YE have heard, Brethren, as well in your private examination, as in the exhortation which was now made to you, and in the holy Lessons taken out of the Gospel, and the writings of the Apostles, of what dignity, and of how great importance this Office is, whereunto ye are called. And now again we exhort you, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye have in remembrance, into how high a Dignity, and to how weighty an Office and Charge ye are called: that is to say, to be Messengers, Watchmen, and Stewards of the Lord; to teach, and to premonish, to feed and provide for the Lord's family; to seek for Christ's sheep that are dispersed abroad, and for his children who are in the midst of this naughty world, that they may be saved through Christ for ever.
Have always therefore printed in your remembrance, how great a treasure is committed to your charge. For they are the sheep of Christ, which he bought with his death, and for whom he shed his blood. The Church and Congregation whom you must serve, is his Spouse, and his Body. And if it shall happen that the same Church, or any Member thereof, do take any hurt or hindrance by reason of your negligence, ye know the greatness of the fault, and also the horrible punishment that will ensue. Wherefore consider with yourselves the end of the Ministry towards the children of God, towards the Spouse and Body of Christ; and see that ye never cease your labour, your care and diligence, until ye have done all that lieth in you, according to your bounden duty, to bring all such as are or shall be committed to your charge, unto that agreement in the faith and knowledge of God, and to that ripeness and perfectness of age in Christ, that there be no place left among you, either for error in religion, or for viciousness in life.
Here we are once again setting out on the course of the Church’s Liturgical Year. Today is New Year’s Day and as we all know New Year’s are an occasion when people make resolutions and, of course, break them or totally forget all about them as soon as Cadbury’s or Nestle bring out some new chocolate bar. I am not a particular fan of New Year resolutions and to be honest I don’t much care for all the falseness of what passes for many New Year celebrations. I find that the celebrations of New Year pale into insignificance when compared to the celebration of God becoming man in Christ and that the so-called “New Year Resolutions” are all rather timid when we consider the path we set ourselves upon at Baptism and Confirmation. If you take the time to look at what you promised at your Baptism and Confirmation then you will find enough very real resolutions to keep you going for a lifetime rather than the silly, wishful thinking and sentimentality of hoping for a better year than the last one.
I began this homily with a significant quotation from the Book of Common Prayer. It is taken from the Bishop’s charge to those he is about to ordain priest. I wonder if you noticed how it is couched in language that leaves you in no doubt as to what is at stake. Here is no wishy-washy understanding of priesthood, which allows priests to meddle with the faith and dilute it to make it palatable to the social mores of those who want to water down the Christian Faith so as to make it excuse their own peccadillos.
Similarly the Baptism and Confirmation Rites ask us some very daunting questions and demand a life altering response from us:
Do you reject the devil and all rebellion against God?
Do you renounce the deceit and corruption of evil?
Do you repent of the sins that separate us from God and neighbour?
Do you turn to Christ as Saviour?
Do you submit to Christ as Lord?
Do you come to Christ, the way, the truth and the life?
Much of what passes for moral teaching today is rebellion against God and is part of the devil’s plan for the ruin of souls. Many are being deceived and corrupted by evil and are not being helped when they are told that the Gospel of Anything Goes is what they should follow. Many are now being told that they do not need to repent of their sins and so are left in them and have no hope in Christ and find themselves isolated and alone. Because they are encouraged to follow a path that is not of God’s making they are turning away from Christ and not experiencing the power of his love and forgiveness. All too often we hear of love being emphasised as the way in which we shall be judged and that is true, but as the Greeks have several different words for love we need to understand that the love that Christ speaks of is agape (unconditional/sacrificial love), and not eros (romantic love and sexual desire).
In St John’s Gospel we read "men loved darkness rather than light" (John 3:19), and St John in his first letter urges us not to love the world (1 John 2:15). Here we see what happens when love becomes self-absorbed, and when it has no hint of being unconditional or of having a sacrificial nature. It devolves into a love for sin and for the world system of evil that stems out of the sinful heart because they regard the things of this world and its fading pleasures as of more importance that the things of God. Christians are exhorted not to set a high value upon the world and thus love it. This is why the priest is “to seek for Christ's sheep that are dispersed abroad, and for his children who are in the midst of this naughty world, that they may be saved through Christ for ever.”
In Advent it is customary for the priest to preach on the themes of Death, judgement, heaven and hell – not popular themes at the best of times, but ones which we neglect at our peril for what is at stake is our eternal destiny and this is why the priest must seek to ensure that “all such as are or shall be committed to your charge, unto that agreement in the faith and knowledge of God, and to that ripeness and perfectness of age in Christ, that there be no place left among you, either for error in religion, or for viciousness in life.”
This is not a silly game where we can change the rules to suit our own purposes and at times it does mean having to oppose those in authority and to point out their error – just as St Paul had to correct St Peter.
So let us listen again to the words of the Lord Jesus himself:
“But take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down by dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day suddenly come upon you like a snare; for it will come upon all who dwell upon the face of the earth. But watch at all times, praying to have strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of man.”
This is no sentimental appeal to our better nature – it is a stark warning. Anyone who believes a “Gospel of Anything Goes” and who teaches it, or teaches anything else that is contrary to the Gospel puts not only the souls of their hearers at risk, but also that of their own soul. St Luke’s Gospel is often cited by those who would portray Jesus as meek and mild as it contains many parables and incidents that help to portray a softer image of Jesus. But St Luke also records more of our Lord’s teaching on the judgement at the end of time than the other Evangelists. We too easily forget that Christ is not only Our Lord, but “THE LORD” too. As the Lord he demands the obedience of our hearts and lives, that they may be brought into conformity with his will. The old Adam in all of us is tempted to rebel against this, but our redemption lies in obedience to Christ and his Gospel not in vague determinations based upon a misunderstanding of the unconditional and sacrificial nature of love.
As St Paul urges us: “Finally brethren, we beg and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you have learned from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, you do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.”
Have always therefore printed in your remembrance, how great a treasure is committed to your charge. For they are the sheep of Christ, which he bought with his death, and for whom he shed his blood. The Church and Congregation whom you must serve, is his Spouse, and his Body. And if it shall happen that the same Church, or any Member thereof, do take any hurt or hindrance by reason of your negligence, ye know the greatness of the fault, and also the horrible punishment that will ensue. Wherefore consider with yourselves the end of the Ministry towards the children of God, towards the Spouse and Body of Christ; and see that ye never cease your labour, your care and diligence, until ye have done all that lieth in you, according to your bounden duty, to bring all such as are or shall be committed to your charge, unto that agreement in the faith and knowledge of God, and to that ripeness and perfectness of age in Christ, that there be no place left among you, either for error in religion, or for viciousness in life.
Here we are once again setting out on the course of the Church’s Liturgical Year. Today is New Year’s Day and as we all know New Year’s are an occasion when people make resolutions and, of course, break them or totally forget all about them as soon as Cadbury’s or Nestle bring out some new chocolate bar. I am not a particular fan of New Year resolutions and to be honest I don’t much care for all the falseness of what passes for many New Year celebrations. I find that the celebrations of New Year pale into insignificance when compared to the celebration of God becoming man in Christ and that the so-called “New Year Resolutions” are all rather timid when we consider the path we set ourselves upon at Baptism and Confirmation. If you take the time to look at what you promised at your Baptism and Confirmation then you will find enough very real resolutions to keep you going for a lifetime rather than the silly, wishful thinking and sentimentality of hoping for a better year than the last one.
I began this homily with a significant quotation from the Book of Common Prayer. It is taken from the Bishop’s charge to those he is about to ordain priest. I wonder if you noticed how it is couched in language that leaves you in no doubt as to what is at stake. Here is no wishy-washy understanding of priesthood, which allows priests to meddle with the faith and dilute it to make it palatable to the social mores of those who want to water down the Christian Faith so as to make it excuse their own peccadillos.
Similarly the Baptism and Confirmation Rites ask us some very daunting questions and demand a life altering response from us:
Do you reject the devil and all rebellion against God?
Do you renounce the deceit and corruption of evil?
Do you repent of the sins that separate us from God and neighbour?
Do you turn to Christ as Saviour?
Do you submit to Christ as Lord?
Do you come to Christ, the way, the truth and the life?
Much of what passes for moral teaching today is rebellion against God and is part of the devil’s plan for the ruin of souls. Many are being deceived and corrupted by evil and are not being helped when they are told that the Gospel of Anything Goes is what they should follow. Many are now being told that they do not need to repent of their sins and so are left in them and have no hope in Christ and find themselves isolated and alone. Because they are encouraged to follow a path that is not of God’s making they are turning away from Christ and not experiencing the power of his love and forgiveness. All too often we hear of love being emphasised as the way in which we shall be judged and that is true, but as the Greeks have several different words for love we need to understand that the love that Christ speaks of is agape (unconditional/sacrificial love), and not eros (romantic love and sexual desire).
In St John’s Gospel we read "men loved darkness rather than light" (John 3:19), and St John in his first letter urges us not to love the world (1 John 2:15). Here we see what happens when love becomes self-absorbed, and when it has no hint of being unconditional or of having a sacrificial nature. It devolves into a love for sin and for the world system of evil that stems out of the sinful heart because they regard the things of this world and its fading pleasures as of more importance that the things of God. Christians are exhorted not to set a high value upon the world and thus love it. This is why the priest is “to seek for Christ's sheep that are dispersed abroad, and for his children who are in the midst of this naughty world, that they may be saved through Christ for ever.”
In Advent it is customary for the priest to preach on the themes of Death, judgement, heaven and hell – not popular themes at the best of times, but ones which we neglect at our peril for what is at stake is our eternal destiny and this is why the priest must seek to ensure that “all such as are or shall be committed to your charge, unto that agreement in the faith and knowledge of God, and to that ripeness and perfectness of age in Christ, that there be no place left among you, either for error in religion, or for viciousness in life.”
This is not a silly game where we can change the rules to suit our own purposes and at times it does mean having to oppose those in authority and to point out their error – just as St Paul had to correct St Peter.
So let us listen again to the words of the Lord Jesus himself:
“But take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down by dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day suddenly come upon you like a snare; for it will come upon all who dwell upon the face of the earth. But watch at all times, praying to have strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of man.”
This is no sentimental appeal to our better nature – it is a stark warning. Anyone who believes a “Gospel of Anything Goes” and who teaches it, or teaches anything else that is contrary to the Gospel puts not only the souls of their hearers at risk, but also that of their own soul. St Luke’s Gospel is often cited by those who would portray Jesus as meek and mild as it contains many parables and incidents that help to portray a softer image of Jesus. But St Luke also records more of our Lord’s teaching on the judgement at the end of time than the other Evangelists. We too easily forget that Christ is not only Our Lord, but “THE LORD” too. As the Lord he demands the obedience of our hearts and lives, that they may be brought into conformity with his will. The old Adam in all of us is tempted to rebel against this, but our redemption lies in obedience to Christ and his Gospel not in vague determinations based upon a misunderstanding of the unconditional and sacrificial nature of love.
As St Paul urges us: “Finally brethren, we beg and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you have learned from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, you do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.”
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