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Sermon preached
at Bradford Cathedral
16th Sunday after Trinity September 27th 2009 |
| You could argue yourself, I think, from this reading in Mark’s gospel, into a passion for mission. The disciples want to keep Jesus—the name of Christ —to themselves. But no. That’s not what Jesus requires. His mission is bigger than his immediate followers: Whoever is not against us is for us. What matters is the work: the giving and receiving of a cup of water because of the name of Christ. Notice: Jesus doesn’t instruct his disciples to give a cup of water; no. Truly, I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward. Giving and receiving the simplest of acts of kindness. A cup of water. The gospel, the message of Christ is not restricted to the insider—it can be given and received between anyone who recognises the name of Jesus Christ. But what can this mean when you’re working with Muslims? Muslims who do recognise the name of Jesus—as a prophet and teacher, but not as Son of God, crucified, risen, ascended, glorified? A cup of water. Such a little thing. I was fasting during the day on Wednesday last—it was an Ember day, a traditional day of fasting and prayer for the church and for its ministry. And mid afternoon, it was beginning to tell. And I had the most important meeting of the week to chair. So, up in the library, it was a cup of hot water to drink, alongside the other people attending the meeting. A cup of water that revived me, reminded me of the basic grace of the exchange as each of us drank either pure water, or tea or coffee. The meeting was at the heart of what I believe my own particular contribution to ministry and mission here in Bradford is all about. David and I have been working hard to build relationships with the city over the last few years, and this meeting, for me, marked a small turning point in our mission and ministry. For the last couple of years we’ve had a lecture series. The first year it was on Hope, picking up on the theme of Hope 08. Various speakers, but run on a shoe string; mixed attendance in terms of numbers; very few from Black or Minority Ethnic communities. But on the strength of that, I talked with Bana Gora about this year’s lectures: on the theme of The Intercultural City. Bana is the Bradford person for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. She is overseeing some really exciting projects here in Bradford, addressing key issues of poverty and the polarization of communities in a time of recession. She is a Muslim woman, who had never been in the Cathedral before. This year the Joseph Rowntree Foundation found a thousand to support the lectures. For next year’s lectures it’s six thousand pounds. So Bana was at the meeting on Wednesday. Last year the University’s Lifelong Learning department ran a series of lectures and seminars on Faith in the City. They didn’t consult us here at the Cathedral—to be fair, we didn’t consult them. But through the year it became clear that this was silly. Why not work together? At least to publicize each other’s events. So Nadira Mirsa, the dean of the department, and Nasar Fiaz, from the Bradford and District Faiths Forum, were both at the meeting. The Programme for a Peaceful City has been doing some really interesting work since the riots—organising speakers and seminars, provoking discussion and debate about what social cohesion looks like. Lisa Cumming, an atheist, is central to that. She was there, too, at the meeting, stressing the importance of an ongoing thinktank. Barbara Glasson, Geoff Reid’s successor at Touchstone. Nuzhat, of course, our new interfaith development officer. Chris Aldred, our administrator was also there. Around the table were key players responsible for stirring debate and discussion about Bradford and its issues of faith and culture. A good balance of people in touch with what’s going on in the city. We discussed next years lectures which will be on the theme of ’The State we’re In’ - a good topic for an election year. The plan is to invite leading political figures—including David Cameron; key thinkers, like Anthony Giddens, Will Hutton. Already we’ve got Tariq Ramadan, a leading Muslim scholar, in dialogue with Celia Deane Drummond, a professor from Chester University, on the theme of Faith in Creation. That’s in March. These lectures are going to be good. We have the resources now, and the capacity to build up a real head of steam about what it means to be British, what makes for a good city, a strong and resilient civic society. And we’re there, the Cathedral is there, at the heart of those debates now. At one point there was discussion about whether the Cathedral was the best place to hold the lectures. May be people wouldn’t come, as it’s the Cathedral. Nasar said—one thing keeps Muslims away: fear. Some of them fear that if they come to the Cathedral, they will stop being Muslim. They don’t trust the building. Yes, I said. I know. But it’s really important—and it might take 3 or 5 years—that this building is seen not just as a religious space, but as a place that is also dedicated to the city—a civic space as well as religious, open to everyone, of whatever culture or faith. Everyone there heard what I was saying. They recognised the importance of the Cathedral as a place of dialogue, a place of safety, a place with something distinctive to offer, that speaks of the importance of faith in today’s society. We’re going to continue to meet, continue to share ideas and work together in partnership—the time is right for that group of people to start to really pull things together, to present Bradford as a place of cutting edge ideas and thinking about what living in Britain means today. How Muslims and Christians can work together, develop friendships and partnerships. It’s a different way of doing mission, isn’t it? Alongside our work with people who are of Christian heritage, but are now unchurched, this is mission that is engaging with the growing Muslim communities of Bradford. Respecting their different faith, but presenting the Cathedral as a key religious and civic centre. A place of hospitality, where cups of water and more can be given and received in the name of Christ. It’s interesting that alongside the cup of water, in this passage, Jesus also uses the illustration of ‘salt’ in his teaching. Salt. Salted with fire. Have salt in yourselves. I take this two ways. First, mission is about seasoning. Tasting a situation and seeing where the salt is needed. Our mission is about adding what’s required. And to do that , we need to be salty, sharp, tasty, feisty, seeing opportunities. \We need to be entrepreneurial. Open to trying new things out, open to the possibilities that are presented to us. And to what end? Jesus said ’be at peace with one another’. This city, that has had its fair share of violence, of conflict. We need to do all we can to enable it to be at peace with itself. So a mission of water—cups of water—and salt. Generosity and simplicity of gift. The salt of passion and fire. Both necessary for a healthy body to flourish. Both needed in this city. Please pray for the peace of Bradford. Pray for our work in this area—and do come along to the lectures! |