29 August 2010
All Saints Church Sanderstead

“One, Holy, Catholic and APOSTOLIC church”

Ephesians 2:11-22
John 20:19-32

You’ve probably heard of the apocryphal conversation between Jesus and Gabriel after Jesus returned to heaven. When the joyful welcome back was over, Gabriel asked “So, what’s the plan now?” “Well, replied Jesus, I’ve shown them and I’ve taught them and now I’ve left them to pass the good news to one another. I’ve left the Holy Spirit to encourage them.” “Right ….” Gabriel sounded doubtful. “So, what’s the back up plan?” Jesus looked astonished. “There isn’t one!” He said.

Today we are thinking about what we mean when we say that the church is apostolic.

Jesus said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

Our word ‘apostle’ comes apparently from the Greek apostello = I send so it could be applied to all those sent out by Christ, but usually it is applied more narrowly to those who received a personal commission from the risen Lord whom they had actually seen. It was this qualification, which was carefully emphasised when the Eleven were trying to find a successor to Judas (Acts 1:21-26). When Paul’s apostleship was challenged (2 Corinthians 11: 5-13) he defended his claim to it on the grounds that he too had seen the risen Christ and had received a personal commission from him. (Acts 9 : 1-9)
But the apostles were not only, messengers and witnesses, they were also the depository and interpreters of Christian doctrine and in this sense, together with the prophets they are described in our first reading as ‘the foundation’ of the Christian church (Ephesians 2:20).
Strictly speaking therefore there are no apostles today, and what is called the ‘apostolic age’ ended with the death of the first generation of Christians; but the apostolic message has been permanently enshrined in the New Testament and in the doctrine of the church. The apostolic work is carried on by successive generations of Christian men and women empowered by the Holy Spirit. (more…)

The Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary 15 August 2010

Sermon preached at All Saints Sanderstead 8.30 & 10 am by Penny Bird Licensed Reader

Isaiah 61:10 to end
Luke 1 : 46-55

“The Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.”
Isaiah 61:11b

This morning I’d like to focus on Mary as she is responsive to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and Mary as she speaks the Magnificat, a wonderful prophetic psalm of the nature of God and God’s action in society; a song of promise, fulfillment and praise.

But first a little story;
Apparently the question ‘Where does God live?’ was asked of a group of Primary school children. The report I read said that the Catholic children pointed to the sky while the Hindu children pointed to their hearts.
How would you answer? Where does God live? We’ll come back to that.

First let’s remember what led up to Mary’s song, the Magnificat we have just heard. You might like to look at Luke chapter 1 in the pew Bibles. You’ll find it on page 1025 You will remember the Angel Gabriel came to the young Mary, who was promised in marriage to Joseph. We can deduce from what we know of marriage customs at the time and from scriptural references that Mary would have been about 14. Her cousin Elizabeth was married to a priest of the temple in Jerusalem. She seems to have been brought up in a devout Jewish family, in the tradition of the ‘Anawim’, those whose hope was that God is for the little ones, the lost ones, the lowliest. Her song shows that she sees herself as one of those. She has true humility.
(more…)

A few years ago there was a TV series on the BBC in which Michael Palin made a journey through the Himlayas – I think it was called Himalaya. During his trip, he was fortunate enough to have a meeting with the Dalai Lama, the great figurehead of Tibetan Buddhism, who lives in exile in Northern India. Many people regard him as a prime example of what it means to be a holy person – someone who has devoted his life to prayer, meditation and spiritual growth.

But what struck me in the meeting between Michael Palin and the Dalai Lama was the way the Dalai Lama behaved – he couldn’t stop laughing and giggling. In fact, he was so consumed with what seemed to be a naughty sense of fun that it was almost impossible to make sense of what he was saying. (more…)

What’s on your mind this morning?

What have you brought to church with you?

Do you have worries or concerns about yourself or a loved one?

Are you weighed down with the suffering of the world?

Have you come to worship with thanksgiving in your heart?

Have you come to church because you’ve always done so and your mind is blank from habit? (more…)