Saint Swithun's Blog

Zechariah 9.9-12; Psalm 145.8-15; Romans 7.15-25a; Matthew 11.16-19,25-end

Next week we celebrate another anniversary of the Narcotics Anonymous group that meets in the Lower Hall every Thursday evening.  It has been going for 4 years and in that time there are people who have become clean through of the support of that group; set free from their addiction.  But NA is not just about cleaning up an addiction; it is also a place to rediscover who we are without addiction, rebuild our personality, make friends and gain the confidence to live a life awake and in reality.

For those of you who do not know, there are twelve steps to the  NA clean up process.  The first three are these: firstly I have to admit that I have a need;  my need being to be free from an addiction,  and that I have no power in myself to satisfy that need.  The second is that I accept that there is a higher power than I and that entity does have the power to set me free.  Thirdly that I surrender to that power and allow it to work in my life, to redeem and transform me.

Now you will notice that the wording I have used is not exactly NA language to make a not so subtle connection to our readings this morning!

We live in a world of addiction – addiction to sound, and fear of silence, to money and fear of lack, to status and celebrity and fear of failure.  We link up on social media and make friends all over the world; virtual friends whom we can turn off at will.  But we walk through a crowded street or sit on a crowded bus, or a busy Pub – alone, and detached from human contact. 

Human beings are social animals.  We suffer if we are alone for too long – we yearn to belong to something – somebody.  And we are also creatures of God – restless until we find our rest in Him.

But we hold on to the idol of individuality, the god of personal achievement, the deity of celebrity and success.  If only, if only I could be a RAP star, have a better job, a prettier wife, a nicer house, more obedient children, better education – and so on and so on – then I would be happy.

We complain that it the fault is out there.  You are not giving me what I want; I didn’t get the right breaks; you have let me down.

Well of course the truth is that we are all precious children of God and God loves us just as we are and sees our true potential and human beings: the best we can be.

Our restlessness comes from our need of God – we were created to be his people on earth – to love him.  We can fill our lives with other stuff but it will not satisfy – it will not set us free.

And when we admit our need of God, we open ourselves to the cleansing power of the Holy Spirit and the deep friendship and forgiveness of Jesus Christ.  Only God has the power to set us free from our isolation, our sense of disappointment, our frustration and lack of self-esteem.

The hardest step is the surrender bit.  Children do not have this problem as much as adults.  Children are used to people telling them what to do and demanding obedience.  They know too well that there are higher powers than themselves.

But as we get older we want to achieve things in our own right, by our own skills and cleverness.  The hole in our heart gets bigger and darker as we move away from God. 

But thank God, God is still there.

God’s love for us is true and real and trustworthy and unconditional.  God longs for us to recognise him – to see him for who he truly is – our loving, forgiving, generous Father.  And then all he asks us to do is surrender to his love like a child being enfolded in the arms of a loving parent.

And when we surrender.   We begin to become all that we were always meant to be – free from the addictions that trap us, the empty distractions that fail to nourish our soul, the loveless connections that leave us more lonely than before.

God is waiting for us to surrender to his love – a love that will never let us down – complete and perfect and unconditional.

Are you ready to lay your burdens down this morning and believe that God has the power to transform your life?

And when we do, we will become a light and a path for those who desperately need God but do not realise it!

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, help me to come to you with the openness and innocence of a child – trusting in your power to save me from all that prevents me being the person that you know I could be.  Amen.

Jeremiah 20.7-13; Psalm 69.8-17; Romans 6.1b-11; Matthew 10.24-39

Do you know people who are full of good advice?  People who are experts in your life and your future?  People who know what is best for you?  Of course you do and some of them have your best interests at heart – and sadly some of them don’t.  Anyone who listens to your heartfelt complaints about your husband or wife and then says – “all men” or women are like that dump him or her – has probably not grasped the subtleties and challenges about being married or might even be jealous.  Anyone who tells you to walk out of a job is probably suspect too.  In any event advice should be listened to with discerning ears – judging where it is coming from and with what motivation and sifting this with your own wisdom and conscience.

It is similar in our Christian lives;  there will be people who have very good advice – some of it trustworthy and true, and some of it quite frankly to knock you off your course of devotion and obedience to God.  Some advice will be painful and we might not want to listen – but someone may very courageously bringing something to our attention that could change our lives.

Jeremiah begins his prophetic career as a young man: “Ah Lord God, truly I do not know how to speak. for I I am only a boy”  Ch 1 v 6.

7But the Lord said to me,
‘Do not say, “I am only a boy”;
for you shall go to all to whom I send you,
and you shall speak whatever I command you. 
8 Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,  says the Lord.’ 

Jeremiah uses the language of temptation to talk about his relationship with God – Lord you have enticed me – seduced me – you compel me to speak the words: Violence and Destruction – impending doom for Judah.

And of course Jeremiah’s words are true – Judah is about to be decimated – Jerusalem destroyed by the great Empire of Babylon – and the officials and intelligentsia exiled to Babylon.

The people do not want to hear this message at all – they want to destroy Jeremiah.  He has lost his closest friends because of his prophesying. He is making them uncomfortable.  Their motives for shutting him up are selfish and inward looking – they do not want to hear that their lives are about to change, and particularly they do not want to hear that they have brought this upon themselves.

6.13 For from the least to the greatest of them,
   everyone is greedy for unjust gain;
and from prophet to priest,
   everyone deals falsely. 
14 They have treated the wound of my people carelessly,
   saying, ‘Peace, peace’,
   when there is no peace. 
15 They acted shamefully, they committed abomination;
   yet they were not ashamed,
   they did not know how to blush.
Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;
   at the time that I punish them, they shall be overthrown,  says the Lord. 

Who wants to hear that they are responsible for their actions and that there will be consequences?

I do not know when you felt the calling of the Lord – the hand of God on your life.  But I am sure that when you gave your life to Christ there were people who tried to entice you away.  And some of those who genuinely but misguidedly thought you were throwing your life away on this religion nonsense.

There are those who come to Christ and face not just ridicule but real danger to their lives and livelihood. The Disciples of Jesus would soon be in that place.

But the warning in today’s readings is not about real persecution and danger, that is easier to understand.  Make no mistake – the warning is about being half hearted.  It is about not really being sure whether to give our lives to Christ or not – holding a bit back for safety – not committing everything.

Paul in Romans uses really strong language about this: our old selves must be crucified with Christ.  This is not a paddle in the sea this is plunging in to the current without looking back.  And crucifixion has a flavour of humiliation about it – the public death of the criminal for all to see.  That is how we should see our death to the old life – complete, irreversible and out there.

There is no way back from crucifixion.  Or is there?  Well of course there is!  There is new life in Christ – new beginnings and new possibilities. 

But of course it doesn’t quite work like that in reality.  In reality we give up a bit of ourselves at a time; holding a bit back just in case.  Perhaps listening to those who caution against too enthusiastic a plunge into a new life – burning our bridges.

And that little bit that we keep back causes us to say – well of course if you push me I would say I’m a Christian – I am not religious – I try to live a good life – I come to church and so on.

But that is not good enough.  That is not crucifixion. 

³² “Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in Heaven; ³³ but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in Heaven. 

O, dear!  So every time we make a life choice that denies that we are Christians – we run the risk of his denial of us!

We have to let go and let God.  The words of Matthew are as strong as Paul’s: if we are to follow Christ completely and truly we have to let go of those who would try to entice us with words of ridicule or warning – whoever they are!

Have you noticed that before we take another step on our journey with God, we are in a state of discontent, a frustration that builds up in us that makes us really uncomfortable with where we are: dissatisfied and discontent. 

And that, my friends is a great place to be, a really powerful place to be!  That is God nagging us to give up some more – to take the next step – to plunge a little deeper and crucify a bit more of ourselves.  And God does not give up on us however long it takes!

And of course here is the good news: ³⁹ Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.

Well, you might say, when you put it like that, it doesn’t sound like very good news to me,.

God said to Jeremiah

5 ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.’ 

‘Do not say, “I am only a boy”;
for you shall go to all to whom I send you,
and you shall speak whatever I command you. 
8 Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,  says the Lord.’ 

God does not promise that our life in him will be comfortable or easy – not at all!  But it will be real and true and good and completely alive.

If we keep holding a little bit back from Christ we will never know the life we could have had in Him.  If we do not pick up our Cross we will never do the work that we uniquely need to do for His Kingdom.

If we listen to those who would stop us giving ourselves to His service we will miss the greatest moments of our lives – our lives lived in Him.

If you are feeling frustrated this morning – you re in a great place!  Surrender to His love, let go of the past and find the life that he has for you to live.

What have you got to lose?  What have you got to gain?!

Numbers 11.24-30; Acts 2.1-21; Psalm 104.26-end; John 20.19-23

Last week we read in our Gospel that Jesus told his disciples to remain, to wait for power from on high. And they did. And while they were waiting they were worshiping and praising God in anticipation for the blessing that would come to them at Pentecost.

They of course did not know what that blessing would be. They were waiting for the Holy Spirit but had no idea what was about to hit them.

And when the day of Pentecost did come the Holy Spirit came with a rush of wind and tongues of fires.

Now that was scary – or perhaps more awesome than scary – and it was certainly transformational.

We come to church for many reasons, don’t we? We come out of habit, to have our baby baptised (and we welcome our baptism family this morning with all our heart), to meet with God, to be transformed by the Holy Spirit. To be transformed by the Holy Spirit – is that true?

The people in that one place 2 thousand years ago could have shut the window and got out the buckets of water – to keep out the wind and douse the flames. And that is what we can do now – metaphorically. We can shut ourselves off from the Holy Spirit – and ignore the power – there are no real tongues of flame or violent wind to intrude, unless we allow it.

So on this day of Pentecost we can shut the windows of our hearts – we can douse any stirring of the Holy Spirit in our souls – or we can open up and take what the Lord has to give us.

And when we do we will see such a revival in this place that we will not recognise it. Of course the important bits will be the same but the nonsense, selfishness, critical hearts, gossip, unkindness and other sin will be blown away with the great wind of the Holy Spirit and burnt away with the fire of the Holy spirit.

And we will be left with hearts waiting and ready for the fullness of the love of God – generous, humble, forgiven, ready to receive – ready to hear the voice of God – ready to do the will of God.

There will be no more talk of fund-raising – because there will be a spirit of generosity and gratitude. There will be no talk of evangelism because you and I will be people of the living Word – living the gospel amongst the people. There will be no talk of problems with the building – for God will build the tabernacle for his people.

We just have to open up to the Holy Spirit, trust in God’s love for us, and believe that God wants his church to thrive. This is not just this church in Hither Green but the CHURCH throughout the world, and God needs us to be on fire with the Spirit. God needs us to be alive with the wind of the Spirit and God needs us to be full of love and peace with the breath of the Spirit.

Does that sound easy? Well if it was it would have happened already. But we are where we are and it cannot be otherwise and today is full of potential. We will remember 8 June 2014! This is the day that the Lord has made; this is the day that the Spirit comes upon the church.

Are we going to be part of it – or are we going to shut the windows and get the buckets?

Brothers and sisters – all we have to do is open our hearts to the possibility of transformation and God will do the rest.

Are we ready?