SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER (Sunday after Ascension)B-Br. Simeon

Andre-Rublev's Saviour

Homily preached by Br. Simeon at Maroubra:Sunday 17th May 2015: 

SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER (Sunday after Ascension)  B.



Gospel:  John 17: 6-19

"Sanctified and consecrated in God's truth"

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord my strength and my Redeemer. Amen.

Do you know why God created you - what purpose and mission he has entrusted to you?

You may not have sensed God leading you to become a missionary or a preacher, or whatever it might be, but you still have a calling! No other person than your Creator can tell you why He created you. You were brought here by God and for a purpose!

Jesus' aim and mission was to glorify his heavenly Father. All he said and did gave glory to his Father. On the eve of his sacrifice on the cross and in the presence of his disciples, Jesus made his high priestly prayer: "Holy Father, keep them in your name that they may be one as we are one". Jesus prayed for the unity of his disciples and for all who would believe in him. Jesus' prayer for his people is that we be united with God the Father in his Son and through his Holy Spirit and be joined together, in unity with all who are members of Christ’s body.

What motivated Jesus to lay down his life on the cross as the atoning sacrifice for the sin of the world? It was love - love for his Father in heaven and love for each and every one of us who are made in the image and likeness of God. Jesus was sent into the world by his Father for a purpose and that purpose was a mission of love to free us from slavery to sin, Satan, fear, death, and hopelessness.

Jesus saw glory in the cross rather than shame. Obedience to his Father's will was his glory. Jesus kept his Father's word even when tempted to forgo the cross. Jesus did not rely on his own human resources and strength to accomplish his Father's will. He trusted in his Father to give him strength, courage, and perseverance in the face of opposition, trials, and temptation. We also must take up our cross and follow the Lord Jesus wherever he may call us.

He will give us the strength and power of the Holy Spirit to live as his disciples. John Henry Newman wrote: "God has created me, to do him some definite service; he has committed some work to me which he has not committed to another.”



I have my mission, called to His service as a priest, and you have yours to do as well. Each of us has been called by God, whether you know it or not in this life, you shall be told it in the next. You and I are a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created you and me for nothing. Therefore, we have to trust him. Whatever, wherever we are. You and I cannot be thrown away.

Jesus prayed that his disciples would be sanctified and consecrated in God's truth and holiness. The scriptural word for consecration comes from the same Hebrew word which means holy or set apart for God. This word also means to be equipped with the qualities of mind and heart and character for such a task or service.

Just as Jesus was called by the Father to serve in holiness and truth, so we, too, are called and equipped for the task of serving God in the world as his ambassadors. God's truth frees us from ignorance and the deception of sin. It reveals to us God's goodness, love, and wisdom. And it gives us a thirst for God's holiness. The Holy Spirit is the source and giver of all holiness. As we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives, he transforms us by his purifying fire and changes us into the likeness of Christ.

I'm not always one for leaving challenges after my sermon has been preached, but today as we leave this place of worship, I leave this for you to ponder in this coming week: Is your life consecrated to God?

Amen.

6th Sunday after Epiphany - Br Andrew efo

St- Andre-Rublev's Saviour

Holy Redeemer

In the care of the Ecumenical Franciscan Order

Homily preached at Winmalee: 

by  Br. Andrew e.f.o. 16th February 2014

Gospel Matthew 5:21-27

Both Simeon and I have spoken about self-individuation, the development of the individual Christian as a mature Self/ adult in Christ.

Today’s readings continue the theme of relationship, our relationship within us, between God and us and each other.

Real life – at least recognizably so

Corinth has been described as a sort of Greek Kings Cross because of the presence of the cult of the goddess Aphrodite with her 1000 prostitute all descending on the city at night to ply their trade, capturing the Sailor’s coinage.

In Paul’s time, Corinth was home to roughly 200 Christians, out of a population of some 14,000 people, 5,000 of whom were slaves. Worship took place in established home Churches. Since Corinth was a Roman Colony these homes were built in the Roman style and were home to extended families, servants and slaves. Christians came together to worship in the larger of the complexes the head of the house hold being the leader of the Church, some of these leaders were women.

Paul refers to these fledging Churches as babies in Christ whom he had to feed with milk since they were not ready for the meat of the maturity of the kingdom – indeed, he says, you are still not. They were no different than the average Corinthian resident, more concerned with which prominent Christian worker to follow than with being a Christian, Again we speak of Sectarianism.

The lack of right relationship within the Corinthian churches on the three planes I mentioned in the beginning prevented Christians living out their lives as Jesus had desired. God seemed to be missing from their equation and at the other levels there was a game of tug of war happening that must have hindered proper communication with their Lord.

Perfect Relationship for Israel in Canaan 1400 BC

Experts tell us that Moses in 120 years old, at this point in Deuteronomy and that it is Roughly 30 days his death, the Israelites have been within grasp of the Promised Land for 38 years yet too afraid to enter there, by now most of those with him have been born in the desert. This Book, the Second Law was written over a period of two months, including the 30 day mourning period for Moses.

Deuteronomy is believed to have been written by Moses and Joshua and teaches that the relationship between GOD and His people goes beyond the Law. Without obedience and loyalty to God we cannot maintain our relationship with GOD. Loyalty to GOD is the foundation of true reverence and holiness. Success, victory, prosperity and happiness, all of it depends on our obedience to Our Lord.  (Deut.10: 12, 13)

The Psalm, the longest in the Book of Psalms was not written by David but in the 6^th century BCE after the exile to Babylon, the time of Ezra/Nehemiah. . It begins with Beatitude, echoing the messages given to the Corinthians and Israelites as a church and a Nation

 It provides an insight into the personal space of one seeking right relationship with God.

Psalm 119:5-8

5 Oh that my ways were steadfast to obey your statutes!

6 Then I wouldn’t be disappointed, when I consider all of your commandments.

7 I will give thanks to you with uprightness of heart, when I learn your righteous judgments.

8 I will observe your statutes. Don’t utterly forsake me.

In obeying the words given to Israel in Deuteronomy and walking according to the Lord’s Law we are blameless, the Christians in Corinth needed to be quiet and become acquainted with the Law of the Lord that they might keep it. Taking the Psalm verse by verse seems to offer a simple and peaceful manner by which to attain the maturity of obedience and advancement in Spirituality and obedience to God.

Beyond the Law –Perfect interpersonal relationships

Jesus explains what Moses ment to go beyond the Law.

Jesus is speaking now of our interpersonal relationships and if we are not to remain at the level of Christian maturity of the Corinthians it is a life-giving thing to understand how to live more than the Law requires. To know what is true awe and obedience.

To hold another Christian so dear to us that to show uncaused for anger towards them or to harbor it in our heart is tantamount to murder and merits the same penalties. Notice the seriousness of belittling another – an appearance before the Supreme Court (Sanhedrin)

As we always do as part of our liturgy we give each other a sign of Peace and reconciliation – living beyond the law calls demands that our worship is honest, we cannot in hypocrisy bring a gift to the table if there is enmity between us and another. We must all come to Jesus as cleanly and as honestly as our Christian maturity allows.

The readings today have shown us what God desires of us: Holistic selves, Holistic Relationships and Holiness before the Lord our God; moving from Spiritual Self-individuation to a Community of Believers who know we are together in Christ, to serve.

Amen