Sermons

The Naming of Jesus
Sunday 1 January at 8am and 10am

Kathryn Elliott
Readings: Galatians 4.4-7; Luke 2.15-21

Reflect and Rejoice

Preparing and delivering any sermon is an awesome responsibility; but the first sermon on the first day of the New Year seems more so. Maybe you came to church today thinking, What message will the preacher give to encourage us for the forthcoming weeks and months?

The message is summed up in the words: Reflect and Rejoice!
Before considering that key phrase, I'd like to quote some words from the Swiss doctor and counsellor, Paul Tournier:-
For the fulfilment of his purpose, God needs more than priests, bishops, pastors and missionaries. He needs mechanics and chemists, gardeners and street sweepers, dressmakers and cooks; trades people, physicians, philosophers, judges an shorthand typists.

Reflect
Many of us over Christmas and the New Year will have had the opportunity to gather with family and friends, some of whom we haven't seen for a long time; naturally, we exchange news, think about events of the past year and wonder what lies ahead. A lot of reflection occurs as we recall ups and downs, joys and worries.

It's a time of reflection in the media too; news clips help us recall national and world events which have occurred in the past year; on the high side:- England won the Ashes, London was nominated for the 2012 Olympics; painfully, on the low side, we recall:- the Tsunami, the London bombing, the earthquake in Pakistan, famine in Niger & those taken hostage to name but a few; at times, the 'downs' seem to outweigh the 'ups' and on reflection, people have asked, What is the world coming to? Where is God?

But this is not what God our Creator intended the world and its peoples to be. In Genesis, we read that God was pleased with all he'd made - it was good; and he was known to Adam and Eve - he walked and talked with them. That close, warm relationship was shattered by disobedience, by not living according to God's well-planned design, and ever since, God has sought re-union with humans.

Bishop Tom Wright has put it this way: Genesis to Revelation is a story - the story of God's love for his people.
And John Sentamu, Archbishop of York wrote, Religions are often portrayed as exemplars of the human search for God. By contrast, the Bible is the story of God in search of us and our inclination to hide from him.

So, God desires our re-union with him. His purpose is reconciliation with him & with each other. Jesus is the how and why of our reconciliation and the world's healing.

Like Mary, who, on hearing the shepherds' news, remembered all these things and thought deeply about them, we can reflect, through stillness and quietness as well as through prayer, Bible study and worship. This applies to us individually and together as a church community.

The shepherds (Lk 2.15) obviously reflected on what they had experienced, that is, the unexpected, awesome appearance of an angel of the Lord who had some amazing news. We don't know if they spent a short or a long time wondering about the event but we do know their reflection led to action: Let's go… and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us. So they hurried off, and found and saw (14,16). Their finding and seeing led to returning and rejoicing: The shepherds went back, singing praises to god for all they had heard and seen (21)

Rejoice
I've found at least 3 reasons to rejoice from our Bible readings today:
1. (v12) Jesus came as a baby… God came into our world and became as vulnerable and as helpless as any human baby. He shared my humanity and so knows from experience what it's like to be human.
2. (v 11) Jesus came to be my Saviour: The baby in the manger and the young man put to death on the cross are one and the same. The two signify what real love costs; both involve sacrifice, both are signals of God's determination to keep faith with us. John Sentamu.
3. (Galatians 4.7) I have an amazing, rich inheritance; Paul explains that God will give you all that he has for his heirs.

So, will our reflections lead to rejoicing as it did for the shepherds? What is Rejoicing?
I suggest that rejoicing is worship through music, song and dance, yet it's something more: it's a joie de vivre, a deep joy which carries us through difficult times as we prepare for some future event: e.g. when a couple announce their engagement, the joy of that news causes family and friends to all join in preparing for the future wedding; a friend who's a skilled dressmaker might sew the wedding dress, another will bake the wedding cake. There are endless ways in which all contribute to the big day.

Now this applies to us as a church. God has announced his love to the world - one day he will come again. His purpose is that as many a possible respond to his love and care. He has commissioned us to do our part in demonstrating his love in our world.

Remember that the shepherds didn't stay at the stable, they went back; and after gathering for this service together, we are to go back to our homes, schools, offices and places of work to serve God's purposes in the world, to be present in the world as it is, to engage with the world as it is. (Bishop James, January Parish Magazine)

With artistic licence, I'd like to conclude with Paul Tournier's words:
For the fulfilment of his purpose, God needs more than priests, bishops, pastors and missionaries. He needs all of any age, employed, unemployed or retired, married and single; he needs accountants and administrators; flower arrangers, cooks, lecturers, plumbers, electricians, musicians… you and me.

Reflect and rejoice!

© St Edmund's Church, Roundhay