A letter signed by me and over 500 clergy and laity that appeared in the Times May the 4th 20205/4/2020 LETTER
Dear Sir, As the Bishops of the Church of England meet to consider their next steps in response to the pandemic, we call on them to change their current policy, which prevents clergy from visiting their churches to pray or broadcast a service. Bishop Peter Selby in The Tablet last week (‘Is Anglicanism going private?’, 30 th April 2020), speaks for many laity and clergy about the Church of England’s current approach. We fear, like him, that ‘this may mark a decisive point in the retreat of the Church of England from the public to the private realm’. We regard what has happened to be a failure of the Church’s responsibility to the nation, stifling our prophetic witness and defence of the poor, and ask for open discussion and accountability through the Church’s structures and other forums regarding the processes and thinking which led to these decisions. It is widely agreed that the temporary closure of churches for public worship is necessary in the current crisis. However, the broadcast of services from a closed church is explicitly permitted by government guidelines, yet unlike almost all other Churches in these isles, the Church of England has gone beyond this advice. Without detracting from the excellent worship offered by many clergy in their homes, domestic settings cannot replace the church buildings whose architecture, symbolism and history represent the consecration of our public life. Moreover, Church of England clergy have also been prevented from ministering in schools educating the children of key workers and to the sick and dying in hospitals. As the government is talking about the hope of easing the national lockdown could the Church of England now offer similar hope to its people with this first step? Yours faithfully, (See below) SIGNATORIES Please note: This is a developing list with names being added all the time along with as much regularisation of title, role or parish as possible and where such details have been provided. Press Enquiries: The Rev’d Nicholas Wheeler: 07496 330878 or [email protected] 1. The Rev’d Stephen Stavrou, Team Vicar, St Michael & All Angels, Barnes 2. The Very Rev’d, Michael Sadgrove, Dean Emeritus, Durham 3. Dr Emmanuel Adesioye, Deputy Churchwarden, St John the Divine, Kennington 4. The Rev’d Mae Christie, Vicar, All Saints, Tooting 5. The Rev’d Canon Kathryn Percival, Canon Chancellor and Vice Dean, Portsmouth Cathedral 6. Sir Roger Gifford, former Lord Mayor of London 7. The Rev’d P Ould, PTO, Canterbury 8. Professor John Charmley, Pro Vice-Chancellor, St Mary’s University Twickenham 9. The Rev’d N Wheeler, Rector, Holy Trinity, Sloane Street 10. The Rev’d Tasha Critchlow, Lead Anglican Chaplain, Nightingale Hospital 11. The Earl of Lauderdale 12. S Parker 13. The Rev’d Giles Fraser, Priest-in-Charge, St Mary, Newington 14. Baroness Eaton DBE, House of Lords 15. The Rev’d K Morris, St Michael & All Angels, Bedford Park 16. Dr R Walters CBE, former Churchwarden, St Michael & All Angels, Barnes 17. The Rev’d Canon Angela Tilby, Canon Emeritus, Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford 18. M Mollett, Lay Chair, Barnes and Richmond Deanery Synod 19. The Rev’d Dr P Anthony, Vicar, St Benet, Kentish Town 20. Dr M Shaw, Churchwarden 21. The Rev’d T Goode, Rector, St Margaret, Lee, Member of General Synod. 22. The Rev’d O Dobson, Assistant Priest, St James, Sussex Gardens 23. The Rev’d M Walker, Rector, St Bartholomew the Great, Smithfield 24. A Childs, Churchwarden, St Michael & All Angels, Barnes 25. The Rev’d S Mcnally-Cross, Vicar, St Thomas, Kensal Town 26. L Kesse, Deputy Churchwarden 27. The Rev’d R Bastable, Vicar, St Luke, Shepherd’s Bush 28. J Martin, Churchwarden, St John the Divine, Kennington 29. The Rev’d Canon M Williams, Vicar, St John the Divine, Kennington 30. V Denny, Churchwarden, St John the Divine, Kennington 31. S Bland, London Diocesan Synod Rep 32. J Gates, Churchwarden, St Thomas, Kensal Town 33. P Kringberg FRSA, PCC Member 34. The Rev’d S Labran, Assistant Priest, St John the Divine, Kennington 35. The Rev’d M Cashmore, Assistant Curate, St. Mary, Kenton 36. The Rev’d. C Phillips, Vicar, St Mary, Willesden, Member of London Diocesan Synod 37. Z L Stephens 38. The Rev’d S J M Hamilton, Assistant Curate, St Mary the Virgin, Tewksbury 39. The Rev’d J Taylor, Vicar, St Andrew, Sonning on Thames 40. C Hawkey 41. The Rev’d J Elston, Team Rector, Parish of Old St Pancras 42. J Allen, Ordinand 43. The Rev’d P Worton, Team Vicar, St Mary, Somers Town 44. The Rev’d G Willis, Assistant Priest, St Pancras Old Church and St Andrew, Holborn 45. The Rev’d Y Walker, Assistant Curate, St Martin, Ruislip 46. A I Fox, Benefice of Puddletown, Tolpuddle and Milborne St Andrew with Dewlish. 47. C Russell, Lay Reader, St John the Baptist, South Leamington 48. The Rev’d G Bush, Rector, St Mary-le-Bow 49. The Rev’d D Ackerman, Vicar, St John the Evangelist, Kensal Green. 50. F Lang 51. G Curran, PCC member and local councillor, St Michael & All Angels, Barnes 52. A Gray, General Synod member 53. The Rev’d T Handley, Priest-in-Charge, St James Garlickhythe 54. The Rev’d R Norman, Vicar, St George, Bickley. 55. The Rev’d R Seabrook, Chaplain, Ss Peter & Paul, Torrevieja, Spain. 56. The Rev’d J Caster, Vicar, St Barnabas, Tunbridge Wells 57. The Rev’d J Xavier Leal, Rector, St Michael, Coppenhall 58. The Rev’d P Benfield, Assistant Priest, Burnley. 59. The Rev’d R Brown, Parish Priest, Holy Cross Marsh Farm, St Albans 60. The Rev’d S Oakes, Vicar, St Luke, Holbrooks. 61. The Rev’d R Desics, Incumbent, South Thornaby 62. The Rev’d I Chandler, Vicar, All Saints, East Finchley. 63. The Rev’d R Hart, Rector, Hemsworth 64. The Rev’d J Hill, Vicar, St Benet Fink, Tottenham 65. The Rev’d T Crowley, Assistant Curate, St Saviour, Eastbourne 66. Mr C Pitt, PCC member 67. The Rev’d Dr P Murray, Assistant Curate, St Peter, Stockton-on-Tees and St John, Elton. 68. K Murray 69. The Rev’d D Warner, Vicar, Mossley, Manchester. 70. The Rev’d J Mather, Rector, Downham Market & Stradsett. 71. The Rev’d E Mathias-Jones, Vicar, St Hilda of Whitby, Grangetown. 72. The Rev’d I Hall, Parish Priest, United Benefice of Barton with Peel Green & Winton. 73. The Rev’d M McAulay, Vicar, St Saviour, Eastbourne. 74. P Dailey, General Synod member. 75. The Rev’d S Clark, Vicar, St Mark, Noel Park. 76. The Rev’d L Clark, Priest-in-Charge, St Philip, South Tottenham. 77. S Parkinson, Churchwarden 78. The Rev’d P Lockett, Retired Priest 79. T Hatton, General Synod member. 80. The Rev’d Y Smejkal, Parish Priest, St Mary, Sundon & St Saviour, Luton 81. Dr J Bailey MBE, Holy Cross Marsh Farm, St Albans. 82. V Rice, Churchwarden 83. M Kelly, Churchwarden, Holy Cross Marsh Farm, St Albans. 84. S Adhokorie, PCC member, Holy Cross Marsh Farm, St Albans. 85. J White, PCC member 86. J King, PCC member, Holy Cross Marsh Farm, St Albans 87. A McEvoy, PCC member, Holy Cross Marsh Farm, St Albans 88. K Dallas, PCC member, Holy Cross Marsh Farm, St Albans 89. V Pettigrew, Holy Cross Marsh Farm, St Albans. 90. S Strachan, Churchwarden, St Paul Thornaby 91. P Skelton Reader, The Ascension, Middlesbrough 92. S Skelton, Churchwarden, The Ascension, Middlesbrough 93. The Rev’d E Lewis, Vicar, St Mary, Kenton. 94. The Rev’d P Hutchins, Rector, Holy Family, Failsworth 95. The Rev’d Canon A Wagstaff, Chaplain, St Boniface, Antwerp. 96. The Rev’d P Kennedy, Vicar, Seaham & Dawdon 97. The Rev’d R Eastoe, Team Rector, Heavitree 98. The Rev’d A Burton, Vicar, St Peter, Bushey Heath 99. The Rev’d T Fiddian-Green, Hon. Assistant Priest, St Saviour, Eastbourne 100. The Rev’d C Holden, Vicar, St Peter & St Paul, Rishton 101. The Rev’d D Craven, Parish Priest, St George, Preston 102. The Rev’d M Childs, Vicar, St Barnabas, Morecambe 103. The Rev’d Canon P Noble, Vicar, All Saints, Lincoln 104. The Rev’d T Baron, London 105. E Forward, General Synod member 106. Dr C Bell, Ordinand, National Medical Director’s Clinical Fellow, House of Commons. 107. The Rev’d D Nicholson, Vicar, Cudworth 108. The Rev’d I Black, Priest-in-Charge, St Thomas Somercotes & Post-Industrial Missioner to Hardwick Deanery. 109. J Parkinson, St Mary & All Saints, Little Walsingham 110. The Rev’d O Coss, Rector, All Saints, Northampton 111. The Rev’d R Northing, Rector, Stony Stratford with Calverton. 112. The Rev’d S Maddison, Vicar, St Michael & All Angels, Cross Heath & St Paul, Newcastle 113. Dr S Pulleyn, St Anne Soho. 114. S Johnson, Churchwarden, St Mark, Noel Park 115. The Rev’d S Brown, Priest-in-Charge, St Alphege, Edmonton & St Matthew, Ponders End 116. The Rev’d C Brading, Vicar, St Richard, Haywards Heath 117. The Rev’d A Bartlett, Assistant Curate, Our Most Holy Redeemer, Clerkenwell & St Mark, Myddleton Square 118. The Rev’d C Woods, Vicar, St Barnabas and St Paul with St Thomas the Martyr, Jericho 119. S Johnson, PCC member, St Augustine, Kilburn. 120. D Reynolds, PCC member 121. R Doney, PCC member 122. B Smith, General Synod member 123. C Wilkinson 124. The Rev’d D Thomas 125. G Gould 126. J Xu 127. The Rev’d D Chislett 128. The Rev’d D Peters 129. The Rev’d D Adamson 130. The Rev’d A Sage 131. The Rev’d A Lane, All Saints, Twickenham 132. The Rev’d J Hanks 133. The Rev’d Harri Williams, Benefice of Walsingham 134. The Rev’d Daniel Newman 135. The Rev’d R Wright 136. The Rev’d D Bracey, St John the Baptist, Coventry 137. The Rev’d Ben Philips 138. U Piotrowska 139. The Rev’d P Edwards 140. The Rev’d Nicholas Spicer 141. The Rev’d Ian McCormack 142. The Rev’d Aiden Edwards 143. The Rev’d Jeremy Davies 144. The Rev’d Toby Sherring 145. The Rev’d Dr Barnaby Perkins 146. The Rev’d Diego Galanzino 147. The Rev’d Liam Beadle 148. Mr Seamus Hargrave 149. D Krawczyk 150. G Lindrarkos 151. W Jones 152. D Richards 153. The Rev’d Canon Dr J Haselock 154. The Rev’d Dr J Hadley, Assistant Curate, Harpenden 155. N Pittam 156. The Rev’d Anthony Howe 157. The Rev’d Stephen Dickinson 158. The Rev’d Alistair Coles 159. The Rev’d Anthony Murley 160. The Rev’d John Hughes 161. The Rev’d Alan Gyle, Vicar, St Paul, Knightsbridge 162. The Rev’d Tony Davies 163. The Rev’d Canon Dr Robin Ward, Principal, St Stephen’s House, Oxford 164. The Rev’d Paul Hutchins 165. The Rev’d Trevor Thurtston-Smith 166. The Rev’d Stephen Jones 167. The Rev’d Christopher Rogers 168. The Rev’d Nicholas Archer 169. G Fyfe-Dow 170. The Rev’d Clay Rountree 171. The Rev’d Stephen Gallagher 172. The Rev’d John Stather 173. D Turner 174. The Rev’d Robin Jones 175. The Rev’d James McCluskey 176. The Rev’d Matthew Tomlinson 177. The Rev’d Dr Mark Chapman 178. The Rev’d David Wyatt 179. The Rev’d Jonathan Herepath 180. The Rev’d Michael Vyse 181. The Rev’d Trevor Critchlow 182. The Rev’d William Davage 183. The Rev’d Damien Mason 184. The Rev’d Mark Osborne 185. The Rev’d Robert Norbury 186. The Rev’d Adam Grant 187. Dr C Podmore 188. L Sutton 189. B Green 190. The Rev’d Dr Owen Edwards 191. M Howard 192. G Howard 193. B Shipp 194. M Thurlow 195. The Rev’d Frank Nichols 196. The Rev’d Alan Walker 197. The Rev’d Ian Booth 198. The Rev’d Alexander Crawford 199. The Rev’d Stephen Anderson 200. The Rev’d Hannah Reynolds 201. The Rev’d Tim Lewis 202. C Robinson 203. Dr C Gauthier 204. The Rev’d R Dewhurst, St Mary, Ewell 205. The Rev’d Christopher Johnson 206. The Rev’d Tom Lilley 207. B O’Neil 208. The Rev’d N Quanrud, Assistant Curate, St John the Divine, Kennington 209. E Bourne 210. Dr S Reynolds 211. S Sarmiento 212. The Rev’d Peter Bustin 213. The Rev’d John Fellows 214. The Rev’d Samuel Gibson 215. The Rev’d Mark Osbourne 216. The Rev’d Christopher Cook 217. J Gritter 218. The Rev’d Justin Hutcherson 219. The Rev’d Dr Kvetoslav Tomas Krejci 220. The Rev’d Tom Sander 221. E. M Speight 222. The Rev’d Michael Bowie, Assistant Priest, All Saints, Margaret Street 223. The Rev’d M Hislop, Vicar, St Luke’s Kingston 224. J Wallbank, Hon. Treasurer, All Saints, Twickenham 225. J Davidge, Churchwarden, St Luke, Kingston 226. The Rev’d Russell Lawson, Priest-in-Charge, Holy Spirit, Southsea 227. The Rev’d S Maddison, Vicar, St Michael & All Angels, Cross Heath & St Paul, Newcastle 228. The Rev’d D Swyer, Priest-in-Charge, Portslade and Mile Oak 229. E Brazil, Ordinand, Ripon College Cuddesdon 230. The Rev’d Canon J Metivier, Retired. 231. The Rev’d M Still, Assistant Curate, St Mary, Kenton 232. K Elliott, Churchwarden, St Mary, Kenton 233. W Maloney, Churchwarden, St Mary, Kenton 234. D Griffiths, PCC Secretary, St Mary, Kenton 235. K Lewis, PCC member, St Mary, Kenton 236. M Shand, PCC member, St Mary, Kenton 237. B Drake-Brockman, PCC member, St Mary, Kenton 238. L Abbot, PCC member, St Mary, Kenton 239. G Cowans, PCC member, St Mary, Kenton 240. I Cowans, PCC member, St Mary, Kenton 241. O Clifford, PCC member, St Mary, Kenton 242. P Huntley, PCC member, St Mary, Kenton 243. I Tincer, PCC member, St Mary, Kenton 244. W Zeeley, PCC member, St Mary, Kenton 245. I Jones, PCC member, St Mary, Kenton 246. J Cameron, PCC member, St Mary, Kenton 247. B Labastide, PCC member, St Mary, Kenton 248. The Rev’d Dr. A Everett, Vicar, All Saints, West Dulwich 249. J Kabel, Churchwarden, Holy Trinity, Sloane Street 250. C Hallett, Churchwarden, Holy Trinity, Sloane Street 251. The Rev’d M Print, Vicar, St George, Chorley 252. Letitia Adamah-Miles, PCC member, St Thomas Kensal Town. 253. Ben Kelsey, PCC Member and Sacristan, St Mary and St John Camp Hill 254. Zoe Stephens 255. Mr Gordon Burgess-Parker, Reader, St Giles, Stoke-on-Trent. 256. The Rev’d Matthew Catterick, Vicar, St Saviour’s Pimlico. 257. Canon Dr Dan Inman, Chancellor, Chichester Cathedral 258. Alexander Berry 259. The Rev’d Graham Lunn, St Michael, Beckenham 260. The Rev’d Andrew Swift, Team Rector, North Potteries Team Ministry 261. R Broomfield 262. D Young, All Saints, Okehampton 263. Daniel Wyman, St John the Divine, Kennington 264. Iain Bailey 265. The Rev’d Dr Justin Lewis-Anthony, Rector designate of Ss Peter and Paul, 266. Erik Eichelberger Cannell, 267. Sophy Tuck 268. Christopher Marland 269. Neil McCleery 270. The Rev’d Nick Nawrockyi, Vicar of Old Clee, St Aidan, Christ Church & St Francis, Cleethorpes, 271. Dan Jones, 272. Joseph Hutchinson 273. The Rev’d Canon Nick Brown, Rector of Louth and Rural Dean of Louthesk 274. Oliver Hancock 275. T E Benham 276. The Rev’d Antony Dutton, Vicar of St John the Evengelist, Great Sutton 277. Rev’d Jonathan Bish, Associate Priest, North Wakefield Benefice 278. The Rev’d Thomas James, RN, Naval chaplain. 279. James Mathieson 280. Michael Readman, Deanery Synod representative, St John’s Harpenden, 281. Tracey Braddick 282. Stephen McMinnies 283. The Rev’d Stephen Anderson, Priest in Charge, St Botolph, Cambridge 284. William Garrood, Lay Chair, Lambeth North Deanery 285. James Dixon 286. Ann S Jones, Deanery Synod 287. Michael Jones 288. Ruth Gibbs 289. Luke Archer 290. Nigel Reid 291. David Roberts 292. Margery Roberts 293. Martin Peck 294. Punam Peck 295. John Ressell 296. Angela Collins 297. Christian Moon 298. Jane Morgan 299. Ann Wickham 300. Paul Simmons 301. Steve Daszko 302. Nicholas Riddle 303. Alex Matthews 304. Ben Fowler 305. Claire Durtnall 306. John Cutts 307. Clive Lees 308. Duncan Williams 309. Matthew Hibbert 310. Christopher Kerr 311. Daniel Turner 312. Rosie Luff 313. Elliot Grainger 314. Jane Deal 315. Jonathan Johnson 316. Zoë McMillan, Churchwarden, Great St Bartholomew 317. Gawain Towler 318. Roy Sully 319. The Rev’d C Razzall, Vicar, St Paul, North Thornaby 320. The Rev’d P Reynolds, Retired, Leeds 321. The Rev’d W Pearson-Gee, Rector, Buckingham Benefice 322. The Rev’d P Corbett, Priest-in-Charge, All Saints, Notting Hill & St Michael, North Kensington 323. S Voy, All Saints Margaret Street 324. Quentin Williams, All Saints, Margaret Street, 325. Julianna Grey, PCC member and Treasurer, St Thomas, Kensal Town 326. S Yon, Churchwarden, St Thomas. Kensal Town 327. D Povall, Ordinand, Diocese of Southwark 328. Stephen Slack, CBE, Charlbury 329. The Rev’d J Rattue 330. Cllr R Morgan, General Synod member, Ely 331. The Rev’d Dr Y Said, Lecturer, Liverpool Hope University; Hon Assistant Priest, Liverpool Parish Church 332. Christopher Hartnett, St Mary the Virgin, Ruffed, with Holmeswood and Holy Trinity Tarleton, Blackburn 333. Lindsay Newcombe, General Synod member, London 334. The Rev’d Peter Bolton, PTO, Rochester 335. Juan Carlos McQueenie, St Mary Rotherhithe, Southwark. 336. The Rev’d D Way, Incumbent, St Peter & The Holy Apostles, Plymouth 337. Mary Nagel, General Synod member, Diocese of Chichester 338. The Rev’d P Carter, Vicar, St Bartholomew, Ipswich 339. Nicholas Brown, Parish of All Saints Roffey and St Saviour, Colgate 340. Angela Devaney, Churchwarden of the Parish of Old St Pancras 341. The Rev’d D Galanzino, Parish Priest, All Saints, Houghton Regis 342. Sallyanne Bartlett 343. Christine Benstead 344. Linda Booth 345. Robert Booth 346. Lee Carter 347. Caroline Chandler 348. Jay Chatterton, Churchwarden, Houghton Regis 349. David Clark 350. Janet Clark 351. Susan Clark 352. Suzanne Denver 353. Brenda Dias 354. Edward Dias 355. Annie Ellis 356. Colin Ellis 357. Ellen Ellis 358. Matthew Hurley 359. Caroline Lewis 360. Kirsty Lewis-Hull 361. Dr Leah Muteru 362. Rotimi Okusanya 363. Toyin Okusanya 364. Bryan Ogonyo 365. Diana Ogonyo 366. Bryan Owen 367. Heulwen Owen 368. Lily Perkes, 369. Sarah Perkes, 370. Celia Pymont 371. Christopher Slough 372. David Steele 373. Janet Steele, Churchwarden, Houghton Regis 374. Nigel Steele 375. Susan Steele 376. Richard Stock 377. Sylvia Thompson 378. Ellen Walsh 379. Katrina Wilson 380. Lloyd Brown, Ordinand, Durham 381. Rohan Miles 382. Jinnah Alex Kanyako 383. S Nkrumah, Deanery Synod Rep, St Thomas, Kensal Town 384. S Adamah PCC Member, St Thomas, Kensal Town 385. C Adamah PCC, St Thomas, Kensal Town 386. R Parsons, General Synod member, Leicester. 387. M Parsons, St James the Great, Hanslope 388. W Horridge, PCC member, St Mary, Rotherhithe 389. Dr R Mantle OBE, General Synod member, Leeds. 390. The Rev’d S Philpott MBE, Retired PTO, Exeter. 391. The Rev’d A Beattie, Assistant Curate, St Mary, South Ruislip 392. The Rev’d Andrew Greany, Walsingham 393. Funmi Abiola, Deputy Churchwarden, St Paul’s Camden Square 394. The Rev’d Alex Barrow, Team Vicar, All Saints, East Sheen. 395. Bill Cottle, Churchwarden, St Anne’s, Kew 396. Paul Booth, Churchwarden, St Anne’s, Kew 397. The Rev’d Stephen Coleman, Vicar, St Peter’s, Grange Park. 398. The Rev’d Eileen McGregor, Associate Vicar, St Nicholas, Chiswick 399. M Stone, St Anne’s, Kew 400. Barbara Marlowe 401. Ruth Ward 402. The Rev’d J Cooper 403. The Rev’d N Worn, Vicar, St Anne’s, Kew 404. Ms Phyllis Cunningham, St Anne’s, Kew 405. Ms Cate Lyon, Churchwarden, St Anne’s, Kew 406. Ms Nicola Cottier, PCC member, St Anne’s, Kew 407. Ms Marion Goodgame, St Anne’s, Kew 408. Mr Robin Goodgame, St Anne’s, Kew, former Lay Chair, Barnes and Richmond Deanery Synod 409. Peter Ruygrok, St Anne, Kew 410. Tina Ruygrok, St Anne, Kew 411. Chris Handley, St Anne, Kew 412. Margaret Handley, St Anne’s, Kew 413. Mark Sidwell 414. S Kelsey, City of London Deanery Synod 415. N Kelsey 416. M Amherst Lock 417. C Hoile 418. P Pipe-Wolferstan 419. S Henderson 420. Dr T Bushnell 421. I Bushnell 422. J Buckley 423. L Reid 424. E Cox 425. P Francis 426. J Service 427. A Allan 428. The Rev’d Karen Gooding, St Saviour’s, Westgate-on-Sea 429. Rev’d Canon Martin Draper 430. Gabrielle Higgins 431. Sir David Madel 432. Lady Madel 433. The Very Reverend M Higgins, Dean Emeritus of Ely 434. D Andrew 435. L Hawkins 436. D Powell, Southwark Cathedral 437. The Rev’d P Bagott, Vicar of St Cuthbert’s , Earl’s Court 438. The Rev’d Dr B Leathard, Vicar of St Luke’s, Chelsea 439. The Rev’d S Brandes, Vicar of St Nicholas, Chiswick 440. The Rev’d C Card-Reynolds, Vicar of St Bartholomew on Stamford Hill 441. The Rev’d Canon V Bullock, Vicar, St Martin’s Fenny Stratford. 442. The Rev’d Canon AG Stevens, Vicar St Nicholas, Plumstead 443. The Rev’d F Pesce, Associate Vicar, St Peter’s Acton Green, Chiswick 444. The Rev’d R Leece, Rector of St George’s Hanover Square 445. The Rev’d M Duckett, Priest in Charge of Colindale, St Matthias’ Colindale 446. The Rev’d R Thompson, Vicar, St Mary’s Kilburn and St James West Hampstead 447. The Rev’d S Maginnis, Pioneer Curate, St John the Baptist, Loughton 448. Hannah Phillips, Diocese of London. 449. G Naylor, Deputy Churchwarden, Parish of Plymstock and Hooe 450. Rev’d Dr J Heard, Vicar, United Benefice of Holland Park 451. The Rev’d S Evason, Retired PTO Diocese of Manchester, St Peter Swindon 452. Julian Kelly, Director of Music, St Anne’s, Kew 453. C Chukwujekwu 454. The Rev’d C Trundle, Vicar, Holy Redeemer and St Mark, Clerkenwell 455. The Rev’d H Harknett, Assistant Curate, St John the Divine, Kennington 456. The Rev’d A Walker, Vicar, St Mary’s, Bourne Street 457. Rafael Deogracias, St Anne, Kew 458. M Ker Hawn, St Anne, Kew 459. W Macintyre 460. J Macintyre 461. Baroness Tonge of Kew, House of Lords, former MP for Richmond Park, retired doctor. 462. W M Booth, St Anne, Kew 463. P D Booth, St Anne, Kew 464. Amanda Macintyre, St Mark, Noel Park 465. The Rev’d Dr Martin Thomas, Team Vicar, Plaistow and Canning Town 466. John Thomas, St Giles-in-Reading 467. M Lambert, PCC Secretary, St James's Church, Sussex Gardens 468. S Silkstone, Parish Administrator, St James's Sussex Gardens 469. G Higgins, Diocesan Secretary, Chichester 470. The Rev’d Nicholas Johnson, Assistant Curate, St Paul’s Royton 471. The Rev’d James Paice, Vicar, St Luke’s Wimbledon Park 472. The Rev’d Stephen Trott, Rector, Pitsford with Boughton 473. Kate Hodgetts, All Saints Margaret Street 474. The Rev’d Preb. Michael Kinna, Lincoln. 475. The Revd Canon Bill Kentigern-Fox 476. S Margrave, Lecturer, De Montford University, General Synod member. 477. The Rev’d P Bennett, Retired. PTO Diocese of Ely 478. The Rev’d Canon Dr M Blyth, Retired. PTO, Chelmsford. 479. The Rev’d Ian Walters, Vicar, Gosberton Group 480. The Rev’d Canon A Hawes, Lincoln. 481. The Rev’d Da Addington, PTO, Ely. 482. The Revd I Graham, Retired, PTO, York. 483. The Rev’d M Grange, Retired, PTO, York 484. The Rev’d Canon G Buttery, Vicar, St Oswald Hartlepool, Durham 485. G Buttery, PCC member, St Oswald Hartlepool 486. The Rev’d R Bolton, Vicar, Holy Trinity, Winchmore Hill 487. The Rev’d S Chrysostomou, Vicar, St Mary the Virgin and All Saints, Potters Bar. 488. Canon R Osborn, Reader and Churchwarden, St Mary the Virgin and All Saints, Potters Bar 489. M Jones, Churchwarden, St Mary the Virgin and All Saints, Potters Bar 490. M Chrysostomou 491. Charles Nethercott 492. Elizabeth Nethercott 493. D Miller 494. B Shepherd 495. P Shepherd 496. I Thornton 497. D Neal 498. J Neal 499. D Ruge-Cope 500. C Ruge-Cope 501. C Hollings 502. J Hollings 503. R Burt 504. J Burt 505. D Hancock 506. C Beland-Hancock 507. T Cotterill, Ordinand, St Stephen’s House 508. F Appleby, PCC Member, St Michael & All Angels, Barnes 509. The Rev’d Canon Dr N Cranfield, Vicar, All Saints, Blackheath 510. J Robinson 511. W Robinson 512. The Rev’d Dr C Clapham, Vicar, St Peter, Hammersmith 513. C Law, PCC Member, St Michael & All Angels, Barnes 514. M Kreling, PCC Member, St Michael & All Angels, Barnes 515. J Cochrane, Churchwarden, St Pancras Old Church 516. Baron Liddle of Carlisle
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![]() It was a beautiful day nearly 2000 years ago many families were minding there own business, going to work, preparing the children for school, and mothers caring for there young. This was any day in the life of a Jew in Palestine at this time. The rumor on the street was that something great was about to happen, and on top of that someone has said there were men from the East who have come to visit the city of Bethlehem to visit a new born king. The greatest news was this bright star that has seemed to settle upon Bethlehem. Such innocence on any normal day in Palestine. Well as we know this was not “any normal day”, but this wasn’t “any day” nor was it “any normal time” in history. The time was pregnant with divine revelation a breaking into time so to speak of the divine son of God born in a manger, born of a virgin, born to his step father Joseph who was still trying to make sense of all that has just taken place. By the time we enter our Gospel lesson this morning, the wise men from the east had already visited our Lord at the nativity. They had promised Herod that they would report back to him of the place and location of this King they came so far to pay homage to. Herod, being the self indulgent leader that he was, thought he could out wit these wise men from the east. As an aside we don’t know how many wise men there were, we have come up with the number three because of the three gifts given. So it is possible that there were many men who made the journey to see the King of Kings. In Matthew 2:13 we see Joseph sleeping and the Angel of the Lord visiting him in a dream saying to him, “Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy Him.” Joseph obediently took his wife and this child that was not his, by birth to Egypt till word came of the death of Herod. Meantime Herod got wind that the Magi from the East had left town without reporting back to him of this King they came so far to visit. Herod was a pompous man given too much debauchery in his public life. At the same time he was a very superstitious man who took seriously these prophecies of a King to be born in his region. His jealousy was driven by Satan's feeble attempt to destroy the son of God. This animalistic vengeance upon the innocence of a child drove him to recapitulate the actions of an angry despot at the birth of another holy innocent child Moses thousands of years earlier. It is ironic that the place of safety for the Christ was the place of the first great holocaust of innocence, Egypt. It should be no surprise to us that Satan throughout salvation history has been hard at work to destroy not only God’s messenger Moses, but his Son Jesus Christ. Herod’s evil moved swiftly upon the land from Bethlehem to the coasts, where the second great holocaust known to man took place. Imagine the peace of the day being torn into the abortion of such young lives, two years of age and younger. Imagine your first born being taken by the state for the convenience of the conscience of an evil ruler. “Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.” Such pleasure being turned to such pain, the pleasure of your children’s laugh and even there cry for your attention, being replaced by the cries of children being taken from there mothers and Aborted at such an innocent time of life. There is nothing that scandalizes the modern world quite so much as the suffering of children. When even a single child suffers some remarkable tragedy, this becomes national news. Crimes committed against children are looked on with horror. And men rebel against a God who allows children to suffer. Never mind their own complicity in the holocaust of abortion on demand, endless war, or the culture of Child pornography. So we come to the third of the trio of Feasts that follow in the wake of Christmas: the Feast of the suffering children, the Feast of the Holy Innocents. This Feast must come as a quite a shock to unbelievers, especially when we sing “Alleluia”, as we commemorate the cruel slaughter of innocent children by the cruel despot king Herod. But as St John reminds us, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not understand it.” John 1:5 Jesus tell us what this means in John 3:19 “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” We have been considering each of these post-Christmas Feasts as exemplifying the fruits of our Savior's redemptive work in three different ways. We saw the fruit of the holiness of the active life in St. Stephen the Deacon/Martyr on December 26th. We saw the fruit of the holiness of the contemplative life in St. John on December 27th. How about the Holy Innocents? Perhaps we could speak of the fruit of the holiness of the submissiveness of the innocence of children. In order for us to see the innocence of these holy children who have given there lives for this Christ they would never see here on Earth we are taken into the throne room of our God in the Revelation of St. John the Divine. We see in Revelation 14 the Martyrs, who have kept themselves unspotted from the World, “These were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits unto God and the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: For they are without fault before the throne of God.” John 14:4b-5 I must say that these children two years and younger qualify for such a prestigious place among the Saints in Christian antiquity. It is not in any work of merit that they attained to the title “Martyr” but by virtue of the fact that God used such holy innocence in this paradoxical appointment as they gave there lives for His. Yes passive without choice Yes without guile of tongue Yes in Holy Innocence given as a Lamb to the Slaughter. They are among the Saints who “Were slain for the Word of God and for the Testimony which they held.” Revelation 6:9 And they do cry out, “How Long, O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” Revelation 6:10 The Holy Innocents knew nothing and did nothing. All they did was to suffer for a brief moment, as at their circumcision. They had no choice whether to suffer or not. They didn't even have a choice, as we do, whether or not to accept their inevitable suffering, or to rebel against it. They were not yet capable of choosing anything. They suffered briefly and in that baptism of blood they were conformed to the Passion of Christ. So also the infant, who is baptized in water, knows nothing and chooses nothing, but suffering the baptism of water, is conformed to the Passion of Christ. If he dies during his infancy, the baptized child passes from the innocence of his ignorance to the glory of heaven and the vision of God, his Creator. Like the Holy Innocents, they taste for a fleeting moment the suffering that comes as a punishment for original sin and are plucked from the fire and brought into God's presence to glorify His boundless mercy. Here is the answer to the suffering of children that the modern world refuses to accept. The modern world will not accept this answer both because it refuses to accept the reality of original sin and because it refuses to look beyond the bounds of this life. This is why so many children are aborted daily. The World as Herod and Pharaoh did before do not recognize their sinfulness they rationalize at every turn the Abortion of Holy Innocence. They use innocent unborn children as political tools of there own device they see the unborn as tissue mass or something that has no soul or emotion. Even the tools of modern medicine have shown the full kinetic livelihood of the Baby in the womb. John the Baptist in his mother Elisabeth’s womb leaped, “and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Luke 1:41) Fulfilling the words of the prophet Isaiah, Thus saith the Lord, redeemer, and he the formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens…” (Is 44:24) Our Collect summarizes the great paradox of this solemn occasion. It points to Ps 8:2 saying, “Out of the mouths of babes and suckling’s hast thou ordained strength,” Declaring the Martyrdom of these dear children for the sake of our Lord. Few people today share in the view of this collect that God was glorified in the horrible massacre of innocent infants. But we must remember the words of Our Lord who said,” “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.” (Matt 18:4) May we as the collect says, …Mortify and kill all vices in us, and so strengthen us by thy grace, that by the innocence of our lives, and constancy of our faith even unto death, we may glorify thy holy Name… The great liturgist and scholar Massey Shepherd says, Tradition has interpreted this type of martyrdom of innocence as one in deed but not in will. The value of this fine distinction is that it reminds us of what happens to often in our tragic world- the unscrupulous sacrifice of many innocent victims because of the ambitions and jealousies of men whose lust for power blinds them to all sense of justice and decency. {The Oxford American Prayer Book Commentary By, Massey Hamilton Shepherd Jr Pg. 103} May we remember the innocence that is lost daily in our world and may we not only pray but act to preserve life from the hands of hegemony, injustice and indecency. Amen. The Revd John X Leal ![]() Last night at St Catherine's , Maundy Thursday Communion Service, The Revd Darren Moore preached a sermon about love using the story of the meal at Simon the Lepers house in Bethany from Mark 14 3-9 as Jesus was on the road to the Cross. Darren+ rightly pointed out that the narrative itself doesn’t stand or fall on the story (as most scholars agree). But as we know all scripture is God breathed, and for our learning. While he spoke I was drawn to the lesson appointed to be read for Morning Prayer from the daily lectionary, C of E, from Leviticus 16 which talks about the ritual rites for the Atonement. What caught my attention was the woman who “Anointed” Jesus with “the alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard”. Now on the surface we would think what does this have to do with anything? Why is this story in this place anyway? Well I think Leviticus tells us! On the Day of Atonement a sacrifice is prepared for not only the people, but for the priest as well (Read Leviticus 16). The people would bring two goats which the priest would cast lots to see which one God wanted to be the sacrifice for the people, and he would offer a bull for his own sins. What connects the Day of Atonement and the events at the home of Simon the Leper are found in Leviticus 16:11-14 when the sacrifice for the high priest is prepared it says, 11 “Aaron shall present the bull as a sin offering for himself, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house. He shall kill the bull as a sin offering for himself. 12 And he shall take a censer full of coals of fire from the altar before the Lord, and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small, and he shall bring it inside the veil 13 and put the incense on the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is over the testimony, so that he does not die. 14 And he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat on the east side, and in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times. The incense that covers the mercy seat is a sweet smelling sacrifice and is symbolically present to make the offering pleasing to God. Incense is made of things like “nard” to give it a smell that is pleasing, not that of burning flesh. Since Jesus is a self-malidictory oath, or an oath to himself, how appropriate is it for the atoning sacrifice to be bathed with such an expensive spice before the sacrifice on the cross! John 12 tells us that this woman was Mary relative of Lazarus who Jesus raised from the dead. Remember Jesus had said of Mary, to Martha, that she had chosen the better path by sitting at Jesus feet. This ritual preparation of the once for all sacrifice, by a woman who gave all she had to the savior, is a very important part of the story as it relates to the recapitulation of the day of Atonement in Jesus fulfilling all of the law in himself. Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. (Matt 5:17) So what is the point, well the point is that this “chance meeting” with Mary at Bethany is important when we think of the events of the cross in light of the old covenant shadows. Jesus’ sacrifice is a sweet smell that completes all the old covenant sacrifices made. God killing the animals to cover Adam and Eve after the fall (Gen3:21,22), Abel’s better sacrifice (Gen3:10), Noah’s sacrifice after the flood (Gen8:20,22), The self-maledictory sacrifice that Abraham offered (Gen 15), the ram provided to Abraham’s only son (Gen 22:9-14), the Passover sacrifice to save the first born (Ex 12,13) , and the sacrifice on the day of atonement for the sins of the people (Lev 16). All of these sacrifices had to be done over and over year by year, but can never take away sin. But Jesus as his once for all sacrifice died and rose again for the life of the world. Paul says to the Hebrews in chapter 10, 10:1 For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? 3 But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. He goes on the say, 19 Therefore, brothers, [3] since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. So let us have the same confidence as Mary today. We salute you Mary for fulfilling the task you were given in the once for all sacrifice of Christ, completing every jot and tittle (Matt 5:18). May we be reminded today as well that the whole bible is important “The New is in the Old concealed; the Old is in the New revealed." (Attributed to Augustine) is a very important maxim to live by especially as we do biblical theology. I enjoy chasing down the meaning of things and seeing how those meanings, all be it in shadows, point to the saviour of the world. Furthermore as an Anglican the 39 articles point to the same reality VII. Of the Old Testament. The Old Testament is not contrary to the New: for both in the Old and New Testament everlasting life is offered to Mankind by Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and Man, being both God and Man. Wherefore they are not to be heard, which feign that the old Fathers did look only for transitory promises. Although the Law given from God by Moses, as touching Ceremonies and Rites, do not bind Christian men, nor the Civil precepts thereof ought of necessity to be received in any commonwealth; yet notwithstanding, no Christian man whatsoever is free from the obedience of the Commandments which are called Moral. On this Good Friday let us think a moment on the old covenant which is rich in Gospel and points to the anti type our savior Jesus Christ. Finally the words of the Easter Canticle point us to the Gospel from the old to the new revealed. 1 Christ our passover is sacrificed for us : therefore let us keep the feast, 2 Not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness : but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Corinthians 5.7b,8) 3 Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more : death hath no more dominion over him. 4 For in that he died, he died unto sin once : but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 5 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin : but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6.9-11) 6 Christ is risen from the dead : and become the first-fruits of them that slept. 7 For since by man came death : by man come also the resurrection of the dead. 8 For as in Adam all die : even so in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15.20-22) Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen. ![]() SUNDAY SERMON: APRIL 16, 2006 EASTER Surprise! Surprise! All of us love surprises. I remember playing the game of “hide and seek” with my daughter. The object of this game is to count up to a predetermined number and when that number is reached you call out with a loud voice “Ready or not here I come.” The person who is “it” then has to go and find those that have hid themselves in various places, this is when the fun begins. As the person who is “it” goes around trying to find his hidden companions, his adrenaline begins to flow not knowing where his friends are lurking. Now when I played hide and seek the fun began when you found those hiding and chased them back to home base. The object was to catch someone to be “it” for the next game. I remember the feeling I got playing this game when I would find someone in places I did not think anyone to be. This would send my heart pumping and my mouth screaming with excitement and fear. Playing this game used to remind me of the old “horror movies” where the villain is lying in wait and the, “we’ll call them,” the good guys are walking around with their eyes as wide as saucers not knowing what was coming next. The element of surprise in games like hide and seek can cause us to freeze and grips us into a state of shock and unbelief that we have to shake ourselves to get back into the game. We also love to play a game, with our children with a kind of knee jerk reaction, called Peek-a-boo! I am convinced that this game is truly God given. How many play this game with babies when you get around them without even thinking about it? Well for those who have never played this game it is played by covering your face with your hands and getting as close to the babies face as possible…removing your hands and saying “Peek-a boo!” This little game just comes so natural to us we don’t even think about it. Next time you play this game with a baby, watch the expression on the babies face when you cover your face and when you remove your hands from your face. The baby will get this look of loss and fear when you cover your face, and when your face is uncovered they will have a look of relief that you are still there. We adults have those same emotions. Someone once said, “ within the heart of a man is a little child.” Children’s expressions are telling aren’t they? Two thousand years ago, something happened that would change the world forever. This event would not only change the world, but also change the lives of eleven men minus one forever. This event caught these eleven, and the world for that matter, by complete surprise. This event is the Resurrection of Christ. This short Gospel this morning shows the Resurrection not as a doctrine, but as a fact to be verified on evidence like all other facts. Three witnesses are adduced and three remarkable signs. These are three: Mary Magdalene, S. Peter, and S. John. The value of their witness appears from the following consideration. It was an event entirely unexpected by them catching them by surprise. (1) Mary had come in the evident expectation of finding the Body, she had come bringing spices to complete the embalmment. Her perplexity is shown by her haste, and her breathless description—she has no time to explain either the “they” or the ‘‘we." (2) S. Peter and S. John are equally surprised. They, too, run—and run each as fast as they can, thus separating, with the younger St John arriving first. They are both taken by complete surprise, and consider the facts without any preconceived theory. This done, they depart home. When we catch up with the disciples they are in the midst of trying to get all the facts. They are hearing all of these stories of Christ being alive. The disciples will hear from Cleopas how Christ walked with them to Emmaus and how their heart burned within them as Christ walked with them. They also told of Christ breaking bread with them opening their eyes to the fact that he is risen indeed. The disciples were very skeptical and frightened at this time…not knowing what to make of all these reports of Christ not being dead but alive. This event must have been like a huge media fact-finding event. I remember being glued to the TV when word came that Ronald Reagan had been shot. The anchorman at the news desk was reporting the information as it was given to him. I will never forget his reaction to the report that the President had died in the hospital. The anchorman began to lament the loss of such a great man…even shedding a tear. Then as he continued word came to the contrary that the President wasn’t dead but alive. I will never forget this news mans face as he tried to hold back his emotions and said, “Let’s get the story straight!” He was probably pretty embarrassed. The disciples must have been feeling both doubt and expectancy as all of these reports came. The thoughts that arose in their minds were thoughts of excitement but brutal reality. They had all seen or heard that Jesus had died and that He was laid to rest in the tomb of Joseph of Arimithea. They also knew the fact that Pilate had placed guards around the tomb to secure the area. The disciples felt all of these differing emotions like we all would have experienced with the apparent loss. But, the reality of the matter is that the tomb was empty and the disciples could not explain what had just taken place. All they had were reports much like the poor anchorman who announced to millions that Ronald Reagan was dead when in fact he was alive. After they witnessed the empty tomb, these men were all huddled together in that place, Christ will appears to them and say to them, “Peace to you.” This motley crew looks at Jesus frightened, much as a child at the game of Peek-a-boo, because they supposed Him to be a spirit. They were still in disbelief over the resurrection, they could not, as we would, conceive a man raising from the cruel torture that Christ had endured. Christ then comforts them and says, "Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? "Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have." When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.” Jesus stood in their midst with flesh and bones, not a spirit of which they thought He would appear. No. When Jesus rose from the dead it was not a spiritual Resurrection, as some would like to suggest, but it was a bodily Resurrection. The subject of the Bodily Resurrection of Christ has been, and still is (just read the Gnostic Gospel of Judas) a point of contention with those who would deny that Jesus rose from the dead. At best, those who deny the Resurrection will only go as far as to say it was only spiritual a resuscitation at best. Some today want to only focus on the concept of the empty tomb as being the evidence of the resurrection forgetting the incarnation. Moreover, while it may seem incredible to us, the gospel writers generally refrain from using the empty tomb as a basis for faith! Furthermore, the stone was not rolled away to let Jesus out; he did not need open doors to move about. The stone was removed to begin communicating the resurrection to the followers of Jesus as we saw in this mornings Gospel. But the empty tomb did not convince them that Jesus was alive! At first it was frustrating to the disciples and "seemed to them like idle tales.” Would anyone constructing a story and trying to prove the resurrection use such an approach? These testimonies have an element of authenticity that inventors of stories seldom duplicate. While the above testimonies about the empty tomb seem to have little to do with the faith of these early Christians, the appearances of Jesus are clearly at the heart of early Christian belief. The consistent witness of the New Testament is that in the appearances of Jesus something incredible happened. The two followers on the Emmaus road, upon realizing it was the risen Jesus, forgot their concern with the lateness of the hour and rushed back to Jerusalem to tell the others. Doubting Thomas uttered Christianity's greatest confession when he realized that the risen Christ was actually addressing him. Peter left his fishing nets for good when the risen Savior asked him, "Do you love Me?” And at a later time, the risen Lord transformed the persecutor Saul into the zealous missionary St. Paul as the result of the bodily appearance of our Lord on the road to Damascus. But what was the nature of these appearances? Some have suggested that the appearance of Jesus to Paul, on the Damascus road, seemed to be of a spiritual nature, similar to the revelation of Jesus to Christians today. Since Paul lumps all of the appearances together in his first letter to the Corinthians, these critics argue that all the appearances must be spiritual in nature. They reject the idea that the risen Jesus could be touched or, as we saw on many occasions with the disciples that our Lord would eat with them. Such a line of argument not only judges the witnesses on the basis of rationalistic assumptions, but it flies in the face of Paul's own admission that his experience was somewhat irregular. Another approach is that advocated by the German theologian Rudolph Bultmann, who speaks of an "Easter faith" of the disciples rather than an actual bodily resurrection of Jesus. Accordingly, he splits the Jesus of history from the spiritual experience of the Christ of faith. The problem of modern rationalist is they deny that there are any mysteries of our faith. Someone close to this description is Bishop Spong. Spong is a vehement lunatic fringe liberal who calls the resurrection a myth and has suggested that if it happened it was purely spiritual not bodily. This should be a hint to all of us if you want to find out if someone’s belief in Christ is correct. Ask them if they believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. Nine times out of ten this will flush a heretic out of the closet, such as Spong. This teaching is Anti-Christ. St John says in his first Epistle, “Every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.” This spirit of Antichrist is one that denies the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ and His presence with us at the Eucharist. This feeling by some that Jesus is merely spiritual needs to be corrected. St John also said, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life…” The benchmark of our faith is the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central doctrine of Christianity that affirms that God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day. Without the resurrection, the apostle Paul declared, Christian preaching and belief are meaningless. The resurrection is the point at which God's intention for Jesus becomes clear and believers are assured that Jesus is the Christ. So significant is the resurrection of Jesus that without it there would be no church or Christianity and we would still be in our sins. In spite of the centrality of the resurrection, however, scholars have frequently debated the resurrection accounts in the New Testament. Furthermore there is also a close connection between Christ’s Resurrection and Christian baptism. This connection is no mere metaphor from descent into and rising from the baptismal water. S. Paul teaches that what baptism has been to the Christian exactly what the Resurrection is to Christ. It is not said merely that the baptized must “die to sin and rise again to righteousness” (BCP baptismal service), but that they have died to sin and have risen to righteousness, and are (Rom. 6. 11) “to reckon themselves as dead in respect to sin and as alive in respect to God.” This baptismal change is continually used by S. Paul as the great motive and power for newness of life. Thus we must not invert the order of this Epistle—risen, dead, mortify—nor insert the word “true” before Christian, for our baptism is to be our great motive to true and real Christian life. By our Lord’s Resurrection He entered upon a new and risen life and a new relation to God. His old life passed away, and all things became new. Thus by baptism into Christ the Christian enters upon a new life and a new relation towards God. Baptism conveys this change, which was once for all accomplished for the whole Church by the Resurrection of Christ, to the individual. S. Paul can, therefore, say to all baptized Christians: “If ye were raised with Christ.” This “if” implies no uncertainty as to the fact, but only uses the fact as an argument— The death and resurrection of Christ were not only His entrance upon a new sphere of life, but marked the severance of His connection with the past. Thus by baptism into Christ the Christian severs his relation to the world. The baptismal water is the Christian’s Red Sea! Rom. 6: 4. “We were buried with Him through baptism into death.” Col. 2. 12. “Having been buried with Him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with Him.” This is no mere metaphor, but a statement of actual fact; the Christian as baptized and incorporated into Christ is thereby taken out of relation to the world to which he is dead and even buried. Baptism, like death, severs worldly ties and cancels human engagements. He who is “in Christ” is out of the world. Therefore Our duty is to live a life consistent with our baptism. Resurrection with Christ implies death to the world, and death to the world implies that we “put to death our members that are upon the earth.” The baptismal change of relation demands also a change of conduct, a life of purity in action and thought, and a life of unselfishness, for since baptismal resurrection demands death to the world, to love the world is, therefore, the worst of sins, and deserves the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. God is not playing Hide and Seek with us this morning. Christ is risen. Jesus said, “it is I Myself.” C.S. Lewis in his now famous Mere Christianity said, “Did you ever think, when you were a child, what fun it would be if your toys could come to life? Well suppose you could really have brought them to life. Imagine turning a tin soldier into a real little man. It would involve turning the tin into flesh. And suppose the tin soldier did not like it. He is not interested in flesh; all he sees is that the tin is being spoilt. He thinks you are killing him He will do everything he can to prevent you. He will not be made into a man if he can help it. What you would have done about that tin soldier I do not know. But what God did about us was this. The Second Person in God, the Son, became human Himself: was born into the world as an actual man, a real man of a particular height, with hair of a particular color, speaking a particular language, with a particular weight. The Eternal Being, who knows everything and who created the whole universe, became not only a man but (before that) a baby, and before that a fetus inside a Woman's body. If you want to get the hang of it, think how you would like to become a slug or a crab. The Man in Christ rose again: not only the God. That is the whole point. For the first time we saw a real man. One tin soldier-real tin, just like the rest-had come fully and splendidly alive. Jesus Christ, as the creed declares, is alive seated at the right hand of God. As we come this morning to the Holy Supper Christ is here with us feeding us. Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feast, Not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness: but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 1 Cor. 5. 7. Amen. ![]() When we come to Palm Sunday we are consumed with the events of the Crucifixion, and the Humility of Christ in his action of Incarnation. St Paul says in our Epistle, (Philippians 2:5) Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Our hearts and our minds are brought to the realization of the sacrifice that was made on Golgotha. We at this time are forced to behold the cross, and the one nailed to it. This is a somber time of much reflection and consideration. This is also a time when we come face to face with the sting of sin which is death, but the glory and sweetness of that cross. This morning, though, I would like to draw our attention to a man who, for a moment in time, held this great event in history in, of all things, his hands. Pontius Pilate, the procurator of Judea, was a man who found himself in the middle of the most profound, and explosive times in history. Although Pilate himself would have never seen or considered the fact of the matter at hand, the fact that was disposed to him was the empirical fact that an innocent man was being sentenced to death. But what of his two, maybe sarcastic or maybe inspired, statements behold the Man, Behold your King. Pilate’s declaration of Christ’s humanity and His kingship was spoken by a man who had the keys of authority from the Roman government itself. Pilate’s statements did not gain him any popularity points with the Jew’s. This is why his judgment was so ironic the Jew's had their King right before them and they couldn't even recognize Him. As we talked in our Hebrews Study they were maybe looking for three different deliverers not one, but a prophet, priest and a king. Pilate's ironic judgment came on the heals of what we are celebrating today Palm Sunday when all of Jerusalem turned out to see their King ride in on a donkey. So as to forget this event, and to strong arm their case, the chief priests dug up some law to ensure that Jesus would die on the cross. Almost amazed by the brazen audacity of the Jew’s, fear grips Pilate not only by this mob, but the dream that his wife had saying to him “Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.” Pilate was having one of those days that change’s the course of his life and the life of his jurisdiction. So he goes in to Christ and asks, "Where do you come from." You see Pilate saw something not only with Christ's testimony, but with the urgency of the religious establishment’s insistence on Christ's crucifixion, and his wife’s insistence to avoid any controversy with Jesus. At this point Pilate was ready to let Jesus go free and put this whole incident behind him. Jesus statement that all authority is given from above struck a cord within Pilate’s heart to the point that he sought to release Him. As time went on the Jew's became the more embittered toward Pilate, and the more against Christ. They even went so far as to accuse Pilate of not being a friend of Caesar because of his insinuation that Christ is their King. Pilate though wasn't insinuating that Christ is king, I believe that Pilate knew that Jesus was special in some sense. This is not to say that Pilate had a conversion "experience” and became a Christian. No I think what Pilate recognized was the authority that Christ represented in himself. Pilate saw the apparent lawlessness with the Jewish customs coming before any real justice or law. The Jew's became a law unto themselves, not submitted to any real law or any real justice just pure anarchy and insurrection. On the other hand, Pilate recognized in Jesus a sense of statesmanship, or submission to a higher law. Jesus being the Word Incarnate, the law of God made manifest imaged for Pilate order and hierarchy. This of course is something that Pilate didn't see with the hostility of the mob who brought an innocent man to face death. At this point Pilate was immovable, even in the face of insurrection and anarchy, he sits down at the judgment seat brings Jesus out and declares to the Jew's "Behold your King"!! This didn't go over well with the Jew's, this only made them angrier at the truth at hand. The gall, they thought, for a pagan to make such a statement concerning the Hebrews. One would immediately expect that the Jew's would declare there allegiance to Jehovah as their king and Lord, or even hearken back to David as the model King. No they with much hatred in their hearts look at Pilate and say "WE have no King but Caesar"! This was the hypocrisy and irony that Pilate was faced with, and this is the hypocrisy that Pilate made known to the entire world on that Good Friday 2000 years ago, Pilate nails to the cross a public declaration that this man is the King of the Jew's in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. Pilate washed his hands of the matter and made it clear that the man who is crucified is the King of the Jew's. Pilate never retraced his judgment even in the face of opposition from the Jew's, but said "What I have written I have written." This is the sweetness of the cross of Christ that even with all the opposition against our Lord there is vindication even by the Gentiles. The blindness that God had placed over the eyes of the Jew's was brought to the fore in this event. "Darkness", as the prophet Isaiah said, "covered the earth and gross darkness the people...And the gentiles shall come to thy light and Kings to the Brightness of thy rising". The sweet victory of the cross is that access is made to the world; we now have redemption and reconciliation through the Cross of Christ. We must admit that Palm Sunday is full of irony. The cross is bitter to us because it shows us our sinfulness, and hypocrisy. The cross is sweet to us because it is the sweet aroma of life to those who are being saved, and death to those who are perishing. So now we can see Pilate’s judgment in the light of not only his inscription above the cross, but in his perception of Christ. Pilate’s two declarations "Behold the man and behold your King!" Ring true to the world of the humanity and divinity of Christ. This also rings true of man's heinous actions toward a loving God. Toward the one who went so far as to send His son, His only Son to redeem mankind, preserving us from the sting of death. The old spiritual hymn puts it well: Were you there when they crucified the Lord, Were you there when they nailed Him to the Tree? Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, were you there when they crucified the Lord? We were! We crucified Him we Nailed him to the tree, we mocked at Him as He hung on the cross bearing the stench and sting of death for us. We conspired with the religious leaders to have Christ crucified. We told Pilate that we have no King but Caesar. We told Pilate to give us a guilty man and send an innocent one to the tree. YES! WE WERE THERE WHEN THEY CRUCIFIED THE LORD. BEHOLD THE MAN, BEHOLD YOUR KING. May God help us to see the bitterness of the cross, and to receive the sweet redemption that God has made through the cross as we enter Holy week. This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.
![]() This sermon was preached a few years back. But as we are about to celebrate Mothering Sunday I thought this would be a good place to start. JERUSALEM which is above is free; which is the mother of us all. (Gal 4:26) Today is often called Mothering Sunday or even Refreshment Sunday in the Anglican Communion. It takes this name from the Epistle, where St. Paul says, Jerusalem which is above is free; which is the mother of us all' (Gal 4:26). This heavenly Jerusalem is our spiritual home. Here on earth she is the Church, nourished in the wilderness by God (Rev. 12:6). At the last day, she shall be made manifest as the bride of Christ, the holy city, the New Jerusalem, descending upon a renovated earth for the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev. 21:1, 19:7). This is the city of the living God (Heb. 12:22), where the saints love even themselves only for God's sake. There is, however, another earthly city (compare Gal. 4:25; Rev. 17:1-6). In this city, charity has been so perverted that not even true self-love remains, only the pride of life. The pride of life is a boastful assertion of one's own superiority and exaltation of one's deeds. It shows itself as a twisted desire for reputation and respect among men for one's own sake, and not for God's. It can be defined as an unwillingness to acknowledge God's proper authority over his creatures or as a substitution of one's own will for God's will. The mother of the world is found in her desire to imitate the proper love and nurturing that the mother of us all gives through love and submission to the will of God. The Mother of the world is bound in the clothes of the Bond woman as St. Paul tells us in our Epistle Lesson. “But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.” (Gal 4:23) St. Paul in our epistle is not telling us that the world itself is this Agar, but the Old Submission to the Rabbinical Laws that can never save us. St. Paul distinguishes between freedom and slavery in his letter to the Ephesians. The reason for his concern was the influence of the Judiazers which would come after Paul and attempt to replace the Freedom of the Gospel with the bondage to the Laws placed on the free conscience of his new converts. St. Paul revealed the Nature of the covenant God gave to Abraham as free and those children born of the promise as free, whose children we are. Born again in our baptism, birthed in the church, and refreshed by the Word and Sacraments in which she feeds us for strength to live new lives. But as St. Paul dealt with the problem of the nature of who God is and how we are to understand who we are in Him today there is much the same debate and even heresy in how we are to view God as our Father. In some churches today there is an attempt to make God more acceptable to modern society. One of these attempts reflects the feminist drive to create a more prominent role for women. Advocates have not hesitated to intrude into the holy sanctuary of Christianity. There, some of the more radical results of this movement have been the ordination of female priests (priestesses?) and, recently, the ordination of women as bishops. The results of such innovation has seen the rise of strange “neutral” ideas of who God is resulting in the ordination of homosexuals and the giving in marriage of same sex couples. Another innovation has been the rewriting of the Holy Scriptures in "inclusive language," that is, replacing masculine pronouns denoting God-such as "He" or "His"--with "non-sexist" terms. Proponents of these singular departures from the Christian tradition justify them by the fact that God is pure spirit, "neither male nor female," and therefore, they conclude, God can be considered not only as our Father but also as our Mother. These "reforms" are all consequences of the human desire to affirm femininity as well as masculinity in the church, and from a worldly standpoint they seem reasonable enough. But from the perspective of true Christian theology, they only reflect that dismal spiritual ignorance which has disfigured today's world. In the tradition of the Church the feminine element has been present from the beginning in its proper and God-given place. According to the ancient teaching God is indeed our Father, He who is the source of our life, but God is not our Mother. The Church is our mother. It is the Church which nurtures and feeds us, it is the Church which teaches us, it is the Church which shelters and protects us. In the words of St. Cyprian of Carthage: Of her womb we arc born, generation after generation. With her milk we are fed. Of her Spirit our souls draw their life-giving breath. Unfortunately, it is not only feminists and their sympathizers who overlook this important relationship. The wise Solomon tells us that "a foolish man despiseth his mother" (Prov. 15:20). Just so, many people seek Christ but abandon or ignore her who can lead them to Him, and in so doing they arc unable to reap God's promises. Hear again the words of St. Cyprian: He who has turned his back on the Church of Christ shall not come to the rewards of Christ.... You cannot have God for your Father if You have not the Church for your Mother. We might say to ourselves that St. Cyprian, writing in the third century, was addressing the problem of heretics and schismatics, and that his admonition doesn't concern us as Christians today. But we should stop to consider just what a proper relationship between mother and child involves. We cannot claim to have the Church as our mother simply by virtue of baptism, of being born again of her. A child naturally feels a great attachment to his mother. He shows his love in being obedient and respectful, in having a caring and teachable spirit. Is our relationship to the Church characterized by these and other traits proper to a child? Not only do we come to God through the Church, but it is also through the Church that God comes to us. All of the Mysteries-Baptism, Confirmation, the holy Eucharist, and all the rest--come to us within the Church. This is the place where God most readily and effectually works; this is where He has chosen by his divine will to manifest Himself to us. It is through the Church that we are fed the life-giving food; here it is where we receive our life from God. Some may ask: Why this emphasis on the Church? Isn't Christ alone, through His word, able to bring us to eternal salvation? Sure, but here one must realize the inseparable union that exists between Christ and His Church. (John l4:6) "as the Lord is the way, the truth and the life, so also is the Church, because the Church is as St Paul says to the Ephesians one and the same with the Lord, His body, of His flesh and of His bones (Eph. 5:30) .... Never represent the Church apart from the Lord Jesus Christ; from the Father and the Holy Spirit." The great Reformer John Calvin in his Institutes of Christian Religion Says, “But because it is now our intention to discuss the visible church, let us learn even from the simple title "mother" how useful, indeed how necessary, it is that we should know her. For there is no other way to enter into life unless this mother conceive us in her womb, give us birth, nourish us at her breast, and lastly, unless she keep us under her care and guidance until, putting off mortal flesh, we become like the angels. …Furthermore, away from her bosom one cannot hope for any forgiveness of sins or any salvation, …By these words God's fatherly favor and the especial witness of spiritual life are limited to his flock, so that it is always disastrous to leave the church.” John Calvin sounds much like St. Cyprian Our Gospel shows us the relationship between Christ and his Church. Christ asked Philip a rhetorical question, as He saw the great multitude coming, where shall we buy bread that these may eat. Jesus knew the answer to the question, but in order to prepare his disciples for there Apostleship, he placed the care of the multitude, which followed him for days, in their hands. Even after the miracle took place Christ feed no one, but distributed to the disciples and the disciples to the multitude. This was common in Christ earthly ministry. We see here Christ using the Church his duly called Apostles to feed the multitude. This act of feeding is still done every Lords Day. Christ calls us to feed with him at his table. He calls his duly ordained ministers to prepare the table and we ascend into heaven and feed with Christ there with tokens of His love for us, Bread and wine. We are as our collect says “mercifully…relieved” from the burden of sin and refreshed by the reminder of Christ’s Love for us in the weekly remembrance of the once for all sacrifice of Christ. Today is indeed a Refreshment Sunday, with its two views of grace, and a Sacrament provided for the supply of each, for by baptism we are made the children of God, and by the Eucharist the children of God are fed. This great miracle teaches that our Lord, and He alone, has power to satisfy human hearts. Our Lord can satisfy our human nature, and nothing else can--not the world, sin, pleasure, high position, learning, health, nor wealth. Our Lord alone is bread to us--bread solid, satisfying, sustaining, living, and life-giving. If we feed upon Him in all that He is and in all that He has done for us, in all His aspects and characters, we shall not want. …The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want… (Ps 24) See the bread multiplying in our Savior’s hands: He goes on breaking, breaking, breaking, so long as the least child remains unsatisfied. We shall find in Christ more than we ever expected to want, we that have wanted more than we ever expected to find. Let but Christ bless the meal, and the supply will never run short. On this mothering Sunday may we remember the mother who bore us on her breast and nurtures our Souls till our life’s end. May we see our freedom that is derived from God is only resident through the household of faith. May we see our Adoption as sons and daughters as a welcome invitation to the Lords Table where our hearts are refreshed and our Souls nourished. Amen+ This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.
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