Words for Worship

Ministry Today

 

I rarely can recall

any of my dreams

when I wake up.

 

But last week

I remember dreaming

that I was going to fly

in a Vulcan aircraft.

 

It started with me

walking around its fuselage

apparently doing

some sort of inspection.

 

Then I and great gaggle of others

started to climb aboard

and into a hanger like space inside.

 

It was then that I woke up

just as I got

my bone dome helmet stuck

in the entry hatch.

 

But even stranger

than the dream,

is that I have no conscious desire

to flying in a Vulcan

and

in fact

know very little

about the contraption.

 

Yet that is the strange aspect

of dreams.

 

For the various images

that flit across our minds

when we sleep

are invariably a bizarre mix

that would not disgrace

a Salvador de Dali painting.  

 

Nevertheless they also

can be very frightening.

 

So disturbing,

in honesty,

that we give them

another name;

and that name is

of course

nightmare.

 

Well, after the crucifixion,

the disciples

must have felt themselves

living through a nightmare.

 

For, they had lived with Christ

in the first dawning

of a better time for humans.

 

During it,

they had found an avenue to God,

they been bathed in

Jesus’ life affirming wisdom

and they enjoyed mutual companionship

in untold of harmony.

 

Then, suddenly this apparent reality

was ripped to shreds

in a surreal scene of brutality.

 

For Jesus had got caught up

in a nightmare of judicial murder.

 

 And, at an inexplicable stroke,

he was gone.

 

Moreover, with him

went that glimpse of paradise.

 

Worst still –

all that he had said and done

was quickly

fading in the memory.

 

Yet even as they sat

in this frightening dream,

something strange happened.

 

For it was then

that the faithful woke up

to a happier reality.

 

Here to tell us of how

that event happened to one,

least willing to awake,

is……………..

 

Lesson

 

John 20.24-30

 

Anthem

 

 

 

Actually Doubting Thomas’ story

reminds us

of another use

of the word dream.  

 

Because we regularly employ it

as short hand

for any conscious aspiration or wish.  

 

In other words things

we want ardently

if not desperately

to come true.

 

Yet dreams remain

just that

unless we do something

about them.

 

If we do not,

then we add another word

in front of dream

and it becomes

a pipe-dream.

 

But if we actively pursue

a vision

we make it come true;

we make it an achievement

and indeed

we can make it our glorious reality.

 

 

Certainly when Christ

gave his disciples their dream,

he additionally told them

how to make it happen

as well.

 

But, he gave them

something more

and he also gave himself

the greatest and last name

we will study.

 

Because, he promised

all his followers

to be spirit and presence;

the very spirit and presence

that gives support

and encouragement

and guidance;

the very spirit and presence

that brings

our visionary dreams closer.

 

Here to read to us

of dreams coming true, is………

 

Matthew 28.1-10; 16-20

 

 

 

HYMN…………………

 

 

 

When Eisenhower

was president of the United States,

he once had his attention

called to a letter

a Denver newspaper.

 

It said that a six-year-old boy,

who was  dying of cancer,

was expressing a wish

to see the president.

 

And so one Sunday morning

a black limousine

pulled up

in front of the boy's house.

 

Ike stepped out of his car

and knocked on the front door.

 

The father,

Donald Haley,

opened the door

wearing faded jeans,

an old shirt,

and a day's old beard.

 

Standing behind him

was the boy.

 

Eisenhower said,

"Paul, I understand you want to see me.

Glad to meet you."

 

Then he took the boy

to the limousine

to show it to him,

shook hands,

and left.

 

The family and neighbours

talked about the President's visit

for a long time.

 

But that father

always remembered it

with regret

because of the way

he was dressed.

 

He lamented,

"What a way to meet

the President of the United States."

 

Well that story is often told

at this time of advent.

 

Because, it is said to illustrate

the point

that we should always be

spiritually dressed

for Christ’s coming

at any time.

 

However, this story begs

another observation

as well.

 

For did you not notice

that Jesus knew exactly

what Thomas had been saying

before he appeared to him

in our reading from John.

 

And the reason was

just as Eisenhower

had hidden sources around

this unfortunate child,

Christ too

had been invisibly present.

 

Maybe then

this tale’s ultimate moral

is to keep yourself

not just spiritually well dressed

for Christ’s return

in the flesh.

 

Rather we must keep

spiritually well dressed

for he who is already present

in the Spirit.

 

But how do we do maintain

our spiritual attire?

 

Well, by none other than

using the garments

that Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection

has bought for us.

 

First off, that means

using the spiritual revolution

brought in Jesus.

 

Because the great surprise

that the early Christians had

was that they gained

a direct access to God

in prayer.

 

No middle men required.

 

No mumbo-jumbo needed.

 

And certainly no animal sacrifices.

 

For the risen Christ

made abundantly clear

at all his appearances

that the hot line

is now open –

open even when

we rather it was not!

 

Since did not Acts record

Paul hearing from within

his prayer,

when he was in a ticklish spot:

 

 

Do not be afraid;

keep on speaking,

do not be silent.

 

For I am with you

 

Yet, being open to God

means more than

merely communicating with him.

 

It means getting

your very own companion

through life.

 

For, that was certainly

the promise that Christ

made to his disciples

when he said –

surely I am with you always

to the very end of the age.

 

Since these words

meant more

than valedictory rhetoric.

 

Because it was these words,

offering a very real physical presence,

that set free

a doubting band of followers

and made them into

disciples to all the nations.  

 

It was these words

that turned a frightening nightmare

into a glorious reality.

 

And it is these words

guaranteeing

an ongoing spiritual presence

that help us

to overcome our doubts;

that help us

to grow in faith

and help us

to make our better dreams

come to fruition.

 

But maybe like Thomas

you will say –

seeing is believing.

 

If that is the case then

look around

right now.

 

For the living presence of Christ

always gives

at least one tangible proof

of continual resurrection.

 

And that is the community

of each other.

 

Since, if you study scripture

closely,

you will see that Christ

rarely appeared

to individuals

but instead to groups.

 

Groups that he offered his peace to;

groups that he commanded

to go to baptise others

and to teach others;

groups that he still gathers together

to do his work –

not in our dreams –

but in reality.  

 

Finally, Let then this group

ever be our fellowship,

our pastor

and our faith’s vineyard

in a fallen world

 

 

 

 

And so to a case study.

 

Nearly 400 years ago

in 1643,

these isles

were in all sorts of religious turmoil

which tested individual’s faith

often to the limit.

 

But one young man

doubted that

what was going on

was God’s will.

 

Yet the more George Fox

searched in the churches

of his day

the less he saw

other than half-heartedness,

despondency and mediocrity.  

 

As a result,

he started out

by followed the steps

I have outlined this morning.  

 

He chose to open his voice

to God in prayer

and he opened his soul

to the presence of Christ.

 

Yet he still found himself

far from his dream

of a revitalised Christian Community.

 

Put directly, he remained

without any human soul mates.

 

 

It was then he made

the greatest discovery of all.

 

For instead of searching further

in empty buildings,

he found that

he needed to go

the mountain top.

 

He needed to delve down

to the heart of God

that lay deep inside him.  

 

And it was there

he heard

with bell-like clarity –

rely entirely

upon the ever present spirit

to bring new disciples together –

depend on  Christ alone

to  weld the hearts

of your companions into communion  

and above all

depend less on your doubts

and more on your beliefs.

 

Well, the rest is

as they say

history.

 

For then meetings

of his newly founded

Society of Friends

erupted across England.

 

This in turn

brought a fresh blossoming

of Christ’s kingdom coming.

 

Moreover,

these turned

the emptiness of churches

into the fulfilment

of the Church.

 

In truth, these groups

clothed the spiritual presence

once more

in human flesh.

 

And even though Fox

and his likeminded Christians

were given

the less than flattering name –

Quakers –

they still have a large impact

on our country’s moral life –

not least in prison reform,

race relations

and peacemaking.  

 

They are still being led

by the spirit

towards making

their truly great dreams a reality.

 

 

So as we enter advent

we come to the end

of looking at how

the names of Christ

can grow our faith.

 

However,

as we wait for

Jesus in a stable born,

let us muse upon

his presence

already here

in the spirit.

 

On this happy baptism day,

let us too remember

we were not just baptised

with water

but also with

the fire of the spirit.

 

Ultimately, let us dress ourselves anew

in the garments

that only the risen Christ’s presence

can provide;

his comfort,

his encouragement

and his fulfilment.

 

For with a faith

that casts out all doubt,

this hope

need not be a surreal illusion

but instead

a fine suit

for a birthday party.

 

Amen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spirit & Presence