Social Service Sunday

Readings:
Hebrew Scripture:          Micah 6: 6-8
Psalm:                          89: 20-37
Epistle:                         Ephesians 2: 11-22          
Gospel:                           Mark 6: 30-34, 53-56      

What I want to say:
  • Anglican Social service is not just about the professional agencies that work under Anglican Care
  • Involves each and every one of us
  • motivation is not about helping others less fortunate
  • outworking of love live in as followers Jesus
  • involves us as individuals and as missional community
  • Use Urban Vision to explore this

What I want to happen:
people to engage their neighbours out of love

The Sermon
1.      Introduction:
joke – what do you call a fake noodle
an impasta

This week social service Sunday
Gifted by God: Inspired to serve
what is that about?
(gather responses)

lets have a look at some readings today see what they might say to all this


2.      Gospel
two weeks
heard story of Jesus sending out of disciples,
told them what to do
instructions about casting out demons might make us feel uncomfortable
            find hard understand or take seriously
One things happening here Mark establishing honour and authority Jesus and disciples
Jesus comes from poor village
not enough honour lead
not enough honour do things he was doing
one Mark’s main purpose in Gospel is to establish Jesus’ authority/honour
            Mark establishing whakapapa – Son of God
                        number ways we can understand that
filial relationship – as much as that can be applied to God
                        read like James and John being sons thunder
                                                father not thunder
                                                attributes of thunder
                                    Jesus had attributes God
                        authority over demons (higher beings)
                                    cosmology of his world
so disciples too be like him
            giving them his honour, his authority

3.      They return
today heard they return
                        imagine it – full of excitement
yet tired
between sending out and return
story of John’s death
euphoria first mission coloured by that death
            not just about good times
            being a follower of Jesus is problematic
which it was for his first readers.
            persecution
            failure
            lack growth
Mark is linking their story with story Jesus
try to get away
not one stories use support maintaining boundaries – fails
takes pity of them and goes to them
says interesting thing – sheep without shepherd
– who should shepherds be?
            what is this about?
            - these people landless poor peasant (90%)
Life made miserable
heavy tax burdens of Rome and own rules - indebted
lost land absentee landowners
people should be protecting them – their leaders
part urban minority (most 10%) making all decisions
reaping all benefits
-          these are people who should be shepherds of people – failed
-          become imposters
Society that failing people here with Jesus
Society bears no resemblance society talked about prophetic tradition
society these people longed for
            messianic society



4.      prophetic tradition
– heard this morning Micah
if I were to summarise that tradition
society in which all people belong
founded on God’s love and goodness
all could contribute and all benefit
Jesus clearly stood within prophetic tradition
through actions creating  communities based on God’s love and goodness
beginnings of society  where all contribute and all benefit
within that tradition that we meet this morning
            we reflect on our social services

5.      Social Service Sunday
theme - Gifted by God: Inspired to serve
-          reminded a lot of Urban Vision “community” in Wellington
o   stand same prophetic tradition Jesus stood in
o   work create society that all contribute to and all benefit from
o   society based God’s goodness and love
-          UV is new monastic order
o   people commit live under “rule” for at least a year
o   “rule” based three key principles or pillars
A. Deepen our intimacy with Christ Jesus, (very similar to own diocesan mission statement of knowing Jesus)
§  comes out of understanding that what motivates us?
·         Obligation? Duty?
·         or love of Jesus
§  According to Charles Ringma,
·         “service is love giving itself away.
·         It is only in solitude that love finds itself again, springing up from within as we are nurtured by the great Lover.”
sadly love fragile thing
easily lost
what this about is foundational need nurture love in our lives  
            deepening our intimacy with Jesus
            immersing ourselves in God’s love
pause – how do you, how do we do that, what more might we need to do to nurture this love?
B. Deep belonging to each other
 “All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” (Jn 13:35)
[Jesus came to form communities centred round God’s love. Community is a miracle and can only be sustained through God’s love. As with all of Jesus’ miracles, the miracle of community points to the promise, presence and character of God, as well as God’s activity in the world through people.]
Youth Forum and missional community
            sometimes we get so strung out by the need to do stuff that we forget what is much more important who we are God’s gathered community
pause – aks, what shapes our life as St. Georges, How do we ddeply belong to each other and what more might we need to do to nurture this?

C.  Giving our best for the least.
 “If our church is not marked by caring for the poor, the oppressed and the hungry, then we are guilty of heresy.” – St Ignatius.
one of things attracted me here, that this parish exists in place great need
community that will give our best for the least.
pause – aks, in what ways do we give our best for the least, and what more might we need to do?


6.      So what this social service Sunday?
invitation this social service Sunday is to not just give thanks for and maybe give some money to work Anglican Care
respond to God’s invitation to be God’s Anglican people in this place
            taking time grow awareness that we are immersed in God’s love –
sustained and shaped by that
            love motivates us to service – share or give that love away.
            take time deeply belong to each other, so that how we are as St Georges is of itself missional
a testimony to God’s love and goodness
            in light of those two things might give our best for the least in communities Gate Pa, Greerton, Pyes Pa and Merrivale
o   long term thing
o   not be easy
o   need to do if we are to be faithful to all who have gone before us in this place
o   faithful to who God calls us to be as God’s Anglican people.
o   truly engage in social service and join early disciples in God’s mission
o   and not be imposters

Comments

Unknown said…
Sorry we didn't make it - G was away again on LeadershipNZ retreat and it felt too hard to get kids together and out the door in the yucky cold weather! But great sermon notes, and I am so glad you were able to use UV as an example. The 'three legged stool' as we used to call it, of core principles, are really useful. Inspired by Henri Nouwen.
Kia pai tou wiki, e Pa.
na, Jo

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