Ordination Sermon (Isaiah 43:1-2; John 15:16)

Ordination sermon on Isaiah 43:1-2 and John 15:16
Originally given 03 July 2022 at St. Alban’s Church, Coventry

‘You are mine’ and ‘I chose you’

These are the two phrases from today’s readings that have been going through my mind for weeks. I started this sermon weeks ago, because although I’ve preached several dozen times here at St. Alban’s, I knew today would feel much different, both emotionally and ontologically.

I actually chose the readings for today, because they are special verses for me. They appeared on my ember cards from last year and this year. Last year I found great comfort in the Isaiah passage, ‘Do not fear…you are mine.’ In many ways this verse has given me the strength to get through the challenges of this year. Although anytime I read the words do not fear, or fear not, or be not afraid in the Bible, I honestly can’t help but be, at least a little bit, scared. I’m not sure if it’s like wanting to touch a hot iron that you have been told not to touch because the temptation is just too much, or if it’s more the thought process of, ‘well, I wasn’t really scared until you mentioned it!’ In any case, when these words crop up in the Bible, they are quite often followed by a reason to be scared. Whether it was Mary being told she would bear the Son of God, or Moses being chosen to lead the people of Israel, whenever God says not to be afraid, there is usually a good reason to be afraid. But in this case, the Isaiah verse tells us to not be afraid because we belong to God. 

Being an immigrant is not easy. Ten years ago I left my home country and everyone and everything I knew and eventually settled here in England. I have since become a dual British-American citizen, but sometimes there is still an internal turmoil when it comes to belonging…or not. I’m still treated as ‘other’ when I meet someone new, because they are always so curious about my accent. An accent which has faded over time because of my own insecurities about not belonging. But God says, ‘you are mine.’ Regardless of our birth certificate or passport or accent, regardless of if we came to this country on an aeroplane, or in a dinghy boat, every single one of us belongs to God. We belong to the family of God and we are all worthy of God’s love.

‘You are mine’ and ‘I chose you’.

Very often I am utterly perplexed as to why God would have chosen me for ministry. I have been known to drink more than the recommended weekly units, I often swear enough to make a sailor blush, and I find it difficult to restrain my opinions… if my mouth doesn’t say it, then my face or wardrobe choices definitely will. On top of these, what some may deem, flaws, there are many people, even today, who would suggest that I am unfit to lead and preside at a church service simply because I am a woman. After all, it’s been less than 30 years that women have been ordained to the priesthood in the Church of England, and not even a decade since the first woman became Bishop. But in spite of this, I, a drink-loving, sweary, vocally opinionated woman, was called by God. I have been appointed by God to bear abiding fruit. So what exactly is that fruit?

I suppose my abiding fruit this past year has been walking with people in their grief and sharing my own grief so they know they are not alone. It’s been preaching about social justice issues such as racism, sexism, and homophobia, and encouraging people to tackle their own prejudices in order to create a world reflecting God’s Kingdom. It’s been making deliberate and visible choices to reduce my paper usage, thereby defending God’s creation, albeit in some small way. It’s been being vulnerable about my battles with mental health and being honest about my queer identity, reflecting the diversity of God’s love and showing that God loves every part of who we are. It is terrifying to be so open about who I am, but I believe God chose me because she knew the fruit I would bear, that I would be a model of an imperfect human who is completely loved by our perfect creator.

Sometimes it is difficult to be in the Church of England. Like any institution, it has its imperfections. But I firmly believe change comes from within, which is one more reason I feel chosen for this role. To push for the change to ensure the Church embodies the greatest command to love each other as God loves us.

‘You are mine’ and ‘I chose you’.

When I began the discernment process many moons ago, I received a prayer that said, ‘it’s okay to be scared, God’s not.’ In some ways I feel like that prayer all those years ago was leading to this day, to the moment when I first preside at communion as a priest. I know I didn’t get to this point on my own. Along the way God provided support and encouragement and giants who came before me. My family, Alex, Franklin, and Andrew, have supported me from day one on this journey. Many of you will have heard me talk about Tony and Jane, and although Tony isn’t here in person, I know his spirit is with us, giving me strength to continue, and Jane is here to encourage me just as she has done for so many years. In 1994, Angela Berners-Wilson along with 31 other women were finally able to become a priest in the Church of England. These are the giants, along with our very own Reverend Lesley, on whose shoulders I am proudly able to stand today. 

I know that God does not make mistakes, and although people and institutions may put up stumbling blocks, God has a special plan for each of us. So we can go forward in the knowledge that we all belong to God. God has a place for every one of us. And I challenge you to discover what God has chosen you for. What will be your abiding fruit in this life, in the work of God’s Kingdom?

Sermon on Mark 5:21-43

Sermon on Mark 5:21-43
Given 10 November 2019 at Studley Parish Centre – Centrepoint

I am always thrilled about this time of year, because Autumn is my favourite season. Or, rather, as Americans logically call it, Fall. After all, it is the time of year when the leaves fall off the trees, and the Earth begins its preparation to fall into a winter hibernation. One aspect about this time of year that we don’t often mention though is the hope behind the dreariness of the naked trees. There is always hope, because every year we know that the fall of the leaves is not the end for the trees. As the seasons change, we are aware that the long sleep is simply part of a cycle, which always comes back to rebirth. After the fall of the Autumn, and the still of the Winter, there is restoration in the Spring.

In chapter 6 of the Gospel of Matthew, when Jesus is telling us not to worry, he uses the illustrations of the birds in the sky and the flowers in the fields. He explains that if our loving Creator God is so concerned for the well-being of these things, then of course God will take care of us too. In the same way that God cares for the created world, God will care for us and in the same way God restores the world, God will also restore us.

The video we watched based on Mark 5:21-43, shows us the restorative power of Jesus. Not only does Jesus restore health to the unnamed woman, he also restores life to Jairus’ daughter. As with any story from the Bible, there are levels to this one. On the surface, it is simply a story of healing, but on deeper inspection, it is also a social commentary on who Jesus deems worthy of healing. Spoiler alert – all are worthy in the eyes of God.

I don’t like saying the unnamed woman, so I’m going to call her Annie. Annie, who had been bleeding for twelve years, had spent all the money she had on doctors who couldn’t heal her. From this, we can infer that Annie is poor. Additionally, due to the context of that time, there is a good chance she was unmarried, as her continual bleeding would by law cause her to be unclean and anyone she touched to be unclean as well. Basically, Annie was on the fringe of her society as she was a poor, unmarried woman. But when Jesus discovered he had inadvertently healed her, he didn’t rebuke Annie. Instead, Jesus called her ‘daughter’ recognizing her as a child of God. For Jesus, even someone who would be considered an outsider is worthy of God’s magnificent, healing love. Then, after healing Annie, Jesus continued to cross gender boundaries by bringing Jairus’ daughter back to life. Gender and class are no hindrance for Jesus, and neither is sickness, or even death. This is the power of a God that can and does heal, repair, and restore, who loves everyone equally regardless of differences or societal standards of etiquette.

This power is shown through the many miracles of Jesus, but we also see healing in the name of Christ by Peter and Paul in the book of Acts. Furthermore, James 5:14 tells us “Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.” So it’s not only Peter or Paul, that can bring the restoring power of God in the name of Christ. Every single one of us is called as Christians and followers of Christ, to bring about radical restoration in the name of Jesus.

This past week in one of my lecture rooms, there were two questions written on the white board that couldn’t be erased. Though some would say it was down to someone using the incorrect marker, I viewed these questions as a nudge from God. The questions were: What will stay with you? And what will you do next?

From what I have said today, I hope the answer to the first question is the knowledge that in the name of Christ we too can heal, repair, and restore. I want your takeaway to be that there is power in the name of Jesus that we as Christians can utilise to bring about restoration in our life and the lives of others. I believe this leads naturally on to the second question of what your next steps will be, the answer of which is summarised perfectly in the mission for our Arden Marches group of churches: Bringing God’s love to a hurting world.

As we prepare to go gather around the cenotaph and remember the hurt, the brokenness, the destruction caused by war, let us find comfort in the ability of God’s power in us to heal, in Christ’s love in us that repairs, and in the capacity of the Holy Spirit in us to bring all things in and of creation to restoration. Amen.