Words for Worship

Ministry Today

 

 

The radio clicked on

one morning last week

with the news that

some conference

was considering

whether Robots

in the future

will demand health care.

 

A quick check

ensured it wasn’t April fool’s day.

 

It wasn’t –

for this is apparently

a serious consideration

as we start to share

our planet

with machines

that can think for themselves.

 

However, the speaker went on

to say that

suitcases which follow you automatically

through airports

are more the likely robots

in ten years time

than the humanoid

‘ danger – will Robinson’ kind

we saw

in lost in space.

 

Nevertheless

in the immortal words

of Dylan –

the times are a changing.

 

And that brings us

to the other great

mover and shaker

in the early Jesus movement – Peter.

 

For last week

we talked of Paul –

that cataclysmic convert

and convertor to Christianity –

but today

it is the rock’s turn.

 

And Peter always was

the innovator and the evolver;

the dreamer of visions

and he who included

people into those visions;

the man, indeed,

for times that are a changing.

 

And where did he start

his agenda for change?

 

Well, believe it or not

it was when

he had the inspiration

that all food was clean.

 

Not a startling revelation

you would think

on the surface –

but it was.

 

For Jews across

the Mediterranean Diaspora practiced their religion

by creating

a sacred space

for themselves

through having a sacred lifestyle.

 

In other words,

they used practices and rituals

to barrier themselves off

from the profane world

and its tainting influences.  

 

And the most obvious

outward sign

of being religiously separate

was in their dietary laws;

laws that prevented them

eating with gentiles.

 

Therefore, to cast food rules

out the window

for the new-fangled Jesus Jewish sect wasn’t just different –

it was revolutionary.

 

In fact, it bulldozed down

a major obstacle

to being part of

the chosen people.

 

In honesty, in itself

it changed the world.

 

Let hear about that dream now

 

First Lesson is read by …………………….

 

Anthem

 

It was a strange term.

 

I mean, of course,

God-fearers.

 

For two thousand years ago,

it meant gentiles

who felt a strong affinity

to the morality, spirituality  

and monotheism

of the Jews

but did not want to go through

the long process of conversion.

 

And it seems that

every synagogue

out with Palestine

had a surrounding group

of camp followers

who were on

the same wavelength

but not of the chosen race.

 

Now it was

these righteous individuals

that the repeal

of the dietary laws

would be particularly good news and it was amongst them

that Paul

would find a natural audience

for his message

of how to be Jewish

without being a Jew.

 

Indeed, it was amongst them

that the Holy Spirit

next spoke in order

to start

the explosive expansion

of Christ’s Church.

 

Let us then hear

of this first bestowal

of the Spirit upon God-fearers.

 

Second lesson is read by…………………..

 

HYMN

 

First lesson

 

Anthem

 

Now if you thought

Robots having rights

seems a bit off the wall –

try the idea of

a cyber church.

 

That is a Christian congregation that meets only

over the internet.

 

And believe it or not,

these are spring up

in all sorts of places.

 

However, where each originates doesn’t matter.

 

For, provided you have

a computer,

you can join it

no matter where you live.

 

And I have given you

further information

on your order of service.

 

 

Yet we shouldn’t really

be surprised

at this development

because by using

the internet

every one can publish

their opinion,

everyone can tell their story

and everyone

can talk to anyone else;

proof then that the Internet

is very much

a new force in the world.  

 

The times are indeed

a-changing.

 

Yet any new technology

and the subsequent change

to people’s opportunities,

abilities and world perception, should never ever

frighten the church.

 

Because as we heard

from Scripture;

humanity has a propensity

to innovate;

the holy Spirit  

has the power

to exploit that change

and the Church then

builds afresh

on the back of that revolution.

 

Take the freeing up

of socio-religious barriers

that Peter instigated

by the dismissal of food laws which in turn

started the church

towards meteoric growth;

take the freeing of ideas

from medieval superstition

and the invention

of the printing press

that exploded

into the Reformation;

take the concentration

on rational and rigorous thinking over emotionalism

that powered the Church

through the enlightenment

and into the 20th Century.

 

 

For each of these revolutions caused a drastic chang

in the way people saw

and did things

yet of each –

the church made it –

its own.

 

However, we still are inclined

to ask –

how are we to win victory again

in today’s  battlefield

of multiplex ideas?  

 

How are we to go on building

the church

in this novel era

of almost

total human freedom of expression?

 

What is the spirit leading us

to do

with the endless possibilities

of instant global communication?

 

 

Now a rabbi and his pupil

were discussing God's Word.

 

This was their conversation.

 

Herschel, do you know the sacred scriptures?

 

Yes, teacher, I have been studying them.

 

And, do you know the phrase, 'Thus have I heard?'

 

Oh, yes, that is throughout the scriptures.

 

Herschel, what then have you heard?

 

What then have you heard

today

is also

a very good starting point

to answer these questions.  

 

Because if the church

is seen as

out of touch

by many of our fellow citizens, that must surely come

primarily

from not listening.

 

Listening to what is going on, listening to where

people are going

and listening to what

they want of God.

 

Let then the challenges

of this brave new world

cause us to open our ears.

 

For firstly,

we must listen

to what people

really are seeking in life;

what is truly important in them and what would

genuinely change

their lives quality .

 

Be sure not prejudge the issue

or put words in their mouths

or listen without hearing.

 

Instead, let us listen

for all we are worth –

because then

and only then

will we learn.

 

Next we need to listen

to the opportunities of this age.

 

Let us not deafen ourselves

by raising barriers,

or taboos

or worse still

pseudo- scared spaces.

 

Rather let us listen

to what is possible

that was not before;

let us listen

to what is open

which was not before

and let us listen

to what people aspire

to which

they may have never been able

to do before.

 

But, above all,

if the Spirit

is still committed

to building the church

in this day and age

then certainly

it is speaking to us.

 

In other words,

we must crucially listen

for the voice of the God.

 

Because undoubtedly

just as He was heard

‘loud and clear’

by Peter and Cornelius,

he is also speak to us

of His plan for all humanity

in this changing world;

he is inspiring us

to make the changes

to the church

for times of change.

 

Moreover, he is forcing

upon us

the changes we must achieve

if we are ever

to change our world.  

 

Let us then listen –

listen to our neighbour,

listen to our epoch

and listen to God.  

 

Because then alone

can we dare to pray

the famous words

of Reinhold Niebuhr;

 

Give us the grace to accept

the things that

cannot be changed,

the courage to change

the things that can

and the wisdom

to know the difference.

 

Like most close communities,

the Navy

had a range of slang,

catch-phrases

and bon mots

for every occasion.

 

Possibly the most annoying one was used

usually by a superior

to a junior expressing

some minor complaint.

 

And it was the rather pompous –

I hear what you say.

 

In other words,

I know exactly what you mean

but I intend

to do sweet nothing about it!

 

As we listen to world’s wants

and desires and opportunities

may we not turn

the same Nelsonian deaf ear.

 

Instead may we pronounce –

I hear what you say

and I will do something about it.

 

And that means

not walling  ourselves

into some time trap

whose preservation

dooms us

to trying to hold back

the tide of progress.  

 

Instead it means

grasping the potential

of all that today has to offer

and deploying it

to shake the world

by its heals.

 

It means formulating

a clear vision

of what the church

in full-blown mode

could do

for Joe and Josephine soap

on the road outside.

 

It means getting out there

and using all

the means at

each of our disposal

to sell the vision

that encompasses

what people are looking for;

what they are hoping for

and what they can

whole-heartedly buy into.  

 

For that is to show

we are not calling

anything impure

that God has made clean;

it shows we are willing

to use all that God

is putting into our hands

and it shows

that we have heard,

believe

and are acting

to bring to fruition

the words that appear

later in Acts –

So then, God has granted

even the gentiles repentance

unto life.

 

 

A new kind of plane

was on its first flight

and was full of VIPs.

 

A little while after takeoff,

the captain's voice

was heard over the speakers. "Ladies and gentlemen,

I'm delighted to be your pilot

for this plane's historic first flight

 

I can tell you

the flight is going well.

 

Nevertheless, I have to tell you about a minor inconvenience

that has occurred.

 

The passengers on the right side can, if they look out their window, see that the closest engine

is slightly vibrating.

 

That shouldn't worry you,

because this plane

is equipped with four engines

and we are flying

at an acceptable altitude.

 

As long as you are looking out

the right side,

you might as well look

at the other engine on that side.

 

You will notice that it is glowing

, or more precisely

one should say, burning.

 

That shouldn't worry you either, since this plane is designed

to fly with just two engines

and we are maintaining

an acceptable altitude.

 

As long as we are looking out

the plane,

those of you

on the left side

shouldn't worry

if you notice that one engine

that is supposed to be there

is missing.

 

It actually fell off

about ten minutes ago.

 

Let me tell you

that we are amazed

that the plane is doing so well without it.

 

However, I will call your attention to something

a little more serious.

 

Along the centre aisle

all the way down the plane

a crack has appeared.

 

Some of you are,

I suppose,

able to look through the crack

and may even notice

the waves of

the Atlantic Ocean below.

 

In fact, those of you

with very good eyesight

may be able to notice

a small life-raft

that was thrown from the plane.

 

Well, ladies and gentlemen,

you will be happy to know

that I am keeping an eye

on the progress of your plane

from that very life-raft."

 

Now the lesson of that story

is not the obvious one

about

the frighteningly ineffectiveness

of remote leadership.

 

Instead it is all about

seeing the need for change

and leaving it to others

to sort out.

 

So today, l

et us join Peter, Luther and Wilberforce.

 

Let us lead by act

from the front.

 

Let us individually

break down

our own personal barriers

and affect changes.

 

 Let us learn about all

that is now available

and useable and beneficial

and exploit it

for Christ and his Church.

 

Moreover, let us listen

to what those around us

dream for

and bring it to them

in the spirit.

 

Even better

don’t rely on someone else

to do what God requires

but grab the situation

and communicate the good news and ring in

the divine revolution.  

 

For the future may be unpredictable

but the present is not;

for the future

is not un-winnable

for the present proves that;

for the future

is potentially wonderful

because the present

always invites that.

 

Or as the third century Indian poem has it:

 

Look to this day!

For it is life, the very life of life.

In its busy course

Lie all the virtues and realities of your existence:

The bliss of growth

The glory of action

The splendour of achievement.

 

For yesterday us but a dream

Tomorrow is only a vision

But today well lived makes yesterday a dream of happiness

And every tomorrow a vision of hope.

 

Look well therefore to this day

Such is the salutation of the dawn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Peter