A sermon for the day after the coronation

The day after a coronation

 

A sermon reflecting on Psalm 72, Colossians 1.9-20 and Luke 4:16-21

 

I hope you all had a lovely day yesterday, however you spent it. Although there are certainly a few among us who remember the last coronation, for many of us it was our first experience of such an event.  Certainly, many people tuned in - in their homes or in parks or in other community venues. And it was watched around the world too.

 

Some people were at work and some chose to spend the day doing other things. But in our age of information overload that doesn’t mean that they have necessarily missed it if they had wished to watch it, or avoided it if they didn’t . The video footage is all over the internet! It will be watched and rewatched for years to come. The only short moment hidden from public view was the anointing, though we did get to look at the screen created by the Royal school of needlework. Thanks to Jessica Wilkinson of the United Church and her friends.

 

In amongst all the C of E clergy I hope you noticed Helen Cameron , a Methodist minister and moderator of the Free Churches group saying part of the Blessing and one of the URC moderators, David Walking, representing churches in Wales, walking in with other church leaders.

 

This year of course there were some changes to previous coronations: a Hindu man reading the epistle and an ordained woman reading the gospel, the Kyrie sung in Welsh, then Gaelic and Gaelic also getting a look in, and alongside the high quality choral singing a different kind of Joy with a Gospel choir.

 

Even so much of the pageantry and ritual goes back years even centuries. In the midst of all this prewritten formality, the Archbishop of canterbury had the opportunity to speak to us. It was by necessity very short. without taking away from Justin Welby’s word about service to the King’s subjects around the world, I would like us to spend a little more time thinking about some of the scripture readings used yesterday. We might like to recall that the moderator of the Kirk gave a bible to the King saying : this is the royal law, these are the lively oracles of God.

 

We began our worship today by singing “Jesus shall reign”. This is a paraphrase by Isaac watts of Psalm 72, the most regal of the royal psalms. You might be wondering where we heard that yesterday: it was sung (in Greek) while the King was being presented with the sword.

 

The psalm is presented in our Bibles as a prayer by King Solomon for his son David, the future King. Within Christianity it has always been regarded as only truly fulfilled in Jesus. Only of Christ the King is it true to say “may all kings bow down and all nations serve.” But it might be seen as appropriate to use it to pray for all earthly Kings, Queens ,Presidents and Prime ministers, indeed anyone with any kind of authority over others. We pray that they might indeed play a role in delivering the needy, in hearing the afflicted ,and rescuing the oppressed.

 

But though earthly powers might play a role, these matters are truly in the realm of Christ, the kingdom of God. 

 

Jesus, Standing in the Nazareth synagogue, reads from the “lively oracles God” in Isaiah:

 

 “the spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom from the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”

 

And then says that these words are being fulfilled in his very self! Christ is the most lively Oracle of all.

 

But as we look around us we see that the poor hear little good news, and many are still oppressed or captive in all kinds of chains. The task of taking forward the “Nazareth manifesto” lies with us, the people of God, the body of Christ, the royal priesthood.

 

In the abbey the Prime minister of the United Kingdom read from Paul’s letter to the Colossians “we have not stopped praying for you… so that you might live a life worthy of the Lord… bearing fruit in ever good work”. In the context of the abbey, and without context with the text, it might look like this is a prayer for an individual, one we can borrow to use with regard to King Charles. But although hidden within our English translations, Paul’s words are addressed to a community, originally the community of the fragile infant church in Colossae, but by extension addressed to the community of the church across the world. Charles Windsor has a place within that community of course, but ultimately this is about “us”. This is about the “kingdom of the son God loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” 

 

To have any chance of pursuing the Nazareth manifesto we must be in Christ. And that manifesto begins “ the Spirit … is upon me”. And Paul prays the spirit will lead the saints of colossae into widom. The archbishop pointed out for the King and Queen the task is only bearable by the leading and strengthening of the Holy Spirit. And that is true too for you and for me. In Christ, lead by the Spirit, seeking to follow God’s agenda. Together.

 

In the service we listed to a choral setting of this traditional collect. It seems very apt, but we do need to remember that the word “prevent” originally meant “go before”

 

“Prevent us, O Lord, in all our doings with thy most gracious favour, and further us with thy continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in thee, we may glorify thy holy Name, and finally by thy mercy obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen”

 

As I was watching Mr Sunak read from Paul’s letter, a caption came across the screen saying  “Colossians 1.19-20”, but in fact the reading stopped at verse 17. The next three verses seem to take us to a more natural break: 

 

“And he (christ) is the head of the body the church, he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross”

 

In the service after the homage of the church of England and of the royal family, the people were invited to swear allegiance to the King. Whether individuals took up this invitation is a very personal matter. But whether we did or did not participate we should be mindful that all earthly power and authority, no matter how merciful and just - indeed Godly, is ultimately subject to God. Ultimately only Christ is head of the church. Ultimately only the Spirit should direct our ways.

 

Or As Isaac Watts renders the ending of Psalm 72

 

Let every creature rise and bring

Peculiar honours to our King

Angels descend with songs again

And earth repeat the loud Amen.

 

 

What should we do today?

What should we do today?

We have witnessed and prayed and reflected at the foot of the cross.

But tomorrow is not here yet.

Not yet.

And we do not have your tomb to guard

or spices to prepare for your body.

So it it just an ordinary day,

a day to go to the shops.

meet family or friends,

or go to work?

Or is it a day to wait?

Should we just sit and wait with you?

And then what would we be waiting for?

We already know how the story turns out.

We are waiting for a worldwide celebration of your rising.

And in amongst everything we will do today.

ordinary or extraordinary,

maybe that is worth waiting for.

So help me Lord

to make this day a day to wait:

in busyness or in calm

in noise or in silence.

Help me to wait patiently

for the coming worldwide shout:

"Hallelujah! Christ is risen!"

"Holy Week" in John

I have been reading and thinking about the Gospel according John quite a bit recently (inspired by Professor Ford's fantastic commentary).

This week I am struck by chapter 12. It feels like reading an alternative 'take' on Holy Week that challenges any nice scheme we might have for what happens each day between Jesus arriving in Jerusalem and gathering his friends for a meal for one final time before the crucifixion.

So in John we have this sequence:

The anointing at Bethany - by Mary not by a 'woman' we are meant to remember but who is nameless

The entry into Jerusalem with palms and hints of the prophets Zechariah and Zephaniah

A soliloquy on Jesus death (and resurrection) prompted by the seemingly innocent request to "see Jesus"

A voice from heaven

Wrestling by the author on belief and unbelief with Isaiah 53 hovering in the background

Jesus reminding whoever will listen that this all points back to God

That seems more than enough to think about. You might like to try finding a moment today to read the whole chapter.

Habemas Papam

On Wednesday 13 March 2013 the white smoke, ringing bells confirmed by the words habemas papam declared to the world the election of Francis I.

After the extraordinary resignation of the of Pope Benedict XVI, the election of his successor brings in a succession of firsts: the first non european pope for over a thousand years, the first pope from the americas, the first Jesuit pope, and the first to take the name Francis. I confess that I struggle to relate to the wild celebrations in St Peter’s Square, but I do share what one commentator described as a ‘quiet excitement.’ So I am glad that on behalf of 100 million Reformed Christians, Setri Nyomi, the General Secretary of the World Communion of Reformed Churches immediately wrote to the new pope congratulating him.

The letter began: 

“Dear Pope Francis,

With gratitude to God for your election as the Bishop of Rome and head of the Roman Catholic Church, we congratulate you. We received the news of your election this evening with joy. As we congratulate you, we also assure you of our continued prayers as you begin this major responsibility of your ministry in the Lord’s vineyard.

Your election as the first Latin American Pope signals for us an acknowledgement that the recognition of the Worldwide impact of the Catholic Church. We are touched by your humility. The name you have chosen is a sign for us that attention to the plight of the poor and justice for all people will be important for you.”

We are glad for our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters that this is settled before Holy Week and Easter, as they and we prepare to recall Christ’s passion and celebrate his Resurrection anew. Perhaps this recognition of the global nature of the church and the prioritisation of solidarity with the poor might be seen as signs of new life, of resurrection even in our time.

alistair

a perfect christmas?

‘Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat’ so goes the yuletide song. There is of course an implication in this phrase that our main business, the focus of our energy and attention, over the next few weeks should be about preparing for a feast. Now feasting is important, as is time spent with friends or family, whether that be a quiet day with one old friend or the happy mayhem of a house full with an extended family. And such feasting needs preparation and planning. 

But no amount of following the recipes of TV chefs or the present tips from glossy magazines will ever guarantee ‘the perfect christmas.’  As frail human beings we cannot rule out by careful planning all personal tensions. There is always the possibility of tragedy or trauma for ourselves or our loved ones, and the shadow of sad or difficult events from previous years will never quite go away.

I am not seeking to be unnecessarily pessimistic about this: merely popping the media bubble that an idyllic scene can always be created by human willpower alone. And in painting a more realistic picture I want of course to emphasise alongside our weaknesses that Christ was born for this, and died for this, and lives among this.

And that is why I am so fond of the advent wreath song from the Iona Community that makes a holy parody on the old song like this, ‘Christmas is coming, the Church is glad to sing.’ Singing because, whatever life may throw at us, our gladness and peace and hope and joy lie in Christ whose coming 2000 years ago we celebrate today.