Sermon on Luke 8:26-39 (Galatians 3:23-end)

Sermon on Luke 8:26-39 (Galatians 3:23-end)
Originally given 19 June 2022 at St. Alban’s Church, Coventry

The Gospel reading today is incredibly challenging. Because we all live with demons of some kind. Whether it’s past regrets, or mental health issues, or addictions, or difficult relationships, or all of the above, each of us has dark corners of ourselves that we try to keep hidden from the light of Christ. We hide in shame the parts of ourselves that we think are not good enough. The parts that we think Jesus would label ‘demon!’ and drive out into swine falling to their death over a cliff. Parts of us that make us want to join that swine. Some of you may know how deeply personal this is for me. And if you also feel very connected to the demons, then I have five words for you. If you remember nothing else, remember these five words: God loves all of you. 

God loves the demons in your past, present, and future. God loves the gritty, dark side of your thoughts. God loves the ugliness of your actions. God loves every single part of you, not only the parts that you show to the world, but also the parts you try to keep hidden. God can see what we hide, and God still loves you. There is nothing you can do that will drive God away from you. Even when humans turn their backs on you, when Christians disown you, when the Church closes its doors to you, God will always welcome you with open arms.

The Gospel reading today is also very dangerous. It has been interpreted by some that people with poor mental health must be demon-possessed. It has led some people to try to pray away mental health disorders, or others feeling they have been abandoned by God if they have a mental health disorder. I lost track of the amount of times I saw churches with a sign out front that said, ‘too blessed to be depressed!’ I can’t remember how many times I internalised that message and convinced myself that my depression was a result of faithlessness. That somehow I wasn’t deserving of God’s blessings and that was why I had depression. So once again, I repeat those five words: God loves all of you.

If you have a mental health disorder, then I am more than happy to pray with and for you, but I also encourage you to seek medical advice. There are therapies and medications that can bring you through your battles. And anything that can bring you to fullness of life is a blessing from God. God doesn’t want her beloved children to suffer, and having mental illness does not mean God loves you any less. 

If there is any doubt about how much God loves you, then I encourage you to turn to our Galatians reading. Every single one of us belongs to Christ, we are all children of God, we are all heirs to the Kingdom of God. And since God is a perfect Heavenly Father, being his children means being fully loved and accepted by God. It means that God loves all of you.

As you came in today, you should have been given a sheet of paper and something to write with. I would like to yield the rest of my time so that you can write yourself a love letter from God. This might feel uncomfortable, especially if you’re not used to being kind to yourself. Think of the words of encouragement a loving mother or father would give to you, and use that as a starting point. Just remember that you are God’s very good idea, God knitted you together in your mother’s womb, and God loves all of you.

Sermon on Jeremiah 29:1-14

Sermon on Jeremiah 29:1-14 and John 14:27
Given 28 November 2021 at St. Alban’s Church, Coventry

Do not be afraid, for I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord.

When Alex and I were first married, we travelled to the other side of the world for a teaching job in Jakarta, Indonesia. When we arrived, I struggled with severe culture shock. I had never lived in a city, yet alone a city with a population of 17 million people. We didn’t have any family or friends nearby, we didn’t know the language, we didn’t know that rainy season meant unexpected torrential downpours and flash flooding for days on end. But Alex managed to find us a church, and on that first Sunday they read out Jeremiah 29:11, ‘For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.’ I cried when I heard those words.

Many of you will know that I cry or at least get emotional quite often, that I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve. When I was recommended for training to become a minister, they even commented on my vulnerability and the necessity to keep it in check in ministry, a work in progress I must say. So my crying at a Bible verse in church probably seems insignificant, if not unsurprising. But at that point, on that day, I cried because I didn’t believe what God was saying. How could the Lord possibly bring me all this way, to be a stranger in a strange land, and say that the greater plan was somehow for my welfare? At that point, I saw no hope. But twelve months later, we were living in Poland, and twelve months after that we were preparing to move home to the U.K to have our first child. Yet on that first Sunday in Jakarta, Indonesia, I could never have imagined getting a job back in Europe closer to home. And the thought of being in a position to have a child was something that felt so impossible that I remember the visceral pain at just talking about the children that I thought I would never have.

Do not be afraid, for I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord.

The Gospel reading today reminds us that God does not give to us the way the world gives to us. Very often we grow accustomed to broken promises by those around us. We become cynical and lose hope. But God’s promises are forever. And God is a God of hope. Her plans for our future are filled with hope. So as Jesus proclaimed, there is no reason to let our hearts be troubled. There is no reason to be worried or anxious or fearful. In times of pain and despair, we can look to the God of hope, who never breaks promises. We can be reminded that though we may have our own plans for how we think our life should go, God’s plans are the greatest, because they are for our welfare, whether we like it or not.

Do not be afraid, for I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord.

Today is the first Sunday of Advent, marking the start of the Church year. Advent is a time of expectant waiting. Waiting for the joy that comes at Christmas, but perhaps more importantly, waiting for the promises of God to be fulfilled. Barney reminded me that the first candle we light is often referred to as the candle of the Patriarchs, but I thought we’d heard enough from the Patriarchs these past few months, so I decided we should go with the other theme for the first candle, which is hope. Of course, it could be said the two go hand in hand. It was the hope of the Patriarchs that created the nation of Israel, the hope of the Patriarchs that freed Israel from slavery in Egypt, the hope of the Patriarchs that created a family line of kings that led right to Jesus. But the hope I’m talking about today, is not the hope of history. It is a present and real hope. We often think of hope as a wish, an expectation. But the hope of Jesus Christ is about trust. Our hope for the future is based on the promises of God. Our hope is that we can trust the Lord our God to fulfil all his promises.

Do not be afraid, for I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord.

Perhaps you’re thinking, ‘the Lord having plans for me is a very good reason to be afraid!’  Or maybe you’re thinking, ‘how can the Lord have plans for me?’ Little ol’ me? Who am I for the Lord to know me. And the answer is you are a child of God. Psalm 139 declares, 

 For it was you who formed my inward parts;

    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

    Wonderful are your works;

that I know very well.

     My frame was not hidden from you,

when I was being made in secret,

    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

 Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.

In your book were written

    all the days that were formed for me,

    when none of them as yet existed.

You. You are God’s great idea. And she has wonderful plans for you. So as we enter this Advent season, let us come with hearts full of hope, knowing we can trust the plans of our loving Father for us. 

Do not be afraid, for I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord.