Homily on St. Andrew (Matthew 4:18-22)

Homily for St. Andrew’s Day
Originally preached 02 December 2021 at St. Alban’s Church, Coventry

This past Tuesday the Church celebrated St. Andrew’s Day. I have a bit of a soft spot for St. Andrew, for one because my second-born shares his name. But also, much like my second-born, I think St. Andrew tends to get overshadowed by his more popular brother, St. Peter, otherwise known as Simon Peter. Most Christians know Simon gained the name Peter because Jesus said, ‘on this rock I will build my Church,’ and Peter is the Greek name for rock. Many Christians can also recall Simon Peter being told he would become a fisher of men, a play on words of his profession, a fisherman. But I think a lot of us forget that Andrew was there in the background, and from the reading today we hear that he too was a fisherman and called to be a fisher of people. According to the Gospel of John, it was actually Andrew who was first a disciple of Jesus, and it was Andrew who sought out his brother and told Simon Peter they had found the Messiah, or the Anointed One. Many of us will recall Peter’s lack of faith in denying Christ three times before the cock crowed, but Andrew was one of the first to recognise Jesus Christ for who he was. And in bringing this good news to his brother, it could be said that Andrew was not only the first disciple, but also the first recorded missionary.

After Jesus died, Andrew continued to spread the Gospel around the Black Sea and Asia minor, which is why he is the patron Saint of Ukraine, Romania, and Russia. But he is also the patron saint of Scotland, which is why Scotland’s flag is the St. Andrew’s Cross. You may notice that the cross on the Scottish flag looks a bit different from the cross on which Christ was crucified. Once again, many will know that St. Peter insisted on being crucified upside down because he felt unworthy to be crucified the same way as Jesus, but I’m sure few will know that St. Andrew insisted on the diagonal cross for the same reason.

St. Andrew is in many ways an aspirational figure for Christians today. He trusted in Jesus and followed him before anyone knew his name, he brought the message of Christ to both his loved ones and those far and wide, he quietly got on with his mission, always recognising that he was not as great as Christ Jesus. In the end, St. Andrew was crucified because he refused to stay quiet about the Good News of Jesus Christ and he humbly took his place as a martyr, making himself less than the crucified Christ on what has become known as the St. Andrew’s cross. I think in some ways Andrew is more relatable than his famous brother, because he  didn’t have an official title, and he is so often overlooked, yet he showed the love of Christ in every day life. May we have the courage of St. Andrew, to proclaim the Gospel even if we’re told to keep quiet, and the humility of St. Andrew to always put Christ first. 

Sermon on Acts 3:11-26

Sermon on Acts 3:11-26
Given 11 July 2021 at St. Alban’s Church, Coventry

When I first read today’s passage, I noticed two obvious themes. The first is the power in the name of Jesus, and the second is recognising who we are as descendants of God’s family. I must say, I was quite pleased that my first sermon with you would be seemingly straightforward. But then I watched Barney’s sermon from last week and discovered that he had already touched on those themes.

So, I had to decide whether to take the easy path and simply repeat the things that had already been explored, or to go down a different avenue all together.

Obviously, even if I did the same topics, I would say things a bit differently, if for no other reason than because of my accent. But those who know me well will tell you that I rarely take the easy route. So that left me to ponder what else we could gain from this passage.

To recap last week’s reading leading into this week, Peter and John had come across a beggar on the street who was unable to walk, and instead of giving him money as was expected, they healed him through the power of the name of Jesus. They were surrounded by people who saw this healing miracle, so Peter took advantage of the situation and began speaking to the crowd around them. This brings us to this week’s passage where Peter accuses the people of rejecting and even killing Jesus. Now, at this point, I feel compelled to remind you of who exactly this Peter guy is.

This is the same Peter who Jesus refers to at one point in the gospel  of Matthew as ‘Satan’ and a ‘stumbling block’. This is also the Peter who denied Christ not once, not twice, but three times before his trial and crucifixion. In short, here is a very flawed man, an imperfect follower of Christ who goes on to criticise a crowd of people for not recognising Christ. Some might suggest he is a hypocrite for these actions. And yet, despite all his flaws and imperfections, Jesus not only calls Peter to be a disciple, he also said to Peter, ‘on this rock I will build my church.’ So though we who claim to follow Christ may easily criticise and condemn Peter, we worship a perfect and forgiving God who embraces us even with our flaws.

And I am sure we can all relate to the imperfect humanity of Peter. I am sure we have all, at some point in our lives, denied Christ. Speaking for myself, in my days of searching for faith, I insisted I was spiritual, not religious. This was a denial of Christ. I have also been known to walk straight by beggars on the street without so much as a sideways glance. This, too, is a denial of Christ. I have many times kept silent in the face of racism, sexism, homophobia, and all other forms of prejudice. This is undoubtedly a denial of Christ who taught us, ‘whatever you did to the least of these, you also did to me.’

But I believe in the redemptive grace of Christ who allows for second and third and seventy-seventh chances. So I did return to Christ like the prodigal Son and was welcomed with the loving embrace of a perfect Father. I have prayed with a homeless man on the street and donated to homeless charities. I have called out racism, sexism, homophobia and all the other ‘isms’ and ‘phobias’ that are a scourge on this earth and I have dedicated myself to rooting out the structural sin in my thoughts, words, and deeds. Because when Peter accuses the crowd of rejecting and killing Jesus, we must recognise that we too are part of that crowd. When we do not love our neighbour as ourselves, we re-crucify Christ. When we are complicit in institutional injustices, we re-crucify Christ.

This can all seem very overwhelming. Because as humans, we are bound to get things wrong and make mistakes. But that’s okay, because as followers of Christ, we have hope. Peter says in today’s passage that Jesus Christ will ‘bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.’ It is not always easy to own up to our flaws but at least recognising when we get things wrong is a step closer to Jesus Christ.

At the beginning of today’s passage, Peter saw the crowd gathering, he took notice and took advantage of the situation to proclaim the Gospel. With this being my first sermon here at St. Alban’s, I would also like to take advantage of the situation to proclaim my manifesto of sorts, and I hope you will indulge me on this tangent. Jesus taught us that, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind,’ and ‘you shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ These are the greatest commandments and the core of the Gospel message. In other words, the Good News of Christ Jesus is love. In my ministry and my life I will endeavour to show the love of Christ in all that I say and do. And I pray that each of you hold me accountable to this promise. Not only will I seek to model the love of Christ, I will also take every possible opportunity to remind each and every one of you, my sisters and brothers, that you are a beloved child of God and there is nothing that can separate you from the love of our awesome Mothering Father. 

I end my tangent with a challenge to you, inspired from today’s reading. Peter saw the crowd and took advantage of the opportunity to bring the message of God’s love to others. So as you go out in your daily life, I challenge you to pray for eyes that notice opportunities, and lips that proclaim the love of God, and the courage to model Christ’s love for the world.

In closing, we can take heart in the imperfections of Peter, knowing that Christ used him to establish the Church and spread the message of the Gospel. And if God can work such wonders with such a human as Peter, imagine what God can do with each of us.

Sermon on Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon on Matthew 16:13-20
Given 20 August 2017 at Studley Parish Church

At the beginning of today’s reading, Christ asks: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” and there are various responses from His disciples. Reading this, I’m always reminded of the caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland who incredulously asks Alice, “Who are you?”

Who are you? How do you define yourself? Does this align with who others say you are? Have you ever considered who people say you are?

I have a sneaking suspicion many of us have thought of what others think or say about us, but have you ever considered who people say you are? Do they say you are your position? As in a teacher, or a nurse, or a counsellor? Do they say you are your relationship to others? A mother, a father, a sibling, a spouse? Does anybody define who you are as being a follower of Christ?

Who are you? Who would you want others to say you are?

After the opening question, Christ asks, “Who do you say I am?” Addressing His followers, He is asking if they even know who they are following.

As followers of Christ ourselves, who do we say Christ is? I’ll give you a moment to think on that and then I’d like us to share our thoughts… Does this response change based on who we are talking to?

So who do we say Christ is?

We have varied interpretations of who Christ is. When Christ asked His disciples, Simon Peter responded, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” Simon Peter recognized that Jesus was the true Saviour of the Jewish nation and He was not only man, but also the son of God. And not just any god, the living God. The God that is greater than any statues or false idols. The God that surrounds us all with His eternal love.

Once Simon Peter responded, Christ said, “Blessed are you Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in Heaven.” How do we receive the mysteries of Christ? While I hope my words speak to you today, I pray that I am merely a vessel to reveal the glories of God. As we sit in church and listen to the message, it is vital that we listen with more than just our ears. When I finish my talk, we’ll be singing Open the Eyes of my Heart, Lord. We should also pray the Lord open the ears of our heart so He can speak to us. We must be active in listening and hearing not only the words of flesh and blood, but also the message of our Father in Heaven.

Once Simon Peter reveals who he knows Christ to be, Jesus rewards him, calling him “Peter”, or the Greek word “Petros” which means rock or stone. Simon Peter’s faith is so strong that Christ chose him as the foundation on which to build His church.

Imagine the rewards we could receive for recognizing who Christ is? We don’t even have to imagine. We’ve already been promised our rewards in Heaven should we accept Christ Jesus as our Lord and Saviour and turn our eyes to Him. These mortal chains are but a temporary burden for those who know the Love of Christ.

And how joyful it is for those of us who know who Christ is? See, after praising Simon Peter, Jesus instructed His disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. Self-discovery is essential to growing our faith. This can be said for anything really. How many times have you parents told your children not to touch the hot pan, just to turn around and catch them doing it? The world we live in is just a giant hot pan with the fire of sin surrounding us. Our loving Father in Heaven has given us the tools to follow so we don’t get hurt, but we inevitably find ourselves in situations where we get burnt. While falling from time to time is unavoidable, we have the choice to turn to our Saviour and declare who He is with our thoughts, words, and actions. Once we know in our heart of hearts who He is, it becomes much easier to answer the sceptical caterpillar when he asks, “Who are you?”

Sermon on Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon on Matthew 6:25-34
Given 26 February 2017 at Studley Parish Church

There was a man named George who was a very prayerful Christian. One day, the news reported that a ferocious storm was coming, and all residents were advised to evacuate. George thought to himself, “I’m a good Christian. I pray every day. God will save me.” The storm came as promised, the flood waters rose, and George’s house was filling with water. Just then, people came by with a raft and offered George a seat. George said, “No, thank you. I’m a good Christian. I pray every day. God will save me.” The waters continued to rise, and George was forced onto the roof. A helicopter flew overhead and offered to rescue George. But George said, “No, thank you. I’m a good Christian, I pray every day. God will save me.” Eventually the waters became so high that they swept George away, and he died. Standing before St. Peter at the pearly gates, George said, “Peter, I was a good Christian, I prayed every day, why didn’t God save me?” Peter responded, “George, God sent you a news report, a raft, and a helicopter. What are you doing here?”*

How many times in our life have we been guilty of being like George? Prayer is important in times of trouble, but we must listen as well as petition. Philippians 4:6-7 tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

These verses and the reading today tell us do not worry. In fact, there are hundreds of verses in the Bible that say don’t worry, don’t be anxious, fear not, do not be afraid, etc. But I would be naïve to stand before you and tell you not to be anxious about personal health issues, the future of our country with the uncertain Brexit negotiations, or the future of the world with a rise in hateful populism, the desire for walls, and unnamed persons having access to nuclear codes. It is natural and normal to be nervous and stressed, but as Christians, we are told to put our worries on Christ, as He will help us deal with whatever worries we have. The other part of putting our concerns to God is listening to His answers. In George’s story, God was continually responding to his prayers, but George didn’t open his heart to listen. God can’t help us if we don’t seek to receive Him.

We are also reminded in the reading that tomorrow will worry about itself. We have so many issues for today, if we look to tomorrow and the next day, all our worries could pile up and become overwhelming and seemingly impossible to cope with. So God reminds us to take every day one step at a time. We all must walk before we can run. This isn’t because God can’t tackle all our stresses, but because we have to process how He is helping us through the obstacles of life. We must be God-centred in our prayers and open to receiving God to work through our problems.

We must also consider that God’s answer won’t always match ours, or won’t be what we want to hear. When faced with challenges in life, we may, like George, ask “Why didn’t God save me?” We have to remember God never promised we’ll get everything we want. He never promised we would be blessed with everything we asked for. In fact, Christ tells us “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.” The Christian life isn’t void of problems as we can see from Peter, Paul, and the early founders of the church. Even today there are Christians living in parts of the world where to openly worship Christ is a death sentence. Now, in saying this, I do not mean to diminish the struggles we face in our life, but rather to give perspective on Christ’s call to not worry. When we feel surrounded by problems, we need to consider whether all these problems are worthy of our anxiety. Why worry about a paper cut if the building is on fire?

We can address our daily worries in four steps: Focus, pray, listen, and accept. First, we must focus on what is worrying us and consider whether it is worth our stress. Is it something that will solve itself? Is it something we have no control over? Or is it an obstacle we need help in overcoming?

Once we have focused on our concerns, we pray. In our prayer it is important to remember who is in charge and to resolve to put control in God’s hands. Then we must listen to what God says. For some, an answer comes in the form of a song on the radio, or a painting in the doctor’s office. Others directly hear the voice of God. In whatever way He speaks to you, you must open your heart to listen to Him.

Finally, perhaps the most difficult step, we must accept what we are given. In challenging situations, it can be hard to accept that sometimes we may be asked to continue to carry our burden. But if that is what we are called to do, there is a reason for it, because just as the Lord takes care of the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea, He will take care of us, His beloved children. We may not understand how we will get through the dark times, but by putting our worries on Christ, He will lead us home.

*Adapted from a story given in The West Wing, Season 1, Episode 14 “Take This Sabbath Day”

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.

Sermon on Acts 9:36-43 (Christian Aid week)

Sermon on Acts 9:36-43 (Christian Aid week)
Given on 12 May 2019 at Studley Centrepoint

 

Jebbeh is one of the kindest people you will ever meet. She has a warm smile and motherly touch. But her life has been incredibly tough. Recently, Jebbeh’s sister, Fatmata, was pregnant in a village nearby. When she went into labour there were so few ambulances that Fatmata had no choice but to walk for three hours, under the baking sun, to the nearest hospital. The road was long, and she struggled to keep walking. With every step, Fatmata feared for her life and the life of her baby. Jebbeh told us: ‘My sister was crying out with hunger. She died on the side of the road. She never gave birth.’

No woman should die in childbirth. But for Jebbeh, this wasn’t just any woman. This was her sister – her strength, her comfort, her own. Jebbeh herself is heavily pregnant. As her baby grows, it’s not joy that fills her heart, but fear. Pregnancy should be a time of joy, not a time of fear. But instead of buying new baby clothes, Jebbeh has gone to her sister’s burial. Instead of excitement and joy, she feels pain and sorrow. She cries, and we cry with her.

Jebbeh’s story is one of sorrow and grief, just as Tabitha’s story begins with sorrow and grief. Tabitha, who was also called Dorcas, was a kind, gentle, and caring woman. She is described as being full of good works, a charitable woman. When she dies, her death leaves a hole in the heart of her community. The people are devastated.

After her death, two messengers are sent to Peter to ask him to come urgently. It is not made clear what the messengers actually hope to achieve. Perhaps they hope Peter can pray a special blessing over Tabitha before she is buried the next day. Or perhaps, they have heard of the other miracles, and they come because they have hope he can bring Tabitha back to life. Whatever the case, Peter goes to Tabitha, and soon, through the power of the Holy Spirit, the tears of sorrow turn to tears of joy.

Through Christian Aid, and our efforts today, the same can happen for Jebbeh. Her tears of sorrow can turn to tears of joy as she holds her healthy baby in her arms. Now some people might look at Jebbeh, see that she is from Sierra Leone, and say that charity begins at home. Yes, charity does begin at home, but not the way you might think.

A few weeks ago, our Franklin celebrated his fourth birthday, and we decided it was time for him to earn an allowance by doing some basic chores. The first week he had some of his own money, we went into town and Franklin saw a charity box. He asked me what the box was for, and I explained it was asking for money to help children who were less well off than us. Franklin unblinkingly reached into his purse to take out a few of his hard-earned coins and put in the charity box.

I’m not sure that I should take all the credit, but this is how charity starts at home. I am proud that my four-year-old has learned in his home the heart of what it means to be charitable. In the same way I remember learning in my home that Jesus loves ALL the little children…red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight, Jesus loves every single person in this world regardless of their post code.

So this Christian Aid week, let us remember that charity is not about a big event on one day raising a few quid, it is a lifestyle. It is something that is expected every day of every Christian. Just as Tabitha was full of good works, each of us should also be kind and charitable to all of our brothers and sisters whether they are our next-door neighbour, or they live on the other side of the world. Just as the lyrics to God of Justice, “We must go, stepping forward keep us from just singing, move us into action, we must go”.

I say to you, as Peter said to Tabitha, “Get up!”, and as Jesus said to his disciples, “Go!”

Because we must go. We must be moved by the Holy Spirit to turn the tears of sorrow into tears of joy. Amen.