Birthday blog - Election

'Put on therefore, as the elect of God, 

holy and beloved, 

bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: 

even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.'

Today, February 8th, I reach what some call 'a significant milestone'. 50 years ago at about 4am, after a cruelly hard labour I was born into the world, somewhat untimely ( I was two weeks late), but born I was whether I liked it or not.

The Gift of Life was thrust upon me and my will was (eventually), powerless to prevent it. 

I Had to Live.

This morning I was privileged, by virtue of my calling to Priestly ministry to Preside at the Eucharist as I am so privileged several times most weeks. On Wednesday mornings we use the old 1662 rite and the weekly readings supplied. This being the week of the fifth Sunday after Epiphany the epistle set is St Paul's letter to the Colossians, Chapter 3 and verses 12-17, which begins in the old translation with the verses above.

What hit me on this anniversary of my natural birth was the phrase 'the elect of God'. Chosen. 

This I know is a concept which many Christians, especially those who have grown up in a Calvinist tradition might find troubling. When folk have spoken to me of their troubles in this regard, their difficulties seem often to be along the lines of 'It doesn't seem right that God chooses some and not others'. This worry is rooted in one or two misconceptions. 

Firstly the perception of being Chosen as somehow being 'the blue eyed boy (or girl)'. One way or another folk are troubled by the perception of election that was rampant in some elements of Judaism under the Old Covenant that the Prophets railed against. That Israel was chosen because it was special, whereas in truth it was chosen precisely because in and of itself it was nothing . . . they were not chosen because they were special, they were special because they were chosen.

So firstly it is useful to meditate on this - if you are a Christian, you are so for no reason that has Anything to do with You.

But that is I think a fairly minor matter. The Scriptures are clear in this regard and most folk will hear a sermon which reminds them of this on a fairly regular basis, because we keep needing to be reminded of it.

The second misconception is what it means to be chosen. For many understand election in terms of chosen to go to heaven whilst others are chosen to . . . (the dark underside of most folks understanding of election, one which Calvin's theology forced him to and which he then had to hide from). In other words a misconception about the purpose of election . . . and here it is Vital that we come to grips with the proper meaning of election, which is its Goal. 

We are Chosen not for our Good, not for our 'eternal destiny, but for the Glory of God - 

that His Glory might be revealed in the world. 

We are chosen not to go to heaven, we are chosen to Go (walk/LIVE) in a heavenly way

and we have no choice in the matter.

Jesus is a unique rabbi - unlike others he is not chosen by his disciples, they are chosen by him  - the doctrine of election is crystallised in the words of Jesus - 'You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last,'

None of us children of faith Ever Choose to be Christian.

So much of our modern thought regarding becoming Christan, (i.e. over the last 200 yrs or so) - has focussed on Our Choice. 'We Decide for Christ'. 'We ask Jesus into our life'. 'I have decided to follow Jesus'. 'I decided to become a Christian'. We took Jesus words about New Birth and distort them into a handy formula We could put into action, we could make ourselves the centre of. This idea is as nonsensical as the idea that we choose to be born. The parallel is EXACT.

We are born into the world through the will of the flesh, through the will of man, not by ours - we are born into the Kingdom of God by His will, not by Any Choice on our part.

But here the distinction ends - for when we are born into the world, so we are told, we must make of it what we will, make a life for ourselves, make a name for ourselves. When we are born into God's Kingdom our Life is given to us. We need not seek for meaning, indeed it is now foolish to do so, our life has a meaning given to us - we are chosen, elect to reveal the Life of Heaven. We are chosen to adorn ourselves in the garments fitting the children of God we are, that their glory may direct the hearts and minds of those amongst whom we live to our heavenly father. Our purpose in Life is Given.

I wonder if actually our struggles with the idea of being the elect 

is in fact a faint apprehension of what it really means??

The Cost of Discipleship, of election is not something we choose, it is a given.

Not long after I came out into the air of Cumberland General Infirmary - barely conscious I was taken to the church of St Michael the Archangel in Stanwix, Carlisle. And there on April 1st 1962, I received the sacrament of baptism. I was marked and chosen. I had No say in the matter. Through many of the years of my youth and early realisation of faith I rebelled at the idea that I had had no say in the matter, that I had not chosen . . . Very Very Very slowly I am learning to be grateful for it. 

Firstly because I realise it puts real flesh on the doctrine of the absolute sovereignty of God in all and through all and thus of the unconquerable Love of God. 

But  I am learning to be grateful each morning, because 50 years later I realise that I am made of dust and that my election means that finally the responsibility for my life is in His hands and not mine. All I have to do is Live the Life that has been given . I do not need to wake up each morning and ponder the meaning of my existence, all I have to do is be obedient to the Life I have been given to me. As a dear friend wished me this morning, all I must do is to let go of the self consciousness of the last 50 years.

When we are born into the world 'we only have one life' but we believe we choose it on a moment by moment myriad of possibilities. When we are born from above, with no say in the matter , then truly 'we only have one life' - the life of Love, of long suffering, the life of mercy and forgiveness, the life of humility, and how humbling is it to say, "I have no say over my life I can only Live that which has been given me".

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; 

it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast. 

For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, 

which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. 

Sermon for the Baptism of Christ

The Baptism of Christ

Sermon for Sunday January 8^th, 2011

Genesis 1:1-5

Psalm 29

Acts 19:1-7

Mark 1:4-11

So a new Vicar goes to a church and chooses for his first sermon the text, Jesus’ words from John chapter 3 vs 7 ‘Do not be amazed that I say to you – you must be born again’. Well at the end of church the wardens and vestry were all very happy – it was they thought a very fine sermon and there were lots of smiles at the door

The following week, the new Vicar chose the same text – You must be born again. Well Vestry were a bit perplexed, but again it was a very fine sermon which they really appreciated and there were lots of ‘nice sermon Vicar’ as folk left the church.

The following week the Vicar’s text was . . . John 3:7 ‘You must be born again’ – well this time the Vestry were more than a little perplexed and called the Vicar to see them afterwards. ‘We really appreciate your preaching but Why do you keep preaching this same text?’ The Vicar looked them in the eye and said, ‘Because You must be born again!’

Well that salutary tale illustrates a couple of things for us this morning at the beginning of a new year. Firstly I think it is a Very good illustration of how the point of sermons is missed. A sermon may well be very well crafted, theologically correct and impeccably delivered – and yet still not heard. The Gospel reading and the sermon that follow are God’s Word to us and we need to be alert and ready to respond. I think it worth reflecting on the question. How often do I respond to what we hear? This is a question for us however old or young we are in Christian faith, for as we shall see, the Christian life is a life lived in response to God’s Speech to us

Well, the Vicar in the story could see a Spiritual need, a Great Spiritual need in his new congregation – they appreciated fine sermons but actually they were spiritually dead – they needed to be born from above, born again. It is a reminder to all of us that like the church in Sardis which the risen Christ Addresses, we can have the name of being alive but actually be dead – that it is not what others think of us a church that counts – the only Judge is the Risen and ascended one. And I think that this is a Very big challenge for us as a church which is outwardly successful – Christ looks and speaks to the hidden reality of the Heart of a church, what John calls the angel of the church and we need always to be Listening. ‘Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church’ we hear at the end of every lesson.

But secondly the story illustrates something which I myself will do. Just as the Vicar kept saying ‘You must be born again’ – so I will repeatedly emphasise the significance of our Baptism. In a very real sense every sermon Must be a working out of the implications of our Baptism. So if from time to time you are thinking ‘Why does he keep going on about Baptism?’ then the answer is that it is fundamental to our faith as Christians. It is the beginning, the Source. Everything else flows from our Baptism  - for our Baptism is not the baptism of John, a baptism of repentance, of turning around to face and believe in the one who was coming after him. No, our baptism is a baptism into the name of the Lord, Jesus. Into his Very life.

Just before Christmas I was working with those folk who are getting confirmed or seeking to renew their baptism vows and in one session we explored Baptism and what it meant to be baptized in the name of Jesus. And one person said, and I think this a very sensible suggestion that because I was baptizing someone in the name of Jesus, I was doing it on behalf of Jesus. Because that is precisely how we understand those words, but this is not how our forebears in faith understood it. The Name of someone was understood to be synonymous with who they were – to mention the name of a person made them very truly present – One important reason amongst many why Gossip and the suchlike is frowned upon for to talk about someone was seen as being in someway making them present. I wonder if you’ve ever noticed how in Scripture plots about people and the like have a habit of being uncovered, as if the person was present – which of course they were for they had been named.

So to baptize in the name of Jesus is literally to be put into Jesus. St Paul puts this in Romans chapter 6 where he says we are baptized into the death of Christ – we have been buried with him by baptism into his death – so that just as Christ was raised from the dead . . . we to might walk in newness of life. It is the most succinct teaching on Baptism in the whole of Scripture and utterly breathtaking. Thus I might speak on it again and again for how can we ever get into the depths of the implication of this that in our baptism we have been included in the death of Jesus and thus also his resurrection and that that has present implications for us.

We always teach on the baptism of Christ at the beginning of the year – it is Christ’s Own beginning – he enters the work his father has for Him at his baptism – you are my Son, my beloved. He enters into something Very New. We might very well say that at His Baptism Jesus himself is Born from Above – The Holy Spirit Descends upon him – and he is the one who himself ‘will baptize with the Holy Spirit – He gives the Life that is in Him to those who are baptized in his name.

We read from the beginning of Genesis at this time not because it is the start of a new year, but to remind us of the original Creation, for the Resurrection of Jesus ushers in the New Creation and we are baptized into this new life.

It is I think a commonplace to understand Christian faith as being about second chances – about forgiveness – and a new start. And in a sense this is right. It is about a new start, new beginnings, but not merely having a go at the same old life we had before. Some folk say something along the lines of Christians aren’t any different to anyone else, we’re just forgiven! Well that really isn’t doing the reality of what is happening justice. Yes, there is great power humanly speaking in forgiveness – when we forgive we not merely set others free, we are ourselves set free – but anyone who has tried to genuinely forgive will know that it seems all but impossible. People stand amazed when say for example the family of someone who is murdered stands up and publicly forgives the murderer – there is something other worldly about it. ‘Who can forgive sins but God alone?’

In other words we need something outside of ourselves to truly live out this Christian life, because the Christian life is not first and foremost Our Life, it is His Life in us. And His life is a moment by moment response to the Voice of his Father in heaven

At His baptism Jesus receives the Holy Spirit – immediately we see him living in response to it as the Spirit drives him out into the wilderness to learn as it were the discipline of a life responding to god, that human beings do not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

This is the profound meaning of our Baptism – a life lived in ever closer response to the Word of God

In the beginning God said – the Creation of which we are part knows this all to well – as St Paul says, all creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God – those who like the creation respond to His Word

I’ll finish with a few words about the Psalms – we don’t use them in our worship and I think that perhaps needs to be addressed – they are as many folk have pointed out both the words of people and the words of God – if you need to learn how to pray then the Psalms are great teachers - Our Psalm set today is Psalm 29

The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
   the God of glory thunders,
   the Lord, over mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
   the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
   the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
   and Sirion like a young wild ox.

The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
   the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl,
   and strips the forest bare;
   and in his temple all say, ‘Glory!’

A beautiful vision of Creation living in response to the word of God – when I hear this I think of a dance – it is as if Creation is Dancing in Joy, ecstatic rapture in response to the Voice of God. In our Baptism – we are ushered onto that same dance floor – to be born again from above and to learn the Life that is the eternal Dance of God – a Dance of response to His Voice, to His Word, to His Life made present to us in Jesus, the one who baptizes us with the Holy Spirit.

Amen