Sermons from the Rev David Jenkins - 2005

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NEW BEGINNINGS

A Sermon first preached on January 9^th 2005

New beginnings as a world.

This year we expect a general election in Britain.  

With Britain exercising leadership within both the G8 and Europe we anticipate that the needs of Africa, of the fight against Aids and poverty will receive emphasis, alongside an emphasis upon the future of our planet.

The tragedy of the earthquake and tidal wave of 26 December, has led to unprecedented international response. The need for us to act together as one world has been heavily underlined by what has happened.

This year offers opportunities for constructive change and development and will call for visionary and determined statesmanship.

As well as new beginnings for the church and for the world, there are New beginnings in our own lives.

Can you remember receiving a new exercise book at school? You would open the cover with great care. Inside the cover were completely unblemished pages. No corners were turned over; there were no ink blots. Here was an opportunity to create your very neatest work and the new book itself was the incentive to do that. It was saying “Look, here’s a new beginning, a fresh chance.”  2005 is a new exercise book for us, a fresh opportunity to give of our best.

In my own praying I use a prayer which combines several other prayers and goes like this – “I bring my life to you as it is, asking you to make it what it ought to be. Take from me the wounds of yesterday, the stress of today and fear for tomorrow. Forgive me for all that is past, for what I have been, help me to amend what I am, direct what I shall be, that I may serve you in newness of life.”

The God to whom we pray holds out to us this “newness of life”, this fresh, unspoilt opportunity of new beginning.

Where might you begin again this year?

• In growing closer to God?
• In making progress in relationships, (especially in being reconciled to people from whom you have been estranged)?
• In your own personal development?

All of our readings today speak about new beginnings. They tell us that all impetus towards newness is the gift of the God who is continually renewing creation; a God whose challenge to us is not to dwell upon the past, but to expect new things from God.

If we seriously believe this, should we not be looking much more expectantly than we normally do, at the range of new discoveries and inventions, forms of thinking, political developments, movements of the spirit in our own times, to catch glimpses of the new things God is doing and leading us towards?

The energy of God is directed towards transformation.

So for our church, our world and our own lives, we need deepened trust that, however things may seem, God is always able and working to transform them in ways far beyond our expectations.

Even human nature can be recreated, our direction, outlook and attitude made radically different. We live in a rapidly changing world, where new insights and fresh ways of tackling problems are called for. Do we sometimes fail to do that, by relying too much on what we’ve done before? Do we sometimes try to patch up situations that require more radical solutions?

We cannot live on the capital of our past. The picture given by Paul, of an Olympic athlete straining forward for the tape, is of using every effort to live fully in the present as we press on towards the future.

The goal before us is nothing less than a new heaven and earth, created by the one who makes all things new.

So what specific action will each of us take regarding the challenges before us –

As you learn of the main priorities, emerging from The Way Ahead consultations about our church, where will you place your energy? Are you already open towards being involved yourself in some aspects of our church’s mission?

What will you do personally in response to the crisis in Asia; in support of the emphasis upon Africa and in safeguarding the world’s environment? These matters are too important for governments to pursue alone.

Our own speaking, writing, giving, informed awareness is called for, too. And in your own life, what new beginnings are called for? Where will you be setting out to start again, and what new areas will you be following through?

Let us think through our answers to some of these questions as we turn to prayer together.

NEW PATTERNS

A Sermon first preached 23^rd  January 2005

We now know what our priorities are and what kind of a church we are aiming to be.

Following extensive consultations by a reasonable cross section of our people in November, a further cross section of our church responded to the 99 possible priorities outlined and on these sheets, (please help yourself to them) are outlined our top 10 and top 40 priorities.

What has emerged are 6 clear features of our church’s life.

As a church for others, we are to be:

A METHODIST CHURCH, AN INVITING CHURCH, A SPIRTUAL CHURCH, A CARING CHURCH, AN OUTGOING CHURCH and A WORSHPPING CHURCH.

Next week I’d like us to explore 3 of those areas.  

This week we look at the first 3 that emerged most strongly.

We are seeking to be A METHODIST CHURCH.

That does not for one moment mean that we are not interested in working with other branches of the Christian Church – after all, being Methodist implies working with others. The Methodist people around the world seek to be a bridge between different expressions of church and different expressions of what it means to be human. It is saying, “This is our identity. This is what we are. This is the heritage we have entered into.”

And central to that heritage is the whole sense of belonging to one another. The Methodist Church places what it calls the connexion and the Circuit at the centre of its self- understanding.

I was pleasantly surprised when people stated that their Number One priority is to encourage and support other Circuit churches in their work. It was a surprise. It is easy for a large church to feel so self-sufficient that it could take little notice of other churches to which it is linked; but our top priority is not ourselves but those to whom we are linked.

I was particularly delighted, because this is the way I see things, too; and my ministry has increasingly focused on building up a sense of Circuit identity and seeking to strengthen that sense of mutual commitment and belonging.

At our first Circuit Carol Service we saw representatives from the 11 Methodist churches in this area, from Princes Risborough to North Marston, sharing in worship and prayer for each other. It was a service which has had a significant impact upon each of our churches.

Of our churches at least 2 are united with Christians from other traditions. It is quite possible that we will see more developments like this and an expansion of our circuit with boundary changes and growth in areas of new housing development.

The concept of connexion and circuit is one of the treasures Methodism can offer, not only to the wider church, but to the wider world. Mutual commitment, where the stronger seek especially to help the weaker, is at the heart of our denomination’s understanding. Does this not have something to say to the European Union, the United Nations, and to other groupings of people?

This is part of the understanding Paul was concerned to share with the first century church at Rome.

“We who are strong in the faith ought to help the weak to carry their burdens. Each of us must please our neighbour for the good purpose of building up the neighbour, as Christ did not please himself. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

This way of approaching church life has a huge amount to say to the wider church in this week of prayer for Christian unity and specifically to the Church of which we are a part. This mutual belonging is central to our ethos.

So how can we “encourage and support other Circuit churches in their work?” By finding out more about each other, taking an interest in each other, actively supporting each other’s activities and praying for one another. It is important that all the Circuit knows that this is our first priority.  

A question for each of us to consider- how will you personally encourage and support the people linked to us through our Circuit? The people of Aylesbury, Fairford Leys, North Marston, Oving, Princes Risborough, Stoke Mandeville, Stone, Waddesdon, Weedon, Whitchurch and Wingrave?

Close behind comes our Number 2 priority- to be an INVITING CHURCH

We recognize the quality of welcome we already give to people who are new, but even what we do well can be further improved.  

Through better publicity; through the development of our new website; by inviting our friends and family to activities at the church, including worship; by making those new to the church’s life feel truly welcomed; to help to nurture those who are new to the Christian faith; and to grow in our own relationships between each other as individuals and as different groupings in the church’s life, we can all move further towards becoming an inviting church.

We are not interested in self-advertising for our own sake. (This was the kind of temptation Jesus faced and overcame in the desert.) Concern for newcomers featured very prominently in the suggestions and replies we made, because we are serious about being a church for others.

This is a church with a mission and our motivation is this. How much it can mean to someone that you want to share the very best thing you know; that which gives meaning to your life. This, too, is echoing what we find in Paul’s letter to the Romans-

“Extend hospitality to strangers. Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” As you’d expect, Paul didn’t say anything directly about either notice boards or websites (!), but his emphasis upon the qualities of welcome, mutual caring, and sharing the good news of the difference Jesus makes to people’s lives, is freely scattered throughout his letters.

Where can you be involved here? In practical ways-through church publicity, through the welcome you give and the people you invite?

A Methodist Church; an inviting church and a SPIRITUAL CHURCH 

A significant number of people wish to develop their own faith, to deepen personal devotions, to learn through bible Study groups and Emmaus courses.  

If this sounds at all self indulgent rather than being for others, surely one motivation for discovering more is so we can share it more effectively? As we grow in the life of faith ourselves, we have more to give. We do not want to be simply a social church, but a spiritual one.

Our themes back in September- getting to know you, getting to know God and getting to know ourselves find expression through these stated aims of our people.

Among the practical things we may need to provide as a church is to look together at a programme for nurturing new Christians and helping all of us to grow spiritually, which will certainly include Emmaus Courses, but may offer other possibilities too.

Where personally do you feel you want and need to grow spiritually; and what help would you welcome?

Next time we look at our aims to become more fully A Caring Church, An Outgoing Church and A Worshipping Church.

Today our concentration is highlighting some of the implications of being a Methodist Church, committed to the Circuit; of being an Inviting Church, putting the needs of newcomers at the centre; and of being a Spiritual Church, growing in our relationship with God.

These are exciting and challenging directions to be pursuing together; new patterns of our shared life to place at the forefront.

As a church for others, let us recommit ourselves to growing spiritually, encouraging the people of other churches to which we are linked and inviting other people to share what we are ourselves discovering.

May the strength of God continue to inspire us in working out how we pursue these goals. Amen.