, it must have been part of their culture and an important part at that. It leads me to ask whether or not we are as open to God in what we see around us. Do we see God not just in the Church but outside it too and even in the most unlikely places. When we think of the people and places that Jesus himself met with and how shocking that was to His own people, we can expect God to show up in least likely places.

The wise men looked for the sign, then recognised it, then followed it, in faith. Again we see faith coming into the story as we did with Mary and Joseph and the shepherds as they responded in faith to what they heard the angels telling them. We can ask ourselves, even if we see the signs of God around us in people, in the things we see and hear, in places, do we ask ourselves if there's a message in there for us, do we respond to what we see and hear in faith, and follow whatever it is we have seen and heard? How often do we come to Church especially and hear the gospel week by week read to us, explained to us and lived out in front of us by others and simply continue in the way we've always been rather than being challenged and changed by it?

And then the wise men set out on a journey, a long and difficult journey, to find the king whose sign they'd seen. The journey to God, the spiritual journey can be a long and difficult one. It's a journey that lasts a life time because we can never ever get to know God fully. There's always something new to learn, there's always another avenue to walk down, always another corner to go around. And it's a journey of self discovery and change. As we get to know God, the challenge to us to become like Christ gets more and more tough. It never gets easier. It's usually easiest in the beginning. God seems to give us all sorts of consolations and encouragements at first. But faith is faith and in order to develop faith we have to put more and more trust in God and less in ourselves. In that way we give up ourselves and become more like God. That's what Jesus meant when He said those who lose their life for my sake gain it. And it's easy to get side tracked, especially in the Church. We can so easily get involved in Church business and think we are doing the business of the spirit. And then we delude ourselves into thinking that because we do so much Church business we must be right with God, when all along we've not taken one step in the business of the spirit and we can, indeed, end up being less like Christ than we were when we first started doing Church business many years before. And that can apply to clergy just as much if not more than to lay folk.

There's always the challenge of the self you see. There's that self which is the Herod in us that is so threatened by God taking the place of it that it actively seeks to destroy God in us and all inclination toward God in us, one devious and not so devious way and another. So we have to be constantly on our guard against the deceit of the self if we are to continue the journey towards God in any positive way.

And when we finally get there, the meeting with God is one of offering. And that's because, on the way, with all the other things we've left behind, we've left our self interest behind and we find that all we have to offer to God is thanksgiving and the whole of our life. The gifts the wise men brought were of the best they had. But notice that they were material gifts. We are being called by God to give the one thing the wise men didn't give and that was each of their lives. The wise men went back to their own country. They went back, after their visit to the life they had before. They would undoubtedly have been changed by the journey, but they nevertheless went back. Our spiritual journey has not turning back. God is the destination and our self is the offering we bring. And that's where we stay.

The journey and visit of the wise men shows us so much about our journey to God and what it involves. And this season is a time to dedicate and rededicate ourselves to the journey, no matter how long, no matter how hard, no matter what the consolations and joys.