May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight O Lord my God. Amen.
Last week when Kevin asked me if I would do the sermon this week I readily agreed. So I began as I always do, looking at the bible readings for today, praying, reading and praying again, however the inspiration I was seeking from God just wasn’t coming, so I read again.
Now as you some of you will probably know it is the tradition at St Wilfrid’s to use two readings from the list prescribed by the Church of England for Sundays throughout the year, but it is the tradition of St Thomas’s to have three. Both churches use the Gospel and the epistle (letters from Paul or another apostle), St Thomas’s also uses the Old Testament reading and it is from Exodus 19: 2-8 that I received the inspiration I needed.
They had journeyed from Rephidim, entered the wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness; Israel camped there in front of the mountain. Then Moses went up to God; the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, ‘Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the Israelites: You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites.’
So Moses came, summoned the elders of the people, and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. The people all answered as one: ‘Everything that the Lord has spoken we will do.’ Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord.
That’s it then, quite straight forward. God tells Moses to tell the Israelites that they will be special if they obey God. Moses relays the message to the Israelites and the Israelites who are so grateful to God for delivering them from the Egyptians say ‘great! Of course we’ll obey God we’ll do whatever God tells us to do’.
It isn’t quite like that though is it? We know from subsequent bible stories that the Israelites break their promise to God over and over again. In Exodus 32 we read of the Israelites making and worshipping the golden calf because they fear that Moses and his God have been lost. There are stories of disobedience throughout the Old Testament where God intervenes with the punishment of exile into Assyria or Babylon. There are stories of repentance and prophets foretelling doom and then there are stories of rebellion and prophets foretelling hope and salvation. God, even though he is angered and disappointed by his treasured possession he never really gives up on them.
The perpetual cycle of years of non-compliance followed by years of compliance lasted centuries. Through all the rise and fall of civilisations God’s treasured possession or chosen people as they became known, existed within this yoyo relationship with God. That is however until God decides he’s had enough and sends the longed-for Messiah into their self-centred, self-obsessed and insular world. Not even the Roman Empire had jolted them out of this centric mindset, but perhaps the Messiah could?
Jesus the Messiah is sent to earth to change the hearts and minds of God’s treasured possession. As we see in today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 10:6 Jesus’s mission at the beginning of his ministry as he charges his disciples to go out into the country in his name is to ‘go to the lost sheep of Israel’. However like their forebears they rejected the Good News and plotted to and eventually killed Jesus.
How do we in the twenty first century feel about this race of people who continually missed their chances and ignored their God given opportunities, do we feel as if we have done the same?
When we think of Jesus Christ, we think of him as our saviour and he is. The mission to feed the lost sheep of Israel ended on Good Friday as Jesus cried out ‘Father forgive them’. The mission to the world, Gentiles, Samaritans, Romans, Greeks and Arabs began on Easter Sunday. This is the mission that encapsulates us and it is the mission that we must accomplish to proclaim love, forgiveness and equality to all nations, there is no longer a chosen people, we are all chosen by God in the form of his son Jesus Christ to change the world for God.
Unfortunately for the past 2000 years we Christians have very often acted like the Israelites, chosen by God, therefore perfect, above blame, continually forgiven and superior to all other religions, races and creeds. We have exploited each other, the world’s resources and misused the word of God. We proclaim ourselves to be better and therefore hold the moral high ground, we all sit on our own Capital Hill and claim to be virtuous. But we are known by our deeds, Christ knows us by our actions, he knows our individual voices and like the thief who was crucified by his side we will see paradise. For whoever believes in him will have eternal life.
Through all our faults and failings as Christians our imperfections and misdemeanours we have a duty to accomplish Christ’s mission to the world. To proclaim love and forgiveness and also to give those who do not believe the opportunity to gain eternal life.
At this present time and throughout this past week we have seen devastating scenes of violence, intolerance and brutality coupled with opportunist stupidity from world leaders who we would expect to know better. We have perhaps despaired at the scenes we have seen from our TV screens or read in newspapers or on social media. We have perhaps even prayed for an end to intolerance, racial injustice and bigotry and sought the words of Jesus Christ through the melee.
We must consider though, that even though these events along with the pandemic may seem all encompassing to us at this time, that when we pray, we converse with a God who has seen it all before and who will see it all again, because we must also remember that no-one feels like Christ, no-one sheds tears like Christ, and no-one saves like Christ. Amen
Ann Hilton
Reader St Wilfrid’s and St Thomas’s
Let us pray.
God of truth help us to keep your law of love and to walk in ways of wisdom, that we may find true life in Jesus Christ your Son. Amen
Our minds are so often full of words, and what is worse, our hearts are often clogged up with thoughts and ideas as well, which leaves little room for meeting God in simplicity and stillness. So this morning we are going to have space to pray ourselves, guided with leads and prompts.
As we pray, let us take a little time to notice how many good things surround us, how much there is that we take for granted, and how much our lives have ben blessed this last week with good people and enjoyable experiences.
Silence
We pray now for some of those people and places in the news, things we will read in the Sunday papers or maybe have seen on out TV screens during the week. We hold them now within God’s love.
Silence
We now turn to pray for the Church, for any of the big issues facing it at present especially re opening buildings for private prayer and moving forward in faith following the Covid-19 pandemic. We ask for guidance and grace for the Church.
Silence
Between us all we know so many people who are struggling today with illness, crises, big decisions and major changes of life. God’s care for them is even greater than ours, but let us show our own love and concern for them as we pray , naming our own people in quiet trust before God.
Silence
Each of us has things on our mind, perhaps things we hesitate to mention to anyone else. But our heavenly Father understands us totally, and wants only the very best outcome for us. Let us pray to him in the honesty of our own hearts.
Silence
These, Lord are the prayers of your people this morning. We ask you to take each one of these prayers and answer them in your own time and in your own way, and give us expectant and trustful hearts as we wait on You. In the name of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen
