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Sermon preached
at Bradford Cathedral
Trinity 10 Sunday 27 July 2008 - 10:15 Holy Communion Romans 8:26-39 & Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 |
Sharing the treasure We are here this am presumably because in some way, at some time, we have been touched by the love of God. It will be different for each of us. For some it may be a recent experience of God's love - and you maybe able to say, yes, I know Paul is right: 'nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.' (From our first reading - Romans 8). For others, we may say 'yes, we do believe it, but it's not my current experience.' It may some time since we have sensed or experienced the love of God directly. If we're honest it may be some time since we have (in Wesley's words) 'felt our hearts strangely warmed'. We now take His love on trust but it seems as though the truth is held more in our heads now than in our hearts. In 1 sense I want to suggest that this doesn't matter; 'we walk by faith not by sight.' It is not my experience of God's love that makes it real and it is not my lack of experience which makes it unreal. What Paul has been taking 3 chapters to spell out reaches an astonishing climax here in ch.8. He is saying that NOTHING you or I can do, say or believe, can make any difference to how God views us. He loves us. Full stop! We are not able to win His favour (i.e. in theological terms, to be justified) by believing, or trusting. And we cannot lose His favour by our lack of trust or belief. So what is left to condemn us, asks Paul? Four times he asks. Who is against us? No-one! After all, God His given His own Son, and with him gives us all things. Who can accuse us, bring any charge against us that we are not worthy of His favour? We KNOW we are not, yet God has declared us NOT GUILTY - it is God who justifies. Who can condemn us? No-one! Not even the voices within ourselves can condemn us because Christ Jesus speaks for us. If we allow the inner voices to condemn us, we render the Cross worthless. And who will separate us from the love of Christ? And here, Paul lists some of the hardships - distress, poverty, violence etc, and we could add our own here. What struggles do you have which cause you to question God's goodness and love for you? They do not separate you from God's love - they cannot because it would make those things more potent than His Love. And not even death could destroy His love. Here is a treasure. Here is a pearl of great price. Here is treasure so much worth having that other treasure can be let go. This love, this freedom, this Grace, this mercy is the stuff of the Kingdom of heaven. Something of worth - small and almost invisible yet priceless; yet like mustard seed, or yeast it can grow into something powerful and worthwhile. When the Archbishop of Canterbury was here 2 weeks ago he spoke with clergy and readers. He spoke of 'connectedness', that the work of the HS is to connect us with ourselves. By that he meant we connect with the One who is our Creator and Redeemer who is found deep within us. Sometimes the Holy Spirit has to help move us from our busy and acquisitive selves to find the God of Love who is already at work within us. The treasure is there, but may be buried and need uncovering. Just as the one in Jesus' parable sold everything to buy the field to reach the treasure (as did the merchant who found a great pearl) we may need to let go of what has given us security in order to take hold of a greater treasure buried deep within us. This idea that may need to relinquish some things in order to take hold of a greater treasure is seen when two people commit to marriage. (Yes, this is very much on our minds at the moment, with the Dean's daughter's wedding last Saturday and our daughter's next Saturday.) Bride and Groom are asked: 'Will you take … the other, to be your wife/husband? Will you love, comfort, honour and protect them and forsaking all others, be faithful to her/him as long as you both shall live?' i.e. Will you let go of all other options once and for all, to take hold of the treasure before you? And out of that decision and commitment, something wonderful can grow and mature. So it is with the Kingdom of Heaven. The life of God may start very small, like a mustard seed, but if it is not crowded out by weeds it can grow into a large shrub. And what Jesus taught in his earthly lifetime bore fruit after it. He had challenged ordinary people to risk trusting him. On Friday the church remembered James - a Galilean fisherman who let go of other options to follow Jesus and take hold of a greater treasure. Then, as James and the other apostles shared the treasure they had found, the seed of the Gospel grew and grew. And that is something else the Archbishop reminded us, that the Gospel is for sharing, it is for all. And so I return to how I started: you and I are here presumably because have been touched by the love of God. We have found this treasure. And that gives us a responsibility to share it. In September, we have three opportunities to do this. They have been set up for us, so you could say it has been made easy. The first is this… Hope Banquet. On your service sheet is says: "… put this in your diary". Actually we can do more than this. There are 600 places available - 60 tables of 10, and the idea is that at least half the places are taken by people who do not come to church but who may be open to hearing more about this treasure. But they will not be there unless they are invited. So now is the time to ask ourselves 'Who do I know enjoys a good meal and may be willing to find out more about the Christian faith?' Tickets are only £10 per person, so it may be possible to invite a friend, colleague, neighbour, relative even, and pay for them to be there. At that event, during the evening invitations will be made to one of the many enquiry courses to be run in the autumn. This includes the weekly course here in the Parish Room, to be held for eight weeks in the week following the banquet. So there are two opportunities. The third is also up to us to make effective. Three days after the Hope Banquet, it is 'Back to Church Sunday' on 28th September. This has run elsewhere for four years and last year 2,000 churches took part and welcomed 20,000 more people. Research has shown that a surprising number of people would come to church if only they were invited! 'Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.' That is true for us and true for those who have not yet discovered the treasure within them. May God show us how to give room for the Kingdom of Heaven to grow in our lives and also show us how we might help it to grow in the lives of others. And may it be for His glory and not ours, Amen. |