Words for Worship

Ministry Today

Although your surveillance

of the Scottish media

may not have revealed the fact, but last week

our church meet

in general assembly

at Edinburgh.

 

And using the modern wonder of broad band internet,

I listened to

several debates

coming from that august body.

 

Many issues were aired including global warming,

Our responsibility towards prisoners

and the continuing monstrosity of human trafficking.

 

Signs indeed that

our denomination sees itself

as both barrier breaking

and then having work to do

on the other side

of that barrier.

 

However, this should have been no surprise

to any first time commissioner for all they had to do

was to look at who was

in the chair.

 

Because, of course,

the assembly had

its first woman moderator.

 

And I am sure we wish

the reverend Sheila Kesting well in her moderatorial year.

 

But barrier breaking

is not just

a modern phenomenon

in the fellowship of Christ.

 

Indeed we have heard already of the earliest church groupings and fathers

dispensing with food laws

and other rituals

that fenced human beings

from human beings.  

 

Albeit advice was always given that when we decide

to be iconoclastic

we should be so

for godly reasons

and ever to be aware

of the effect

of our barrier breaking

upon those of weaker faith.   

 

And saying all that

brings us to the breaking

of one of the greatest barriers to humanity

and that is geography.

 

 

For if Christianity had not moved out of

its Asian heartland

then it would have

never been adopted

by

the predominant world power of its era.

 

Because without

its direct explanation

to the Roman empire’s western population

it would have remained apparently out of  tune

with their all pervasive

Greco-Roman culture.

 

As a result then

our faith would have been walled of

from having any real influence in the foundation

of European history

instead of being its keystone.

 

However at least one event prevented that.

 

In truth maybe

just one decision

brought

the universal promise of Jesus into the blossom

of a global religion;

one happening

transformed

a small Jewish following

into a movement

without barriers

and one journey

released  the belief of a few into a faith for all and in all.

 

And it was this

all-encompassing  spiritual empire

that Paul foresaw in a vision; the vision that

the acts of the apostles

titled the call from

the man of Macedonia.

 

Let’s hear it now….

 

Anthem

 

Ron Ferguson

in this months life and work talks of the curse

of modern living

which he sees as choice.

 

In fact, he tells us

that today

we make more choices

in one day

than a cave man

made in his whole life.

 

Well, I am not sure

how he knows that,

but we at least know

that Paul’s’ choice

of crossing from Asia to Europe had a profound effect

on the future of the church.

 

Yet effect of that decision was to require more choices –choices that he personally

had to make –

choices that the church

had to make

through the centuries ahead and choices

that we must still make today.

 

Let now hear then about

those first European choices now as ………………….  

Reads to us.

 

HYMN…………………………….

 

During my visit last week

to Grove Academy,

I commiserated

with a history teacher

that the current syllabus focuses so much on Europe

in the thirties

and the Second World War.

 

Because without a wider sweep through the human story

we cannot know

where we came from

and therefore

truly know where we are today.

 

However, it is unlikely

that any study of history

in our schools

will feature Alexander the Great to any great extent.

 

For that we must rely

strangely

on duff Hollywood movies

and spun off computer games.

 

Yet Alexander may well be

our key figure for today.

 

Because many think

he was Paul’s

Man of Macedonia.

 

Let me briefly explain.

 

Now Alexander

had lived around 300 years before Christ

and had been

the greatest conqueror

of land mass

that history until then

records.

 

In fact, he had

the vision of conquering

the whole world

and making it one.

 

Well, he didn’t quite do that but he achieved

something more lasting.

 

He gave the Mediterranean world

the Greek language.

 

For it was the remains

of Alexander’s empire

that Rome eventually inherited and with it

that same Greek language

and associated culture.

 

Indeed, early on

in their world domination,  Romans employed Latin

only for administration,

law and commerce,

preferring instead

to use Greek for debate,

the arts and philosophy.

 

We can for example

draw a paralle

l with the predominance

of English

across the globe today

and how its major power,

the United States,

bases much of its culture

on the earlier British civilisation.  

 

Not surprising then

the educated Paul

knew that the future

of the gospel’s communication lay in the Greek language;

that the church’s success

lay in conquering

Greek philosophy

and in Europe

lay the seed

to fulfilling for Christ

the vision of both Alexander and the Caesars –

to make the world as one.

 

However, as we

too often find out,

having a vision

and making it a reality

are two different things.

 

In all honesty,

the transition between one

and the other

depends on the choices

we make.

 

For not only did Paul choose

to cross into Europe,

he also chose

to change

his method of working.

 

Since, it seems that

up until then

he had gone

to the local synagogue.

 

But in the west,

he chose to go

to where all people

went in search of God.

 

And in Philippi

that meant going

to a known place of prayer –

he went to the river side.

 

 

And that choice

is hugely instructive to us

in 2001.

 

For, we too are faced

with many choices

of geography –

the geography of our community

and choices

of working method

so as to overcome

its geography of division.

 

And it was this very type

of choice

that the general assembly

faced up to

this week

when they were discussing

the church without walls project.  

 

For they are proposing

next year

at Ingleston

to hold a rally

for 10,000 God searchers

and the church

will invite every congregation

to play an active part.

 

An exciting choice indeed

to carry

the gospel across all

that separates the nations

in our society.

 

 

But our reading from acts

also tells us

of other choices made by Paul.

 

Not least the choice

to converse with Lydia.  

 

Now here was a lady

who had

very much arrived.

 

For first of all,

she was a citizen

of a Roman colony –

a big social plus

in the ancient world.

 

Moreover, she was also likely

to have been very wealthy.

 

Because she was trader

in one of the most expensive commodities of her age –

cloth coloured purple

by a dye derived from shells.

 

So expensive was this material that only emperors

and prince lings

could afford garments

made from it.

 

In other words,

Lydia was more or less

the monarch

of all she surveyed.  

 

The surprise then

is less that Paul

accepted her

than that she bothered

to listen to Paul.

 

But she chooses to do so

and in turn

Christ chose her

to be

his European church founder.

 

Now last week,

we heard Oscar Romero’s assertion that

the poor choose God

more often

since they have

a greater awareness

of their need for him.

 

Yet he never suggested

that we should not converse, accept and affirm

those who are

material self-sufficient.

 

Indeed, I would suggest that most of Romero’s conversations were with

and to the benefit

of the more affluent.

 

May we then

do the same as Paul

and let no barrier

as to who a person is

stand in our way.

 

Let us engage in conversation with were everyone

we meet in our daily life.

 

Let us be ready

with the gospel

in the offices, clubs

and societies we attend.

 

Let us be converse freely

in the cafes, Coffee shops

and bars of our leisure time.

 

Let us be ready

to crossover

the geographical barrier

s of garden fence

and street outside

to make the vision

of the man of Macedonia happen –

the making of the world one.

 

 

Oh but is that not a wee bit daunting?

 

Fine we say

I don’t mind

financially supporting

those who go

and take Christ’s word out

to the poor

of this and other countries.

 

In truth,

 

I could see myself doing that with a bit of persuasion.

 

But hold on

if you think I am going

to talk religion in the golf club, or at the singers

or as, in my case,

the gliding club

you’ve got another thought coming!

 

 

But let’s read our second lesson again.

 

For Paul did not preach

to the women

by the river rather

he just talked

and undoubtedly

they just talked to him.

 

He just relaxed

and was confident

in the message

that he had brought so far.

 

In fact, he was at peace

with friendly God

and trusted

where he was being led.

 

And it was in dialogue

in the right place

and the right time

that a woman

high up in the local social strata was invited into

Christ’s company,

was tempted into conversation with Christ

and was eventually won

for Christ.

 

Put more directly,

Paul was open to Lydia

no matter

who she was

and was also open

to the spirit

no matter

what was required to be said.

 

 

And that method of working takes us

once again

neatly to the General assembly.

 

For one of the ministers

who is a regional development worker ,

just like Andy Campbell

who visited us last year,

said this of our church –

he desired  

that it learned

to be relaxed about itself,

to be confident

in its holy message

and to be happy

in its vast contribution

to Scottish society.

 

Therefore as

today’s barrier breakers

for a church

who is inspired

by the spirit

of the burning bush

let us learn

from this parable

called

the Irresistible Influence

of the Holy Spirit

 

Once upon a time

there was a piece of iron,

which was very strong

and very hard.  

 

Many attempts had been made to break it,

but all had failed.

 

“I’ll master it,” said the axe… and his blows fell heavily

upon the piece of iron,

but every blow

only made the axe’s edge

more blunt,

until it finally

ceased to strike

and gave up in frustration.

 

“Leave it to me,”

said the saw…

and it worked back and forth

on the iron’s surface

until its jagged teeth

were all worn and broken.  

 

Then in despair, the saw

quit trying

and fell to the side.

 

“Ah!” said the hammer,

“I knew you two wouldn’t succeed.  

 

I’ll show you how to do this!”  

 

But at the first fierce blow,

off flew its head

and the piece of iron

remained just as before,

proud and hard and unchanged.

 

“Shall I try?” asked

the small soft flame.  

“Forget it,”

everyone else said.

 

 

“What can you do?  

You’re too small and you have no strength.”  

But the small soft flame

curled around the piece of iron, accepted it…

conversed with it

and never left it

until it melted

under its warm irresistible influence.

 

However, Paul wasn’t

the only one

doing all the choosing

that first day in Europe,

for Lydia did some as well.

 

Not least was her choosing

to invite

this unknown and scruffy iterant preacher

into he most likely

luxurious home;

a risk indeed on her behalf.

 

But by her kindness

she too showed

she had been touched

by the spirit,

she too was opening up

to Christ,

she too was becoming relaxed in the company

of those who truly love

the Lord.

 

Of course, Paul then played

his part

by making his third choice

of the day

by accepting

and being comfortable

in that acceptance.

 

Here then is the context

for our choices

that we must make

with the holy spirit

for the advancement

of the church

not just into new geographies but in the re-conversion

of old geographies as well;

and it is hospitality.  

 

Indeed, at a recent elders’ conference

we were asked

what one quality

which most defined our congregation.

 

Only one said

it was the eloquence of the minister

and that was actually me.

 

But everyone else

was confident

of something

far more important

and that was friendship.

 

And long may it be so.

 

And long may we work hard

to keep it so.

 

And long may it

be our vision

to achieve it more so.

 

For surely it is only

when we offer

and accept hospitality

can we genuinely set about demolishing barriers;

can we easily cross geographical,

cultural and social space

and can we relay

the gospel of Christ

in posture

as well as

words and needs.

 

In honesty,

it is only upon

the ground-plane of hospitality, can we be

genuinely relaxed and confident of he we would represent

and allow others –

no matter their estate –

to find him in our company.  

 

For as Francis Palgrave

once wrote;

 

Not thronged above the skies

Not golden-walled afar

But where Christ’s two or three

In his name gathered are

Be in midst of them

God’s own Jerusalem

 

Erasmus, the famous Renaissance scholar,

once told a classis story.

 

In the story,

Jesus returns to

Heaven after His time on earth.  

The angels gather around Him to learn what all happened during His days on earth.  

 

Jesus tells them of the miracles, His teachings,

His death on the cross,

and His resurrection.

 

When He finishes his story, Michael the Archangel

asks Jesus,

“But what happens now?”  

 

Jesus answers,

“I have left behind

eleven faithful disciples

and a handful

of men and women

who have faithfully

followed me.  

 

They will declare

My message

and express My love.  

 

These faithful people

will build My church.”

 

 “But,” responds Michael, “What if these people fail?  

 

What then is Your other plan?”

 

 And Jesus answers,

“I have no other plan!”

 

Christ then has no other plan

to achieve

what Alexander the great

did not achieve –

the making of the world one.

 

No other plan than

requiring

our church forefathers

to break geographical,

social and etiquette boundaries.

 

No other plan than

for them and us

to be calmly certain

of our benefiting

the whole of humanity,

to our being confident

in our message

being the greatest ever told

and in our

and others hospitality

proving

the only home of the Spirit.

 

For these are

the choices

every generation plan

to set a fire

to melt the highest walls

of human difference;

the thickest bulwarks

of haves and have nots

and hardest hearts

around us.   

 

And it is by these choices

that you and I

will span

the geography

of time and space,

open fellow humans

 to possibility in new lands

and bring God’s conquests

into an empire of eternity.

 

Amen

 

Offering

 

HYMN…………..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Man of Macedonia