Monday, March 26, 2007

John 12:1-11: Christian Giving

Three clergymen were discussing how they decide to give part of their income to the church. The first vicar said, "When God tells me so, I just empty my wallet in the collection plate." The 2nd vicar was quite impressed and almost ashamed to tell of his approach. He says: "I draw a 3 foot circle around me, I throw the money in the air and everything that lands within the circle, I put in the collection plate." The 3rd vicar, who was both greedy and a penny pincher said, "I throw all of my money in the air and everything that falls to the ground I keep, because if God wanted it he would take it while it was up in there.

This morning I want to talk about the subject of Christian Giving. It’s a really important subject, and one that we cannot ignore as Christians, but it is also one of those subjects we don’t like to talk about. But the Bible talks about money 2,350 times, and of the 29 parables Jesus told, 16 deal with the subject of money, and in Matthew, Mark and Luke 1 out of every 6 verses deals with the subject of money. I think the reason why we DON’T like to talk about money, is because there are few subjects that expose our hearts more quickly than our view of money. Perhaps one of the reasons we would prefer not to talk about money, is because it is a topic that cuts close to who we really are, and about where are true priorities lie.

But it is something we cannot escape from, as Christians we are called to give generously, as part of the outworking of the Holy Spirit’s life within us. Christian Giving is meant to be a way of life in which we regard ourselves and our possessions as a trust from God to be used in His service, for what He has done for us in Jesus Christ. This is why in 1 Chronicles 29:14 we read: “All things come from you, and of your own do we give you.” Of course, Christian giving or stewardship, doesn’t just relate to money, it relates to how we use our time, our possessions, our whole lives. But this morning I want to focus on the financial aspect of stewardship.

Our Gospel reading (John 12:1-8) has a lot to teach us about the nature of Christian giving. Jesus was staying at the home of Lazarus in the village of Bethany, just two miles from Jerusalem. It was six days before the Passover, and the day before Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. As Jesus was reclining at the table with his disciples, Mary, the sister of Lazarus, comes into the room, and breaks the seal on an expensive jar of perfume, and anoints Jesus’ feet. And we are told that the fragrance of this perfume filled the whole house.

Mary’s act was an act of loving extravagance and spontaneous generosity. Hers is a love that is full-to-overflowing with spontaneous, unmeasured giving towards Jesus in response to all that he had done for her and her family. And this in essence is what should motivate our Christian giving. Our giving should be an outpouring of love for what God has given to us. We give, not because we feel obliged to do so, not because someone tells us it’s what we should do, but because it’s an outpouring of our love for what God has done for us.

So we should not be asking ourselves What do I need to give, but rather, How can my giving reflect something of God’s love for me?

We should see Christian giving, both as a challenge AND ALSO a privilege that effects the whole of our lives as Christians.

What we learn from Mary is that her giving is both extravagant and costly. We are told that the perfume she used on Jesus was worth a year’s wages. I don’t imagine that Mary or her family were particularly wealthy, but she gives the best to Jesus, because that is what he deserves.

What Mary reveals is that Christian stewardship is not about giving only what is needed, but it is about giving so generously that it has a touch of recklessness about it. If we give grudgingly, and reluctantly, then it probably indicates that our attitude towards giving needs to be looked at.
We need to be generous in our giving. Mother Teresa said “If you give what you do not need, it isn't giving.” And C S Lewis said “I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare.“

Both Mark and Luke record the occasion when Jesus took his disciples to the Temple, and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. We are told that many rich people there put in large amounts of money, but then along came a poor widow, and she put two very small copper coins into the treasury. And Jesus commends this widow for what she does. He’s says to his disciples "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on." (Mark 12:43-44) She gave sacrificially.

Compare Mary’s generosity with Judas’. Judas’ response to Mary’s action is to criticise her, saying that what she has done is a waste of money. He makes the claim that this money could have been used for the poor, but John tells us that this was not Judas’ real concern, he wanted to keep the money for himself. When the rich young man came to Jesus wanting to follow him, the one thing he could not do was let go of his money. Are we like Mary, who gives joyfully and generously, or Judas, who wanted to hold on to the money himself?

Another question to consider is how do you go about organising your giving? Is it something you think about in advance and plan at the start of each month, or do you give whatever is left over at the end? There is a saying which goes, Give to God what is right, not what is left.

When was the last time you sat down and reviewed your giving? This is something I believe we need to do at least once a year. It is something I personally do two or three times a year, and I adjust my giving accordingly.

In 2 Corinthians, Paul lays out some guidelines for giving. For example he says that we should give both proportionately and also regularly. We are each called to give according to our means, so how much we give, will very much depend upon our different circumstances.

So we need to prayerfully consider what we can afford to give, and to consider what are our main priorities? For example, how does are giving to God, compare to the other things we spend our money on, for example going out for the night, buying a daily newspaper, and so on. Jesus said, where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:21)

Paul in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 writes, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each person should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

In our Gospel reading, one of the results of Mary’s generous outpouring of love to Jesus was that the whole house was filled with the fragrance of perfume. If we are committed to serious and sacrificial giving, then it will be a fragrant offering to God.

The commission that Jesus gave to each one of us, was to build up his kingdom, to spread the good news of Jesus. Bill Hybels, leader of the Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago, one of the largest churches in America, and author of many Christian books, describes the local church as being the hope of the world. We as a church are to be a sign of hope to this community. But to achieve this, we must take seriously the commitment to give generously, to support and enable the work and witness of the church to continue.

Two weeks ago, at the ACM I mentioned that as a church, we face a significant financial challenge. And therefore we have issued the 5% challenge. In order just to break even, we need to increase our giving as a church by 5%, or to put that another way, we need to raise a further £5000 a year. I believe this is easily achievable, if we take seriously our commitment to giving.

Jesus said, it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). There is real grace in being able to give, and a real joy that comes from it. Giving is not intended to be a heavy burden. Julian of Norwich said, “A cheerful giver does not count the cost of what he gives. His heart is set on pleasing and cheering him to whom the gift is given.” We can fill up our lives with material possessions, but I have found that there is something incredibly liberating about giving back to God, and this is something I believe Mary herself realized, when she anointed Jesus, and I hope we also will all come to discover this.

Stewardship Prayer:

All that I am, all I can be, all that I have, all that is me, accept and use Lord, as you would choose Lord, right now today!

Take every passion, every skill, take all my dreams and bend them to your will.

May all I give Lord, for you I’ll live Lord; come what may.

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Luke 23:33 Forgiveness

As Jesus was being nailed to the cross he said, ‘Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’

On July 7th 2005, Jenny Nicholson, got on the tube at Paddington Station, to travel to the publishing company where she worked. It was a journey she had taken many times, but it was to be her last. She was one of fifty two people killed that day, as terrorists attacked the transport network in London, Jenny Nicholson was only 24 years old.

Just over three weeks later, on the 30th July 2005, Anthony Walker, a young 18 year with a very promising future ahead of him, was brutally murdered by a gang of racists thugs in Merseyside.

The one thing linking these two stories, is that both Jenny Nicholson and Anthony Walker came from Christian families. But the families have responded to their deaths, has been quite different.

The mother of Jenny Nicholson, the Revd Julie Nicholson, found it impossible to forgive her daughter’s attackers, and resigned from her role as Parish Priest. In an interview she gave to the BBC in March 2006, she said "It's very difficult for me to stand behind an altar and celebrate the Eucharist Communion and lead people in words of peace and reconciliation and forgiveness when I feel very far from that myself... so for the time being, for the moment, that wound in me is having to heal."

In contrast however, the mother of Anthony Walker, Mrs Gee Walker, publicly forgive her sons killers in front of the gathered press. Explaining in an interview later, why she had done this, she said, “It was not me. Something inside came out of me.” She went on to say that she felt no hate for her son’s killers, only sadness, she said, “Jesus commanded, ‘Take up your cross and follow me.’ So I try to stay focused and my message is peace, love and forgiveness.”
Both stories, illustrate the challenge of forgiveness. As Christians we are called to be prepared to forgive, yet as we see from these two stories, forgiveness can be costly, and difficult, just as it must have been for Jesus, as he hung on the cross.

What lessons we learn from Jesus’ words on the cross, and how can we learn to forgive others?
What do we learn about forgiveness?

At St Martin’s we are running an Alpha Course, and one topic that has come up on numerous occasions over the course of the last few weeks is the topic of forgiveness. It is something that many people find difficult. In a tourist shop, on one button was written, “To err is human, to forgive is out of the question.” The reality is that many people do find it difficult to forgive.

So why is forgiving people so important?

Jesus’ cry of forgiveness from the cross, are for me the most remarkable words that are spoken from the cross. We have to remember that before Jesus was nailed to the cross, he had experienced many terrible things. He had been abandoned by his friends and supporters, he had been falsely accused, he was then flocked, beaten and insulted, before being made to carry his own cross to the place of execution. And what is Jesus’ response, as he hangs on the cross, in the most unbelievable agony? It is to say, Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.

Jesus asked his Father to forgive the very ones who abused, rejected and humiliated him. It demonstrates the compassionate heart of our saviour.

What lessons do we learn from Jesus.

1 Forgiveness reaches out to the undeserving.

The people who had beat Jesus, mocked Him, and nailed Him to the cross did not deserve forgiveness. But Jesus through His kindness offered it to them. The point is that forgiveness reaches out to the undeserving.

It is a reminder that God’s forgiveness also extends out to each one of us, and that none of us are beyond the reach of God’s love or forgiveness, now matter what it is we have done. There may be people here today, who are carrying a burden of guilt or shame, and if that is you, then the message for you today is that God can take that from you. There is nothing that God cannot forgive.

2 We are to follow Jesus’ example

As Christians we are to follow the example of Jesus, we are to be people who are willing to forgive others, as we have been forgiven ourselves. But the reality is that, many people find this extremely difficult, like the mother of Jenny Nicholson. To forgive someone who has wronged you is not easy.

You yourself may have been hurt in the past, and you may feel that the person who wronged you doesn’t deserve to be forgiven, but then again did the people who put Jesus to death deserve to be forgiven? No. Do we deserve to be forgiven by God when we sin against him? No. But yet God still forgives us. And we too are called to forgive because God has forgiven us. Paul in Ephesians 4:31-32 writes, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

1. Forgiving is linked to being forgiven ourselves:

We are also called to forgive other people, because being prepared to forgive other people is linked to being forgiven ourselves.

In the Lord’s prayer, there is only one petition that has any condition attached to it: it is the petition of forgiveness. Jesus taught us to pray, “Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us”, and said “For if you do not forgive others from the heart, neither will your heavenly Father forgive you your sins.”

Notice first of all, that Jesus assumed we would forgive others. Forgive us, AS WE forgive others… To forgive as Christians is not an optional extra, it is something we are meant to do. Notice also that our forgiveness in effect depends on our own willingness to forgive others. Again, Forgive us, as we forgive others. Jesus in effect taught us to pray, Lord forgive me, in just the same way that I am prepared to forgive others. I wonder how often we have prayed this prayer, without realising just what it is we are saying. If you am not prepared to forgive someone, and you say the Lord’s Prayer, you need to think very carefully about what it is you are praying for.

Jesus in Mark 11:25 Jesus told his disciples, “when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” And in Matthew 6:14, he said "If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you". Our own forgiveness depends upon our willingness to forgive others.

2 Because it is part of our spiritual growth

Another reason why we are to be prepared to forgive others, is that the more we learn and practice forgiveness, the more we become like God, who himself is merciful and forgiving. As Christians what enables us to forgive is the knowledge that we ourselves have been forgiven by God. God has forgiven us, not because we deserve it, but because he is full of grace and mercy.

3 Because it is in our own interest

An unwillingness to forgive people can have a detrimental effect upon us. If we hold on to resentment, anger or hatred, it can damage us, far more than the person we are unwilling to forgive. For example, I am sure we can all think of people, whose lives have been corrupted by the strong sense of bitterness and anger that they have felt towards a person or a situation.

If we do not forgive, we shall not enter into the all the joy and freedom God wants for us. Unwillingness to forgive ties us to the past, so that we cannot move forward.

For example, there was a situation many years ago, when a friend upset me by something they did. The anger and resentment I felt towards what they had done, grew inside me, until eventually I realised that it was affecting me in a very negative way, and I realised that I needed to forgive them, so I asked God to help me let go of the anger I felt, and the feelings of hurt and resentment that had been building in me disappeared, and I felt a sense of release and peace that I had not felt for a long time.

What forgiving involves

So what does the process of forgiving involve?

Forgiveness doesn’t mean denying our feelings of hurt, anger, outrage, loss, but acknowledging them, and learning to let go of them so we can move forwards in freedom. And it means refusing to seek revenge, if you wrong me, and I forgive you, I shouldn’t then go and look for ways in which I can get my own back on you.

Forgiveness is extremely difficult, so how can you forgive someone when you have been really hurt, especially when we have been hurt or let down by those who are closest to us?
But there are some things we can do which can help us.
· We can talk about it, especially to a wise and trusted friend.
· We can try to understand why the person who has upset us has acted in a certain way. For example, Professor Sheila Hollins, the mother of Abigail Witchalls, the young mother who was left paralysed after been attacked whilst walking with her young son, was able to forgive the attacker, Richard Cazaly, who later committed suicide. Professor Hollins said “His death is the real tragedy in this story because he lost his life and almost certainly this was the consequence of the mind-altering drugs he was using." She was able to forgive this man, in part because she understood the effect these drugs had upon him. · We can pray:
1 Pray for ourselves, by sharing our feelings with God, and asking for his help and grace to lead us to a point where we feel we can forgive.
2 Pray for the person who has hurt us that God will bless them- this can be difficult but helpful. Jesus said pray for those who persecute you.
3 And we can pray that God will somehow use what has happened for our good.

Reluctance to forgive

Sometimes we may be reluctant to forgive. It may be that we are afraid that if we do forgive, we will in effect by saying:
· That the offence didn’t really hurt me
· That I and my feelings don’t matter much
· That we believe the offender had a valid excuse to hurt us
· That the offender need not face any consequences for their actions
· That it is okay to hurt me again.

But forgiving someone doesn’t apply any of these things. Just as when Jesus said, Father forgive them, he wasn’t saying that our sin which took him to the cross wasn’t significant, it was, but he still forgave us.

This raises a further question. Does forgiveness always mean reconciliation with the offender? The answer is not necessarily, although it can be a healing experience. Forgiveness is about our own attitude. Martin Luther King said, Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a permanent attitude. It is not always possible to restore the damaged relationship, for example if the offender is dead. And there may be occasions when it is not always desirable to restore the relationship, for example if a relationship was abusive.

Forgiveness is not just a one off event, it is an ongoing thing. In Matthew 18:21 Peter asks Jesus, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" To which Jesus replies, I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. In other words, it is an ongoing thing, and for some people, the process of forgiveness may take many years.

Acknowledging our own faults

It is important to recognise that we may need to apologise or seek the forgiveness of others for things we have done wrong ourselves. A number of years ago, I wrote to two former friends, asking for their forgiveness for things I had said and done. I realised that I had hurt them by my actions, and had never apologised, and because of this I wasn’t at peace with myself. So I wrote to them and asked for their forgiveness. Through that process of seeking their forgiveness, I felt released from all the guilt and shame. Jesus taught us, about the importance of being reconciled, with one another. If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. (Mt. 5:23-24) This is the reason we exchange the peace before we receive Holy Communion. It is not simply intended as a polite handshake, but an opportunity for us to make peace with one another, and forgive one another any harm we may have caused.

There may be some people her today, thinking I know I should forgive, but I don’t think I can. I want to finish by telling the story of Corrie Ten Boom, and how she had to face the challenge of forgiving someone who had hurt her.

Corrie was born in in Haarlem, Holland in 1892 into a Christian family. When the German army invaded Holland on the 10th May 1940, Corrie and her family took the courageous decision to help Jews escape from the Germans. Through their action they helped save many lives. However on 28th February 1944 the Gestapo arrested Corrie and nine members of her family, and she ended up at the Ravensbruck concentration camp in Germany. Although Corrie survived the concentration camp, many of her family didn’t, including her sister Betsie.
After the war Corrie was invited to speak in many countries about her experiences and about her faith. Corrie had always talked about the importance of forgiveness and reconciliation, but in 1947 she had to come face to face with the challenge and cost of true forgiveness. She was speaking at a church in Munich, when she met one of her former guards at Ravensbruck. And this what Corrie said about this encounter.

“Memories of the concentration camp came back with a rush: the huge room with its harsh overhead lights, the pathetic pile of dresses and shoes in the center of the floor, the shame of walking naked past this man. I could see my sister's frail form ahead of me, ribs sharp beneath the parchment of skin.

Now he was in front of me, hand thrust out: "A fine message, fraulein! How good it is to know that, as you say, all our sins are at the bottom of the sea!"

It was the first time since my release that I had been face to face with one of my captors and my blood seemed to freeze.

"You mentioned Ravensbruck in your talk," he was saying. "I was a guard there. But since that time," he went on, "I have become a Christian. I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well. Fraulein--" again the hand came out--"will you forgive me?"

And I stood there--and could not. Betsie had died in that place--could he erase her slow terrible death simply for the asking?

It could not have been many seconds that he stood there, hand held out, but to me it seemed hours as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I had ever had to do.

For I had to do it--I knew that. The message that God forgives has a prior condition: that we forgive those who have injured us. "If you do not forgive men their trespasses," Jesus says, "neither will your Father in Heaven forgive your trespasses."

Still I stood there with the coldness clutching my heart. But forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart. "Jesus, help me!" I prayed silently. "I can lift my hand. I can do that much. You supply the feeling."

And so woodenly, mechanically, I thrust my hand into the one stretched out to me. And as I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes.

"I forgive you, brother!" I cried. "With all my heart!"

For a long moment we grasped each other's hands, the former guard and former prisoner. I had never known God's love so intensely as I did then.

Conclusion

As we look at the countless problems in our world, one of the most important things we need to see is forgiveness. For without forgiveness, there’s no future. And the greatest symbol we have for forgiveness is the cross of Jesus. The cross also reveals to us just how costly forgiveness can be, but also how necessary it is. Mother Teresa said, If we really want to love, we must learn how to forgive. In Christ’s suffering on the cross that not only do we see true love revealed, but also the power of forgiveness to bring healing & wholeness. This is what Corrie ten Boom discovered when she met her former capture, and this is what we too can discover if we are people who are prepared to forgive. Amen.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Vicar's Report, St Martin's Annual Church Meeting (11th March 2007)

This is my report for the St Martin's Annual Church Meeting, held on the 11th March 2007. This report, plus the other church reports can be downloaded in Word format from http://walsallstmartins.2day.ws/walsallstmartins/section/Downloads/

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In my first report as Vicar of St Martin’s, which I gave in April last year, I said that there was much to give thanks for, but that we also faced many challenges as a church. Almost a year on, I think that that this remains the case.

Let me therefore start my report with some of the highlights from the last year.

The Net

In May 2006 we launched The Net, a monthly service which we hoped would appeal to people who do not currently come to St Martin’s. It has been extremely encouraging to see how The Net has steadily grown over the year, and that this has also led to growth amongst our main Sunday morning congregation. Looking ahead to the future, one of the challenges that we face with The Net, is ensuring that it is seen as an event for the whole family, and not just for children. Certainly we have noticed that whilst each month we seem to attract more children, we have not been so successful in attracting their parents! This is something that we are seeking to address.

I would like to express particular thanks to Martin King, who has been the main driving force behind The Net. What has been particularly encouraging has been to see how people from the church have come together to support The Net, it is truly a team effort, and I would like to thank all those who have supported this new initiative.

What we require for the future, is more people who can commit themselves to at least three or four Nets each year, to provide assistance. Areas that we particularly need help with include preparing crafts, running a base, providing refreshments and preparing posters and leaflets. If you would like to help please speak to either myself or Martin.

The next Net will be on Sunday March 18th, feel free to come along and see what it is we are doing, and find out how you can be involved.

Alpha

We are now onto our third Alpha Course since January 2006, attendance at each course has been encouraging, with a significant number of the participants having little or no previous connection with St Martin’s. The course is undoubtedly helping people to reflect upon the Christian faith. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:6, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.” All we can do is be faithful in planting the seeds, and trusting their growth to God. Your ongoing prayers for the Alpha Course are very much appreciated.

Again, running the Alpha Course would not be possible for the band of volunteers who help prepare and serve food, as well as lead the small groups. I am indebted to all who have given up time and money to serve the church in this way. Our next Alpha Course is scheduled to start in September.

Community Links

During the last year, I have had the opportunity to strengthen my own links with Park Hall Infant and Junior School. I now am in Park Hall Infant School most weeks taking assemblies, and I visit Park Hall Junior School up to several times every half term, and have on a few occasions gone into the school to help assist in lessons, or to welcome the children to St Martin’s.

We are very fortunate as a church to have facilities that are used by a variety of community groups and my thanks goes to John Garbett who deals with the hall bookings.

Church Attendance


Back in October, a year after my licensing as Team Vicar, I reflected on church attendance at St Martin’s over the past 16 years. The bad news I reported was that our: usual Sunday attendance has halved since 1990, and since 1990 we have lost 89% of our young people.

However, over the last few months, it does seem as though our numbers as a church do seem to have stabilised, and possibly increased. There does appear to have been some small, but still significant growth amongst the number of children and families attending St Martin’s, and this is something to really give thanks to God for.

But the challenges facing us are considerable, and we need to continue to reflect on how we can reach out to more people within our community.

Young People

Another area where we face both opportunities and challenges is amongst our young people. I would like to express my particular thanks to Richard and Diane Sainsbury for the work they do amongst the Youth Fellowship (YF). Numbers at YF have fluctuated quite a lot over the year, but there is always a really positive atmosphere. In the coming months we face a challenge about the future of YF, to consider what best meets the needs of the young people within our church, and also our wider community. Again your ongoing prayers for this vital work are very much appreciated.

Tribute also must be made of our Sunday Group Leaders, Mick Pymm, Peter Wheble, Martin King, and Anne Firkins, plus those who support them. As their report highlights, it is not easy to plan the sessions when they are uncertain as to how many children they will get, but there have been some encouraging signs of growth and their hard work and commitment is laying the foundations for the growth of these young peoples faith. However, more helpers are needed if this work is to grow, so please consider whether this is something you could help with, maybe on an occasional basis.

St Martin’s is also extremely fortunate to have a very popular and well run Parents and Toddler Group, which is run by Emma Knott, Emma Wadley and Sheila Wright, although with Sheila looking to relocate to Spain on a more permanent basis, it is important to find more volunteers to help run this group.

Ministry Team

One of the things that greatly appealed to me about St Martin’s when I first arrived was the fact that it has a Ministry Team. It was wonderful to be able to welcome Jackie Brown and Jane Quinn to the Ministry Team last year, taking the team up to its full quota of eight people for the first time since its introduction.

St Martin’s was recently given Mandated Ministry status by the Diocese, which is in recognition of what the church has achieved in trying to encourage every member ministry. On April 1st, the Archdeacon of Walsall will be coming to St Martin’s to preach and officially commission our Mandated Ministry Team.

DCC

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the DCC for their service to the church, and especially to Liz Dunthorne, who although remaining on DCC, is standing down as Secretary. Just over a week ago the DCC attended a conference held here at St Martin’s, on the subject of Leading Your Church into Growth, and in May we have arranged for a DCC Day Away, which I hope will enable the Church Council to prayerfully reflect on how we can lead the church forward into further growth, and renewal.

Wardens

Two people, who, the whole church is indebted to, are our Wardens Phill Ball and Lilian Turner. I am so grateful for Phill and Lilian’s support, and guidance. One of the primary functions of a churchwarden is to represent the views and opinions of the whole church congregation, if you like to be an advocate for the church, and Phill and Lilian have always faithfully discharged their duties.

As many of you will be aware, Phill has had a strong sense of calling for some time now, and in April will be attending a Selection Conference for the Ordained Ministry. Because of this, Phill has decided that the time has now come for him to stand down as churchwarden. On behalf of the whole church, I would like to express our thanks to Phill for all he has done during the time he has been warden. Please hold Phill in your prayers as he attends the selection conference in April.

Needless to say the role of church warden is an extremely important one, and I am therefore delighted to report that Derek Kelsey has agreed to become our next warden.

To support the wardens in their Sunday duties, we have two deputy wardens, Dorothy Doody and Carl Petrucco, and again I would like to express my thanks to them for all that their hard work. Carl is standing down as deputy warden, and I am pleased to report that Peter Wheble will be taking over from Carl.

Finances

This year, we once again managed to pay our Parish Share in full, and meet our other financial commitments.

However, looking ahead to the coming year, it is clear that as a church we face some significant financial challenges, which we will talk about in more details following this service. Put simply, our income does not meet our expenses, and so in order to meet our commitments, we have had to dig into our church reserves last year by the sum of £5,291. One of the reasons for this shortfall in income is due to a drop in congregational giving.

As you will appreciate, this situation cannot continue, because if we have another year like this last year, there will be no reserves left. We therefore face the challenge as a church of having to increase our giving by 5% during this year, in order just to break even, to put that another way, we need to raise our income through giving by £5,840. I have written to every member of the electoral roll to invite you to review your current level of giving, and to consider if you can make changes to that, and I would ask you to prayerfully consider this request.

Increasing our giving by 5% this year, is not an insurmountable difficulty, but it does challenge us as a church to take seriously are commitment to give to the work of God’s church.

I would like to thank John Duder for all he has done as Treasurer, and Martin King for his work as Stewardship Officer. John, after being in the post of Treasurer for several years, has decided to stand down, and so on behalf of the church I would like to express my thanks to John for all he has done. I am delighted to report that Roger Turner, has agreed to take on the roll of Treasurer.

Cluster

The clergy from the five cluster churches continue to meet on a regular basis to plan and pray, and we participate in regular pulpit swaps, which St Martin’s directly benefits from. During this last year, we have said good bye to a number of friends including, Peter Wilcox at St Paul’s, who is now Canon Chancellor at Lichfield Cathedral, Frances Tyson who has moved to Southampton, David Stokes Harrison who is now house for duty vicar in Shropshire, and Mark Ireland who has returned to parish ministry in Wellington near Telford. Jenny Nightingale the curate of St Paul’s, will be leaving Walsall in June, to take up a new post in Bournemouth, and in May we will welcome the Revd Mark Kinder and his family to Walsall, as Mark becomes the new Priest in Charge of St Paul’s.

The Body of Christ

Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:27 writes that the church is the body of Christ, and that we each have a part to play in it. Although I have mentioned a number of people by name in this report, there are many others who help serve the life of the church. Much of this work goes on in the background, but helps strengthen and serve the whole body of Christ. Particular mention should be made of the home group leaders, hospital team, those involved in visiting the sick and elderly, those involved in prayer ministry, charity representatives, flower arrangers, sides persons, refreshments team, and those who help assist in leading worship (leading intercessions, reading, administrators, worship leaders, etc.) The list is likely to be longer, but your work is truly appreciated. The strength of a church lies in the people, and I am thankful for all who work hard to serve the church.

The Future

Looking ahead to the coming year, I feel encouraged, but we still have a lot to do. I believe that our main priority is for us to put prayer much higher on our agenda, so that we hear what God is calling us to do, and that TOGETHER, as a church we may faithfully serve God and our community. In a sermon that I preached back in October, I said quoted from the Diocesan Going for Growth Strategy, which said: “The growth of the kingdom and the growth of the Church depends on the Holy Spirit, not on human striving. Prayer MUST be our first priority. Church members have a vital part to play, praying daily for the growth of the church and of the kingdom.”

I believe that if as a church, we are to see the growth that we all long for, then we must take the call to prayer much more seriously. Because, a praying, will be a growing church.

I want to conclude with Paul’s words from Philippians 3, which I hope will be our prayer as a church for the coming year. “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. , and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me… One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.


Monday, March 05, 2007

Luke 9:23-25 & Matthew 25:31-40: The Cost of Discipleship

Introduction

Advertising has become a huge business. You can’t escape from it, it is everywhere, on the radio, on tv, on our computers, on the clothes we wear, on the back of buses, everywhere.

The purpose of a good advert attempts not only to sell you a particular product, it tries to sell you a life style choice. For example, we are encouraged to believe that the type of car we drive, the sort of clothes we wear, the place where we choose to go on holiday, says something very important about the sort of people we are, it says something about our values and aspirations. Charles Revson, who owns a factory making lipstick, said this: “In our factory, we make lipstick. In our advertising, we sell hope.”

But when people came to Jesus and asked him what they would have to do to follow him, Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24) Clearly Jesus hadn’t had any lessons on advertising, because if you are going to try and sell something, talking about taking up your cross, and loosing one’s life, is probably not going to attract many takers.

The Royal Marines run a recruiting advert which has the strap line, 99.9% need not apply, the point being that clearly only a select few are good enough for the Royal Marines.

Although Jesus’ words are not to be interpreted in this way, he is making clear the cost of discipleship.

Firstly Jesus said we are to deny ourselves. But what does he mean by this? We are in Lent, and during Lent many Christians give up things that they like, is this is the sort of denial Jesus was referring to? The answer is no, although self denial of this sort is a good spiritual discipline.
Denying OurselvesBy denying ourselves, Jesus is saying we need to renounce self. We need to put God, and not ourselves at the centre of our lives. It is about letting God be the one who is in charge of our lives. It is about putting God in the number one spot, rather than ourselves.

We are living in a society, where so much emphasis is placed upon putting self first, and so Jesus’ words are incredibly counter cultural. As a rock star Alice Cooper, is very famous, he is also a Christian. In an interview about becoming a Christian this is what he said. “People think it’s ironic that Alice Cooper, this rock ‘n’ roll rebel, is a Christian. But it’s the most rebellious thing I’ve ever done. Drinking beer is easy. Trashing our hotel room is easy. But being a Christian – that’s a tough call. That’s real rebellion.”To put God first in our lives is not easy. Martin Luther said “Here is what Christian living entails: wishing in all things whatever God wishes; desiring his glory, seeking nothing for oneself, either now or in the hereafter.” Many people find this difficult. This is why many people find it easier to live their lives their way rather than God’s. C.K Chesterton said “Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it’s been found difficult and not tried.”

Take up your crossThe other instruction Jesus gives is to ‘Take up your cross’. Mark was writing this gospel for Christians living in Rome, who were undergoing persecution. It would have been a familiar site to see a condemned man carrying his cross to the place of execution. This theme of having to suffer for your faith would have been very relevant for the Christians in Rome. And today many Christians around the world face real persecution for their faith.

But living in this country, we do not have to face the same hardships. So what does Jesus actually mean by ‘taking up our cross’? It means being prepared to surrender everything to God, giving our whole life over to him, submitting our lives to him. Just as Jesus submitted himself to the will of his Father. There is actually a great paradox in what Jesus is saying, because it is when we surrender our lives to God, that we discover true freedom.

Dietrich Bonheoffer was a German theologian and pastor, who established the Confessing Church in the 1930s, and was involved in the German resistance movement against Hitler. He wrote a book, called ‘The Cost of Discipleship’, first published in 1937. In this book he writes, To deny oneself is to be aware only of Christ and no more of self, to see only Him who goes before and no more the road which is too hard for us. … All that self-denial can say is: "He leads the way, keep close to Him.""…and take up his cross." … Only when we have become completely oblivious of self are we ready to bear the cross for His sake. If in the end we know only Him, if we have ceased to notice the pain of our own cross, we are indeed looking only unto Him. If Jesus had not so graciously prepared us for this word, we should have found it unbearable.

He goes on to write, “To endure the cross is not a tragedy; it is the suffering which is the fruit of an exclusive allegiance to Jesus Christ. When it comes, it is not an accident, but a necessity. … the suffering is an essential part of the specifically Christian life.

It is not suffering per se but suffering-and-rejection… for the sake of Christ. If our Christianity has ceased to be serious about discipleship, if we have watered down the gospel into emotional uplift which makes no costly demands and which fails to distinguish between natural and Christian existence, then we cannot help regarding the cross as an ordinary everyday calamity… We have then forgotten that the cross means rejection and shame as well as suffering.

Bonheoffer, had to carry his own cross, he was killed by the Nazi’s days before the end of the war.

The parable of the sheep and the goats, from Matthew’s Gospel is a reminder to us that we cannot live our Christian lives in isolation from other people. And this too, is part of the cost of discipleship. I have heard people say that their Christian faith is a private matter, but this parable demonstrates that it cannot be purely private. Our faith has to impact our life, and the way we treat others.

In James chapter 2 verse 14 we read, ‘What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such a faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

As Christians we are called to demonstrate God’s love through the love we show to others. These acts of love and compassion aren’t dependent upon wealth, ability or intelligence, they are simple acts freely given and freely received.

The people Jesus reached out to, and the people we also are called to reach out to, was the prostitutes, the alcoholics, the drug addicts, the homeless, those people on the margins of society. The challenge here is not only to demonstrate love to those people that are similar to us, but to those people who the rest of society would shun. This takes us beyond our comfort zone. To people and places we would rather not go to. And it can be costly. And Jesus makes it clear that we will be judged on the criteria of how we have treated others.

Being a Christian is not easy, we know from the Gospels, that there were many people who wished to follow Jesus, but found the demands too difficult, like the rich young man. The Christian life is challenging, and at times it can be a struggle, as we seek to overcome our own wills and passions, in order to put Christ first. Fortunately, the God we worship and follow is merciful and kind, and understands are struggles and our frailties. To be a disciple of Christ requires a full-time, long-term, commitment, being prepared to endure all manner of things for the sake of Jesus Christ, but which results in the reward of eternal life in the kingdom of God. Augustine said: “Christ is not valued at all unless he is valued above all.” God has called us be comfortable Christian consumers, silent spectators, or a half asleep half-hearted halfway follower, he has to be at the heart of our lives.