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1st
September 2013 - Proper 17 - Revd. Preb Maureen Hobbs |
Sermon
for Proper 17
(return from sabbatical)
Trinity 17 - evening
Isa. 33. 13-22
John 3. 22-36
Hi there - remember me? ... perhaps for some of you it feels
as though I have been away ages - like the churchwardens perhaps?
While others may have hardly noticed I was away ... and I won't
speculate too much about those who are maybe sorry to see me
back so soon!
I must admit that it is not altogether easy coming back to village
and church routine after three months of being 'away from it
all'. In sixteen years this is the longest I have been away from
'vicaring'; from preaching and leading worship; from all the
admin; and of course from village life here in Pattingham. I
was sorry to miss the fete, but was following on facebook and
by email and was delighted that the weather was much kinder this
year and would congratulate all those who worked so hard to make
the event such a success.
Of course, I have not been 'on holiday' for the past 12 weeks....
in fact, I have not really had a holiday at all in the conventional
meaning of the word. And rest assured you have continued to be
much in my prayers while I was away ... and praying was something
I did not take a break from!
But I did do a lot of travelling - all in the UK. I did manage
to catch up with some friends I have not seen in ages. I made
some new friends of those who were studying with me. I did go
on retreat for a week up in Northumberland - that was wonderful~!
And of course I did my studying ... and in fact will continue
to be studying Hebrew for quite a while yet, but at least I have
made a start and maybe 'broken the back' of taking on something
very new and quite strange. And (don't get me wrong here ...
) I slept in a lot of different beds!
In fact, looking back over my time away, I realised that I had
never stayed in one place longer than 2.5 weeks .... and usually
it was 4 nights here, 5 nights there, 6 nights somewhere else
... a very nomadic existence in some ways and that has made me
reflect on the ministry of our Lord and how he seems to have
been almost constantly on the move - for something like 3 years....
Now if my wanderings have left me feeling a bit 'disconnected'
in some ways and needing to ground myself again in everything
that is happening here in your lives, - and after just 3 months?
How much harder must it have been for Jesus and his followers,
travelling around for three years? True there seems to have been
an 'inner core' group of disciples who were with him most of
the time. And there were, we know from the gospels, a much greater
number of people who were on the fringe; who came and went -
presumably for a few days here and a few days there, whenever
their circumstances and inclination allowed them to share in
his life for a while. But it is not like having roots in one
place; settling down and feeling the stability that comes from
establishing a base; establishing a home.
The prophet Isaiah that we heard in our first reading this evening
was writing for a people who were desperate to feel settled and
safe. So he tells them that if they live right, speak the truth
and despise exploitation, then they will see their standard of
living improve and will find a permanent home in Jerusalem with
their God. If they take him as their king and follow the laws
and decisions of God, then they will find security and peace....
that most elusive of qualities for middle-eastern peoples as
we can still see all too clearly today.
Our New Testament reading comes just after the lengthy discussion
that Jesus has with Nicodemus - the Pharisee who comes to Jesus
under cover of night to discuss theology with him. But Jesus,
as ever, is moving .... on to the next place ....
And this time it is out into the Judean countryside, probably
close to the river Jordan, because people are coming to him for
baptism, just as they had come to his cousin John.
And there is some pastoral jealousy going on between the followers
of John and the followers of Jesus... He is the latest 'fad',
and John's disciples are a bit put out that the new kid on the
block is pinching all their converts! So John has to spell it
out for them, likening himself to the best-man at a wedding,
who knows the right moment to discretely slip away and leave
the newly-weds (in this case Jesus and the children of Israel)
to get to know each other better! But again we get the message
- whoever accepts and trusts in the Son (and through him in God's
word) gets in on everything. They will receive life in all its
fullness; light and love combined and of course safety and security
again. So John and his followers have nothing to fear really
from taking on the message of Jesus.
Those who do not accept the Son are in for a much bleaker time.
No promise of home and security and the comfort of light and
welcome for them. Just blackness and despair.
I am not at all good at 'travelling light'. I tend to travel
with as many of the comforts of home with me as possible - which
is easier to do when you travel by private car .... less easy
on public transport. Often too, I was packing for two different
locations ... so one bag for staying in one place and then another
for the next destination. Which inevitably means that something
you think you have packed is in 'the other bag' just when you
need it most!
Thankfully the good news of God's love for each and every one
of us is something we can carry with us at all times - wherever
we may be and however far we may travel.
It's good to be home!
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