Seventh Sunday after
Trinity
Sermon by Revd Mark
Coleman, Rector of West Derby, St Mary and St James’
I am full of mixed feelings. We are sad to leave West Derby
after nearly 7 years, but excited about beginning a new ministry in Rochdale.
We will miss you and Liverpool. But after 13 years working in this area – I was
5 ½ years at St Christopher, Norris Green, - it’s time to explore new horizons. I thank God
for all that we have done together – in worship, welcome of strangers, in
service, in Christian fellowship. These last few weeks I have been reflecting
on and reliving the many good memories. (I think there is “a do” afterwards so
please do stay as there are many thank-yous we would like to make.)
People have asked why we are going to Rochdale. It’s place
of social and economic need where I hope we can make a positive difference -
life expectancy is 7 years lower than here. It’s a place of many faiths, I want
to help build good relationships between the faiths. It has a town centre, and
I want to help the Church be present be a positive presence in the town. I will
be vicar of Rochdale, St Chad’s and vicar of St Mary’s in the Baum.
Just imagine !
If the world was like our holy communion service today.
Imagine if all the people of Gaza and Israel got together round a big table and
shared bread. Imagine if young and old, male and female, black and white, gay
and straight, rich and poor, said hello to each other and recognised we had the
same father in heaven. Imagine if all the different sorts of Ukrainians shared
the peace together. Imagine if all the delicious foods of the world were shared
and everyone had enough to eat – just as
we bring up the bread and wine and distribute it to each equally with
favour.
Of course, a lot of the time it is like that, at some times and in many places. But if you listen
to the news it feels like not many
good things are going on, and our soul shrivels up. We get defensive. It’s
understandable, but it’s wrong.
But in churches like St Mary’s (and also Rochdale Parish
Church and St Mary’s in the Baum) the imagined becomes real. We bring the
heavenly to earth in our liturgy – we make it real. We anticipate the promises
and hope of God when all things will be made just right.
Abundance
What stories have you got when everything all came together
and things worked out just right. Can
you think of times when there wasn’t a lot and suddenly there was enough. When
gloom and grumpiness turned to smiles and possibilities. When people shared and
there was enough, even too much. Even 12 baskets too much. These are times of
abundance
I picked up some stories at the Church’s summer fair yesterday
- on a wet August Saturday! Now it is true that the weather kept many away, but
still I heard stories of abundance. What happened was very simple. You have all
seen it many times but have you really looked ? People came together to do
something – money was raised, and newcomers were welcomed. People listened to
each other share stories of sorrow and joy – there were enough friendly faces
and kind eyes. Here are a few stories of abundance.
- · Someone told me what they had seen on TV. BBC Two's Secret History of Our Streets told the story of how a group of pioneering residents took on the Glasgow Corporation in a battle to save their homes. Little people took on the big boys in suits and won back their homes.
- · As the rain came down I remembered when we hosted the fund for the flood victims in Deysbrook
- · As I looked at the pubs I recalled when a few people from the Churches in the area got together to start Street Pastors.
- · I spoke to some of the regulars from the 8am service and thought with a smile how our monthly breakfast has grown.
- · I walked past the big hamper which gathers the food for the Foodbank, and I remembered how a few items from many of us keeps many people away from hunger.
- · As I looked at the cakes in the St Mary’s Millennium Centre I recalled other events when people bring food for a bring and share supper and there’s plenty. I remembered the Women’s Fellowship and how the simple bringing together of some of the older people of the parish in a room in the centre with tea and biscuits creates joy and laughter.
In Church, in the wider world, when people come together to
do a good thing, to do a Godly thing something special happens. It becomes more
than the sum of its parts. This is abundance
Sometimes we put blocks in the way of abundance. We mess it
up. Now I do this and you do this. These are some of the blocks and barriers: When
we don’t share –for fear that there won’t be enough for No. 1. When we stay at
home – for fear that it’s a dangerous world out there. When we create
boundaries and walls and gates – whether in Israel, or West Derby. When we say
you are different from me, we worship an other God. We have to look at Gaza and
Israel and other places where hate divides and weep, as people suffer.
What Abundance is not
It’s not always easy for us in the UK. Those crowds who
followed Jesus were hungry – for food and perhaps a way out of all that was
crushing their spirit. We sometimes suffer from the wrong sort of abundance –
too much stuff, too little time, basic needs met but still something missing.
We need to re-boot, send ourselves to the life Laundry, de-clutter our lives ! Some
of us in the rich nations are suffocating ! Some of us in all parts of the
world are starving ! Some of us are so busy we don’t have time to think. That’s
overload.
I do want to say to those in leadership in the Church, those
who run things. Don’t do too much, enjoy the people you work with, see who else
you can draw in to share the burden and bring. That’s the nature of the feast
with Jesus – there’s always some new to come to the table. And we diminish our
Father in heaven when we allow a clique to form. I don't see that at St Mary's - there's a good welcome - but it's always a risk.
Round us – both in Rochdale and West Derby – there are real
material needs which need satisfying, and lots of isolation, where love and
kindness are required.
The Gospel Story
The disciples wanted to go home and put their feet up. They
wanted to change the channel – they had had enough of the clamouring crowds.
But Jesus expected the disciples to come up with food and he sat the crowd
down. We know what happened next – he took the bread and the fish, and broke
the loves and gave them to the disciples for distribution. It was heavenly meal
– and there was enough. More than enough. That’s what heavenly meals are like.
You are full with out being stuffed and there is enough to share with someone
new.
It’s interesting that Jesus doesn’t feed the people himself
– he gets the disciples to do it. That’s us – our ancestors. It’s like he knows
our psychology. We say it can’t be done – but when it’s happened we realise it
isn’t so hard and we can say thank you God.
Our own slender
resources are enough.
It’s not like the Gospel from Mathew 14 ends with the crowds
getting food. It goes on and rams home the point:
- · All ate and were filled
- · And then they took up what was left over and the broken pieces
- · And then twelve baskets over
- · And then those who were ate were about 5k
- · And then not including women and children.
This is what happens with Holy Meals. There is plenty. A
feeling of plenty even if not enough
The Future is now
This Holy Communion which we share at St Mary’s whether at 8, 10 and 4 is an anticipation of God’s reign. It brings a bit of the future, God’s future into the present. We share in that future when have we love God with all our heart and soul and our neighbours as ourselves. This holy meal is what will unite us when 40 miles apart (that’s all it is from Rochdale to West Derby). I shall pray for you, please pray for us.
This Holy Communion which we share at St Mary’s whether at 8, 10 and 4 is an anticipation of God’s reign. It brings a bit of the future, God’s future into the present. We share in that future when have we love God with all our heart and soul and our neighbours as ourselves. This holy meal is what will unite us when 40 miles apart (that’s all it is from Rochdale to West Derby). I shall pray for you, please pray for us.
Our Eucharist is also a thanksgiving – that’s what the
difficult to pronounce Greek word means. When we thank God for what we have, we
appreciate better what we have and the cup overflows.
And how much we are blessed with – I have made a list. If I
look at you all, the lovely building, the Church school, the volunteers, the
groups, the pastoral visitors, the counsellors, the grass cutters, the tea
makers I see an army of blessing providers. And the many ways in which this
parish church welcomes so many for Baptism, Wedding and funerals. I thank God
for all that has had His life and energy and care and hospitality.
The genius of Church life is not our genius – we are not
clever, but rather when we come together in love and peace in the name of Jesus
something happens – the whole adds up to more than the parts. Much more. What
we have is not ours – we share it for the good of all, the wider church.
Our God is a God of life giving abundance. I thank God for
that abundance and what we have experienced together. May we do all we can to
bring the abundant life to those who are in need of it. As the prophet Isaiah
says “everyone who thirsts come to the waters; and you that have no money, come
buy and eat !" May God bless you and draw you still deeper into his generous life.
Mark Coleman
3 August 2014