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“May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world” (Gal. 6:14)
INTRODUCTION
Nine years ago today I stood, for the first time, on this spot. It was a daunting moment for me – and for those of you who remember it! What was the future going to hold? Looking back, we've a lot for which to be thankful. We've restored this church, renovated St. Agnes and welcomed many new people into the congregation. But how have we grown? In numbers, yes, but how have we grown as disciples of Christ?
In today's gospel reading we heard of the sending out of the first disciples: they had been with Jesus for some time, listened to him, been inspired by him, developed their faith in God through him. And now he judged they were ready to go out and proclaim the gospel of the kingdom of God to others: “Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near you.'” (Lk. 10:8,9)
FRANCIS AND THE GOSPEL
Last week I spent in retreat with the Franciscans at Alnmouth Friary in Northumberland. When I came here I was still a Franciscan brother and those words, together with the words I quoted from Paul's Letter to the Galatians, were at the heart of the Franciscan vocation.
To proclaim, through one's life, the kingdom of God ; to know, deep in one's being, the power of the cross as a means to change lives and to realise that there was nothing more important than enabling a new creation to come into being.
So, when I came here I shared with you something of the vision I had for how we might grow in our discipleship as followers of the way of Christ. I believed our priorities were to build community, develop our spirituality, work alongside others for the sake of the Reign of God and to continue to welcome all to an open, hospitable church. And that has remained my priority over the years and continues to define something of our nature as church.
When St. Francis realised his vocation to rebuild the church, the people of God, he did so after first thinking that what God wanted him to do was repair churches. It was only later on that he realised how God wanted him to rebuild the faith of Christians by helping them realise the importance of God in their lives. And the way he did that was by rebuilding his own life in the image and likeness of God.
Before he died Francis had asked that God let him realise the full extent of the love that had led Jesus to die for love of us. God answered that prayer by granting Francis the stigmata, the wounds of Christ, so Francis discovered the truth of St. Paul's words,
“May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world”
Francis, that most dear of all saints, deeply desired to be like Christ: his passion was that the church, the body of Christ, the people of God, should live out of that same desire and reveal that same love. So how can we become more Christ-like? As a Franciscan I learnt it could be done in three ways, through prayer, study and work. Firstly, Prayer:
PRAYER
It was my longing, when I came here, that our spiritual life should grow and prayer become as natural as the air we breathe. Prayer that is the hearts desire to be at one with creation and creator. Prayer that is more than just an act of the lips but is a passion of the heart. Prayer that is not about wanting God to do something but about wanting to be more Godlike. As Mother Mary Clare of Fairacres, the great Anglican Carmelite once wrote:
‘Prayer is the gateway to the vision of God for which we were created. It is the means of free and conscious intercourse between the creature and their Creator and it expressed the union between the two' ( Learning to Pray: p.1 ) Prayer, in short, is opening the heart to love. She went on to point out that prayer is God's activity in us; it is allowing the Holy Spirit to dwell in us by being open to God. In an age that is frequently superficial and out of touch with their inner life, the life of the divine Spirit, we Christians need to be learning how to enter our own inner chamber – the chamber of the heart – and stand in the presence of God. She went on to quote from some words of the Cistercian, Thomas Merton: ‘In prayer we discover what we already have through the indwelling Spirit of God and our incorporation through Baptism into Christ. You start where you are and you deepen what you already have. Everything has been given to us in Christ.
All we need is to experience what we already possess.'
So, on this day, nine years after coming here, I would first invite you to reflect on how your own life of prayer has developed over the years. Secondly, Study.
STUDY
As we get older we don't always see things with the eyes of a child. For all our knowledge we sometimes miss the most important matters. On Wednesday some of the children from Crowlands School will come to visit St. Andrews , an event I always enjoy. They have been doing so for a number of years and their questions are often deep and their insights fascinating. One year a boy, looking at the font, said that this where babies are watered to make them grow! On another occasion I was asked, “Who made God?”
That's a question with which many have grappled! One could say that God is that which is creation. Children often ask the most fascinating questions – questions touch the heart of our existence. “Why am I here?” Do I have purpose and meaning or am I just an accident?” Another child in Antoine de Saint-Exupery's book ‘The Little Prince' said: “The eye's are blind … one must look with the heart.” To study the scriptures is to read them with an open heart and seek understanding from the Spirit.
So, my second question to you is this. How are you developing your understanding of our Christian faith? Are you reading any books, studying the bible or, as I mentioned a few weeks ago, have you read any of our S. Andrews Leaflet's , which are designed to help you think about your faith. Then, Work.
WORK
The third way we can become more Christ-like is through how we live. Do we just live for ourselves, or do we live for the good of others? Jesus gave us three rules by which to live: to love God, our neighbour and ourselves. Down the centuries Christians have often been at the forefront of social action – caring for the under-privileged and standing for the rights of the marginalized. St. Francis worked amongst lepers and, in so doing, showed that the witness of life is more eloquent than words.
So my final question must be, how is your faith changing the way you live?
CONCLUSION
To be a Christian is to grow into the life of God. Through prayer, study and work we give expression to the faith that is in us. ‘May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.' May we all grow into that fullness of life that is God's gift to Christ's disciples.
Amen. Back to
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