Sermon
Benefice United Service 29th July 2012
Benefice United Service 29th July 2012
PENTECOST
9 TRINITY 8
ASC 0800 & St Edeyrns
1030
Proper 12: 2 Kings 4.42-44; Ephesians
3.14-21; John 6.1-21
+ May I speak in
the name of God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. AMEN
When we are growing up, there
are certain things we like, like parties and playing outside for hours hanging
around with groups of friends. Parents
know this, so we have children’s parties.
Pubs know this, so we have beer gardens. Industrial estates even have big
barns full of bouncy stuff for children’s parties. Children are social
and need others – and so do adults.
I was thinking about all the things adults do….going to barbeques,
to a rugby matches, sitting in the park or on the beach, opportunities to be
with others, if not to talk and share, just to be in the presence of others.
And reading the Gospel reading today I think that’s what is
happening. It’s a reading so
splendid that it just jumps off the page into our imaginations, especially on a
sunny summers day.
Before the beginning of this part of the Gospel, Jesus and
his disciples had tried to escape to find some quiet time – however the multitude
appears again.
And if we continue reading the Gospel when we get home, we can see that
the crowd continues to follow JESUS.
They are following him declaring that he is the NEW MOSES
and that they want to be fed forever by him – it’s what they understand from the stories of their youth, but it’s not
the whole story of what had happened that day when he fed the people – because
Jesus isn’t Moses!
On that day, the bread was more than just food – and the event was more than just
a chance
to see JESUS.
The gathering of the people was like going to a festival like
Glastonbury for the music or Glyndebourne for the opera - whatever your
thing. People had gone because
they thought it was just about
seeing JESUS. They didn’t really
have much of a clue about what he was going to do, but in their minds it was
all about being there.
Jesus knew this – the multitude is hanging out in the sun and they are
listening to the headline act. Jesus
of Nazareth - a man so unique
but also so familiar, a man that
speaks to thousands at once, but it as if he were speaking to each and every
one of them directly.
They are listening, and then food appears – more food than they
need. This is what they came for –
to see something spectacular – and then they eat.
“The
bread is a metaphor for life;
bread
and wisdom;
bread
and labour;
bread,
time, and eternity”
However, there is even more
than that. The bread
might be special, but as JESUS and the DISCIPLES slip away and the people are
eating, he leaves them with the real
elements of life.
The people are left with;
·
Togetherness and
·
respect,
·
shared concern and
·
maybe a feeling of satisfaction in the task they
started that morning,
·
and dare I say it, solidarity with one
another.
They are ONE people, for
with all their differences cast aside – ALL
concentrating on ONE thing – JESUS of NAZARETH
(is this another metaphor for
heaven in the Gospels?)
Now, I’ve been to music festivals, and I’ve never had free food – and
by and large I’ve got what I went for.
However, this is different; whatever they came for Jesus is providing
·
spiritually,
·
physically,
·
culturally,
·
socially,
·
practically and
even
·
nutritionally.
·
He has also brought them UNITY
Whatever account you read of this extraordinary miracle (because it’s
reported in all 4 Gospels you can be sure that it is full of significance, for
the church that heard and read the Gospels first, and the church now, that
tries to understand how this wisdom can help us .
Down the ages it has been suggested that the feeding of the 5000 with 5
loaves should be interpreted as being a reference to the five books of the Pentateuch feeding
the Jews, with the 12 scraps being the 12 tribes of Israel, or more usually
the 12 disciples.
It is also possible that there is an implicit comparison with King David. David, when he first ran from King Saul, fed his small
group of followers, those who acknowledged him as the rightful king, with the
priest's bread, asking the priest "Give me 5 loaves, or whatever you
have" (I Samuel 21:3).
And many a sermon will be preached today on these things…however
there is something else.
The readings are perfect today, because they encourage us to think
about how when people focused on JESUS
– they were brought UNITY, and fed spiritually, physically, and socially.
UNITY
When we think of UNITY, we can think of the CARDIFF EAST ECUMENICAL
PARTNERSHIP, and our own UNITY within the BENEFICE.
There are several things that are happening, and FOCUSSED on JESUS – we
are hoping to rebuild some UNITY.
Over the summer, the executive committee of the Ecumenical Partnership
are going to meet with the individual churches and see how they can progress
and I, for one, hope that we can go back to the drawing board and create a NEW partnership, a NEW covenant and NEW
unity.
Similarly, in our own BENEFICE, we are hoping to strengthen the links
between our churches – to celebrate what we do well individually, but also what
we do well together.
All our churches might be DIFFERENT, but we must be UNITED in our GOALS
– and today, as we are together, focusing on Christ is a wonderful point to
start.
Because, even though some see the CHURCH IN WALES as QUIRKY and a bit
TWEE, the fact of the matter is that there are FOUR CLERGY DEDICATED to THIS
PARISH along with LAY EUCHARISTIC ASSISTANTS, and DOZENS OF PEOPLE DOING many
important jobs.
WE HAVE a well-established ministry that serves ALL PEOPLE in our community.
Each week the team meets to discuss how the hundreds of people who don’t
attend church on a SUNDAY at weddings, baptisms, funerals, events and many
other things have been.
Our new Benefice Council and the individual church councils should meet
regularly
so that we can celebrate the UNITY that Christ has brought us and our
shared purpose in building the Kingdom in this place.
All those years ago, when the people
came together as strangers, and they found that CHRIST had joined them
together.
They were ONE people,
sharing their love of CHRIST, the church came into being
to UNIFY
the people of GOD
But beware - IF the church
isn’t UNIFYING the people of GOD, then it isn’t church, all it is doing is MAKING KINGS – like some
of the people wanted to do to in the reading.
And back in first century Palestine; The food was good, but it wasn’t
the best miracle. That
was when 5,000 people had put aside their differences to care for one another
and journey together following Jesus.
And that’s why I think the church can be rubbish sometimes – if we
only
come for the magic – we can leave disappointed, missing the point. That’s the temptation.
However, IF we come
to FOLLOW – then we are part of that
miracle started all those years ago, and long after the bread and fish had gone,
we might just be the PROOF of the
divine identity of Jesus, and the UNITY
that brings.
Let
us pray
As Christ fed the multitude – Lord feed us with your love, that
overflowing with your grace we may seek all that enhances life. Make us instruments of your peace and
justice, your love and compassion.
Make us followers of your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ.
AMEN
