Sermon: Trinity 20 - Eucharist

Preacher:

Date:

Sunday 21st October 2012

Service:

Cathedral Eucharist

Readings:

Hebrews 5:1-10

Mark 10: 35-45

£3 million prize money; £100 million in stud fees.

Frankel’s unbroken record of straight wins has made a fortune for a few; he’s brought delight to many.

In the words of Abdullah’s racing manager: ‘He’s wonderful. The crowd’s reaction is great – the greatest for the greatest’.

It’s not just in the racing world that greatness is marked by achievement, fortune and glorious headlines.

James and John want to share in Jesus’ glory; they want  positions of honour.

Jesus redefines greatness.

He confronts their ambition with two questions: can you drink the cup that I must drink? Will you share my baptism?

James and John reply with confidence and assurance. 

The other disciples are angry; as they jostle for position, James and John staked their claim first.  All of them have failed to understand the implications of Jesus’ words.

He has talked to them about the suffering he will face; he has predicted his own death.  He has set before them examples of humility and compassion and service; he has revealed the cost of following him. 

The disciples are in denial; the truth doesn’t hit them.  They’re enjoying the journey – the crowds, the drama, the transformation.

Resurrectoin glory sounds attractive and compelling. The disciples filter out the words of suffering, humiliation and rejection.

Jesus  reverses  the expected norms of greatness and invites them to serve.  A great teacher, a renowned healer, an intriguing preacher; the one who speaks truth to power, who renews the hope of the marginalised: he is the one who gives his life as a ransom for many. He is the one who is servant of all.

Jesus indentifies with our human weakness.  In the depths of  despair, in the complexity of  life, Jesus cries aloud with us.  He deals gently and compassionately with us, because he identifies fully with the confusion and challenges of our condition.  In our waywardness and our ignorance, Jesus patiently loves us; coaxing us to share in the reversal of the world’s expectations.  He encourages us to be more deeply attentive to the needs of the other person. He calls us to set self aside.

The love of God is poured out in the abundance of creation; that same love is poured out in the obedience of the Son.  The paradox of the Christian faith is that Jesus did not cling to equality to God – but walked the way of suffering with us.  He does not exercise power over us.  The mercy and justice offered to us are seen in humility; with us, among us and for us, Jesus bears the weight of our brokenness and frailty.  He bears the cost of our jealously, ambition, pride and anger. 

God with us doesn’t look like greatness.

God with us is consoling, transforming and demanding.

God with us invites us to learn this new way of living.

Norms of greatness are reversed.  It is revealed in service rather than in imposition.

Baptism is the beginning of a journey.  We are immersed into the life of a community learning an alternative way of living.  We are not called to dominate others; we are called to serve others.  

The Spirit wells up within the Church to turn our ignorance and waywardness into an eagerness to respond to that invitation.  The Spirit teaches us and strengthens us as we seek to embody the values of the Kingdom; enabling God’s priorities to shape our hearts and minds and actions.

His Spirit equips each one of us to follow the example of Jesus. Whether that’s in a board room or at a school gate; when wrestling with the impact of our decisions; when we seek reconciliation in our relationships; dealing with those who frustrate us; or bearing the sorrow of loved ones.

The God who identifies with us in weakness, calls us to walk in the world with generosity. The one who undercuts our instinct to control equips us to serve one another.

Our lives are lived in a way that is diffuse; we gather  to hear and receive God’s word, to offer praise and prayer. We go from this fellowship into a world of multiple commitments and bewildering opportunities.  We live amongst networks of friends, family, colleagues and acquaintances; we pursue hobbies and careers; we face the weakness of health and flaws of our temperaments. We hold relational, cultural or economic capital. 

In all these strands of life, God is with us.  In the complexity of the world, we hold a common purpose.  We who share in the one cup, are called to be stewards of God’s gifts.

Earlier this month, Nicholas spoke of stewardship in terms of thankfulness for what we have and mature responsiveness to  need.  We share financial responsibility for the worship and mission of this place. Last week Margaret extended that generosity to take account of the needs of our world. At harvest-tide our thankfulness is turned to responsibility to the other. Today, we reflect on the way in which generosity is a reflection of our values.

Jesus turns our notions of achievement and greatness upside down.  The gifts that we have been given are to be a means of serving the other.  That commitment is reflected in how we spend our time – giving up space in crowded schedules to be with another. Our discipleship is reflected in our bank balance:  supporting the work of the cathedral is part of that commitment.

How we spend our money is an expression of our values. How does a takeaway cappuccino, a subscription to glossy magazines, our budget for clothes relate to our discipleship? How does our next holiday, a new kitchen gadget a regular hair cut measure up in relation to our financial stewardship?

I ask these questions of myself. We share  concerns about pensions, or mortgages; job security and utility bills.  But: we, the body of Christ in this place, are sustained and offer compassion by what goes on here.  And that costs.It costs for the sake of soemthing broader – the Kingdom of God.

Last week’s report from Theos, identified the impact of cathedrals on our national life.  As well as being places of worship and welcome, cathedrals are places of faith and engagement. The aim of our strategic plan is to give content to that – in a volunteers' strategy in our education programme and in our music development committee.

Day by day prayers are offered in this place; week by week, people come to be anonymous, out of curiosity, in despair or on route to the Isle of White;  to find strength or comfort, to be inspired and accepted rather than judged. 

We leave this place to be the body of Christ in the world – sustained by opportunities for fellowship and learning and encounter with God we find here.

We, our visitors and strangers come  seeking peace and healing, finding space for attentiveness.The worship that sustains us; the welcome we offer both form part of what it is to be a generous church. 

A generous church is not one option among many – a new label alongside catholic, or inclusive.  It is a way of being in relation to difference and human weakness.   We believe in a generous God; we called to live generously in relation to one another.  Are encounters are to be shaped by attentiveness and compassion; we are to be committed to dialogue – listening and being changed by what we hear; we are to seek the deep healing that takes time.

Such generosity is a manifestation of love in service. 

We share a common baptism; we are invited to drink from a common cup.

In the complexity of all that we face; may we be strengthened by the intensity of God with us.  May we generously serve the other, rather than seeking our own glory.