Sermon - Benefice United Service 29th July 2012

Sermon


Benefice United Service 29^th 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