Sermon                                               Sunday 18th. September, 2005

 

Reading: Mark 9: – if anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last and the servant of all

 

Last week, we heard of the town of Kendal, population 28,000, in the Lake District. Recently it has become famous. For the past fifteen years or so, a team of researchers have been studying church congregations, and the growth of new holistic groups, like yoga groups, aromatherapy and so on.  They’ve discovered that on an average Sunday like today, 2,200 people attend  worship in any one of a number of congregations. But 600 people during the week take part in one or other of the new groups that meet. Astrology groups, psychic consultancy groups,   meditation groups, pagan groups and so on. And the new groups are slowly gaining in numbers. In the book he has recently written, the Professor in charge of the survey tells us that if this trend continues,  within the next 20 to 30 years, new groups will outnumber congregations.

why is this survey of a small town in the Lake District so important ?

it illustrates so well, it seems such a clear example of a movement, a shift that is happening for many people………

a movement away from living for others,

towards living for self

shift from life centred outside yourself

to life centred in yourself

a slow shift away from the churches in Kendal, to groups focussing on self

 

One of the researchers in charge of the survey put the difference like this:

He was driving past a bus shelter, saw an advert for Fitness First, the biggest health club operator in the UK, with 1 million members worldwide – 

the advert says: Be yourself, only Better ! that’s what the new groups are about.

and what are the churches about ?

Well, the researcher says

remember The Charge of the light brigade………….. the poem …remember how it goes ?

Theirs not to make reply, theirs not to reason why, theirs but to do and die

that poem, he reminds us, is about soldiers, whose duty is to the Army above all, not to themselves, the Charge of the Light Brigade is all about duty and obligation, and doing what you’re told: the new groups are saying Be yourself only better

but the church  is offering duty and obligation

Be yourself only better on the other duty and obligation

What do you think ? Is that right ?

Is that what we’re about ? duty and obligation ?

 

… well of course there are duties and obligations, things we have to do as part of the Church, putting out teas, putting away chairs – but so do the new groups in Kendal, even the psychic consultancy group in Kendal needs something to sit on,

What do you think ? Is that right ?

Is that the main thing we’re about in the Church ? duty and obligation ?

 

Now, Paul calls himself servant of the Lord in Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, Its there in Peter, Jude, Revelation –

at first sight, doesn’t that look like duty and obligation ?

a servant has never ending duties, he or she is obliged to do a whole lot of things

but when Paul talks about being a servant of the Lord……… he’s talking about this:

about living life centred in Jesus, from Jesus, through Him,…..

depending not on our faltering, frail selves, 

but relying for everything on Him, depending not on our faltering,

frail faith,  but relying for everything on Jesus,

And Paul,

And the whole New Testament declares this:

that being a servant of the Lord, serving the Lord, serving Jesus Christ

comes not from duty and obligation

but from Love for Jesus Christ

 

Why do we do what we do ? says Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:

We do what we do because we are ruled by the love of Christ

what inspires us, lifts us, renews us, comforts us, encourages us,

is not duty and obligation

but the Love of Jesus Christ

 

When the woman with the expensive jar of pure perfume came and poured it on Jesus’ head, in the house at Bethany – to bring everything she had to Jesus, was to find forgiveness, peace, salvation –

What was that all about ? duty and obligation ?

no love ! she came in love !

Jesus told Simon, the owner of the house – she, she loved much !

 

Now, in Mark. 9:  Jesus says to the disciples – if anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last and the servant of all…………… does He mean we have to conform to duty and order ? No – more than that - Jesus is offering an invitation……to ordinary people like ourselves - to forget self, and live life centred in Him, from Him, through Him,….. to know Him, to draw on His life, and love, He invites us to give our own life to Him – but then, we find, that this is not to lose life, but to find it !

 

Is that what we’re about ? duty and obligation ?

What do you think ? Is that right ?

well, someone might still say, yes ! duty and obligation is what you are all about in the Church, not only do you have to put the chairs out in church, put them away, make the teas, turn up at 11.00 on a Sunday…..

you have to love one another !

isn’t that the heaviest duty of all ? , the biggest obligation of all ?

that we also have to love one another !?

 

with our faltering frail selves, and our frail faith, how feeble our love is too !

but what we are about is living life centred in Jesus, from Jesus, through Him,…..

depending not on our faltering, frail selves, 

but relying for everything on Him, depending not on our faltering,

frail faith,  but relying for everything on Jesus,

 

and the miracle, the wonder of the Gospel is this that we depend not on our own frail faltering love, but rely for that too on Jesus,

the miracle, the wonder of the Gospel is this, as Romans proclaims,

that God has poured out His love, His love into our hearts, given love to us,

through the Holy Spirit……… who is God’s gift to us,

to build us up as His Church

AMEN