Large Stones in our Shoes



This sermon can be listened to here

Gate Pa – Year B  33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time,



Readings:

Psalm                          1 Samuel 2:1-10  (Hannah’s Prayer)            

First Reading:                         1 Samuel 1:4-20                      

Second Reading:         Hebrews 10:11-14, 19-25     

Gospel:                                    Mark 13:1-8                              

What I want to say:

I want to explore how are faith gets colonised by large stones – large stone like making our churches great again, or making America great again, or making Britain great? What captures our imagination? I wonder what Mark’s Jesus is inviting us to let go of, and what might shape our imagination as we enter into another advent?

What I want to happen:

I want people to reflect on that they give their allegiances to, and what they might be invited to let go of?

The Sermon


       1.      Introduction:


This is our last reading in Mark’s gospel for 2 years.

We farewell that snappy to the point no mucking around style

I could learn a thing or two from him.

We finish with this wonderful reading

Most commentators suggest Mark written around 70 CE

-           year Romans razed Jerusalem

o   including destroying temple

-          eventually building a new Roman city on ruins

-          even for gentile Christians like those Mark writing to (tell that because he keeps having to explain stuff that would have been common knowledge amongst Jewish Christians)

-          -> cataclysmic

Temple symbol God’s presence amongst God’s people

God’s power and authority

even for little sect within Judaism – followed Jesus the Messiah

-          important symbol that God was in control

-          that God is winning

Depending on exactly Mark wrote his gospel

it was either about to be destroyed, was being destroyed or had been destroyed

-          that potent symbol was gone

-          the loss seemed insurmountable

that coupled with rise of persecution against Christians

raised all kinds of questions for every Christian community

-                      did they get it wrong?

-                      is God present?

-                      have they given their allegiance to the wrong God?

-                      was the Jesus story really good news?

-                      for some is this the awaited end?

Kind of like our time

-          world is deeply trouble and uncertain

-          church is no longer at the centre or even important

-          dismissed by many as irrelevant at best

-          by too many others as both homophobic and full of abusers

-          no idea how to respond

-          some questions are the same – slightly different

o   where did we get it wrong?

o   how is God present?

o   how is the Jesus story really good news in these times?

o   for some - is this the end?

è passage for us

       2.      Large Stones


begins with a disciple admiring the large stones and magnificence of temple

where warning bells should start ringing

remember when went on tour Durham cathedral many years ago

Dean said that he wished that he could say it was built for glory of God

in reality built smack on top Anglo-Saxon church as statement that Normans were here to stay

-          symbol Norman power and authority

same true of that temple

how do we remember it?

-          Herod’s temple

-          symbol of his power and generosity

-          2000 years later still called Herod’s temple

That is the problem – we as people of faith are like that disciple

blinded by the images of power and magnificence

read Mark straight through would have just read the story of widow how gave all she had to live on

-          temple was built on and operated on abject poverty many faithful

-          leaders made peace with Rome, with Herod and his sons and successors

-          Temple had become hated symbol of oppression

-          of collusion

-          of impoverishment

Many read this story, like story Ruth reading last few weeks as story of protest against what Temple had become

Promise that those structures

magnificent as they are

will fall

ways of collusion with powerful and wealthy

expense of poor and outcast

not the way of God

       3.      Other Large Stones


Not just temple is it?

history of Christianity is littered with similar stories

right back to Emperor Constantine

while in America Bonnie and I went to Museum of African American History

shocked at particularly vile form slavery invented by British

unlike catholic European powers – followed catholic teaching that Black Africans had souls

therefore buy freedom and take part economic, social and cultural life colonies

British colony Virginia defined Black Africans as slaves for life

with no hope of ever being free.

defined them as less than human

sowed roots of what is still being played out in USA today

British empire and its wealth was built on the back of this form of slavery

and I wonder how that attitude was implemented across the British Empire

to be honest

deeply distressing to know that Church England too often played central role in defending and implementing that attitude

-          fought Wilberforce’s attempts to outlaw slavery

last week remembered end of WWI

where over 100,000 men went from here to defend interests British Empire

churches too often prayed assuming that God was on “our side”

God was using the British Empire to spread God’s civilisation

important to keep Britain Great

all this lead to rise Hitler in Germany

supported by German Lutheran church

because he was God’s instrument making Germany great again

reclaim rightful position in world

in USA sizable group evangelical Christians supporting serial adulterer and misogynist

deeply flawed and unrepentant

see him as God’s instrument in making America great again

reclaim place in world as greatest force good world ever seen. (not my words)

Jesus words about large stone are as true about each of these as they were for the temple

keep ignoring the warning

they keep coming true

       4.      Church


couple of weeks ago at clergy school we explored how maps we used for leading church no longer work

how we are like Lewis and Clark

thought they were finding water routs across USA

instead found Rocky Mountains

maps and assumptions no longer worked

if they had held on to their assumptions

their large stones

they would have gone nowhere

wonder how large stones of our supposed past blind us to our new world

we still too often remember days full Sunday schools

-          lots young people in youth groups

-          churches were full

-          people had lots time to volunteer

-          when we as church were important

-          and we played significant role in society

-          hard to let go of that past

o   never that good

-          came up against that last week with AAW

o   grown out of Mothers Union and Young Wives

o   once significant force in life of parishes and wider church

o   trouble is,

o   when cling to those large stone

o   that past

o   we don’t ask what is needed now

that is the question

what is needed now?

       5.      Conclusion


how are we like that disciple

-          blinded by the magnificent and large

-          in our society

-          in our past as a church

how are we like Andrew, Peter, James and John

-          uncertain and unsure

-          not sure what is going on

as we leave this year and enter into Advent

-          what do we need to let go of

-          what is God inviting us to instead?

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