May 29, 2017 | Gary Philbrick | Make A Comment | Sermons
By Canon Gary Philbrick
(A Service for the 35th Anniversary of the Vimoutiers/Fordingbridge Twinning – See Sermon in French below)
Acts 1:6-14, John 17:1-11
May the words I speak and the words you hear be God’s alone, Au nom du Père et du Fils et du Saint-Esprit. AMEN.
Gary, Louis (Junior Mayor of Vimoutiers) and Malcolm (Mayor of Fordingbridge) after the Service.
This time between Ascension Day last Thursday and Pentecost next Sunday is a time of waiting on the renewal of the Holy Spirit. In the first chapter of Acts, which the Junior Mayor of Vimoutiers read for us a few moments ago, just before Jesus was lifted up into the heavens, he said to his Disciples, ‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and … to the ends of the earth’.
The Holy, Creating, Life-Giving, Sustaining Spirit, which has been there since before the universe was created, is still at work in the Church, in individual Christians, and in the world. The Spirit which brings life, which works for peace, and which fulfils Jesus’ prayer at the end of the Gospel reading which our own Mayor of Fordingbridge read for us, ‘That they may be one, as we are one’.
So, during these days, we continue to pray ‘Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your people, and kindle in us the fire of your love’.
This year, these 10 days have an added intensity, as we have been asked by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York to pray ‘Thy Kingdom Come’, to pray for growth, in worship and service in the Church, to pray for our family and friends, to pray for our nation and our world. Through the power of God’s Holy Spirit, we pray ‘Thy Kingdom Come’. If you search for ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ you will find a wealth of material to explore different ways of praying, and we have copies of the Prayer Booklet on the table by the door. And on Wednesday, at the 10.00 Communion, we will be praying for and with our partner Diocese of Kinkiizi in Uganda, with whom we have such a special link. Everyone is encouraged to make some space in these days, and to try new ways of praying.
And there is much to pray about.
We are in the middle of a General Election, and we need to pray for good government for this country, to pray for all those standing for election, and for ourselves as the electorate. And on Tuesday we’ll have the opportunity to hear what the candidates have to say when they come here for ‘Election Question Time’.
And in France, they are between the Presidential Election this month and the Legislative Elections next month.
And we are just beginning negotiations to leave the European Union, with many economic and relational uncertainties – what effect will it have on us, and on our European neighbours?
On Friday we heard of the terrible attack, part of a pattern in recent months, on Coptic Christians in Egypt. Christians form about 10% of the population of Egypt, a sizeable minority, and the Coptic Orthodox Church, one of the family of Orthodox Churches of the East, is a very ancient and venerable Church. It is one of the six denominations which has a place in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, the site of both the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. And, in fact, one of their chapels is a tiny one at the back of the empty tomb.
On Friday, a group from the Church was on a pilgrimage to the Monastery of St Samuel the Confessor, 85 miles south of Cairo, when their bus came under fire. Way out in the desert, a group of Gunmen wearing military uniforms attacked the convoy with machine guns before fleeing across the sands in 4X4 vehicles. At least 28 were killed, and another 25 injured.
And last Monday, there was the dreadful attack on the Manchester Arena, with horrific tales of injuries and deaths, especially of so many young people – who were clearly deliberately targeted. 22 dead, and 66 still in hospital, many of them critical.
I’ll come back to this in a moment, but all that I’ve said is a backdrop to why I think that anything which helps us to look outwards, to form links with other communities, here and across the world, must be a good thing.
For the past 35 years, the Fordingbridge and Vimoutiers Twinning Associations have worked to develop and maintain friendships between our two towns. I’ve looked at Dennis Bailey’s video, produced in 2002 to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Twinning, and it has some wonderful images of friendship and partnership over those twenty years. And I’m sure those involved in the Twinning will have many memories of the fifteen years since then.
The work of the Holy Spirit is to bring people together, and the Twinning Associations have done that very successfully for the past 35 years, and we want to thank them for that and wish them well for the next 35 years.
In the wake of the Manchester attack, there was a Vigil in Albert Square in the middle of the city on Tuesday evening. Thousands of people gathered to mourn, to express solidarity, to thank the emergency services, and to remember those who had died.
Tony Walsh, the Manchester-based poet, also known as Longfella, read a remarkable poem, which seemed to encapsulate the feelings of all those who had gathered, and really spoke of the sense of community which was evident in Manchester in the aftermath of the attack.
The poem ended, ‘Always remember, never forget, forever Manchester’, and then, almost as an afterthought, he added perhaps the most important words of all, ‘Choose love’.
Choose love.
The Bishop of Manchester, speaking on the radio a few days later, on Ascension Day, picked up on those words, and I’ve quoted them in Partners this week.
The Bishop said: ‘Tony Walsh, ended the verses he read at Tuesday’s Vigil with a loud cry of ‘Choose love, Manchester’. Amen to that. In the face of evil, choose love, Manchester; choose love, Britain; choose love, humanity’.
Choose love.
That’s a choice we can all make in the face of adversity, and in our everyday lives.
It’s the choice we make as we serve our family, neighbours and friends. It’s the choice the Twinning Associations make as they draw our communities together. It’s the choice we are urged to make by the Archbishops as we pray ‘Thy Kingdom Come’.
And any authentic prayer for God to come into our lives has to be a prayer to choose love. Any prayer for the gift of the Holy Spirit is a prayer to choose love.
Choose love, Fordingbridge; choose love, Vimoutiers; let us all choose love.
I’ll end with the Prayer for ‘Thy Kingdom Come’
Almighty God,
your ascended Son has sent us into the world
to preach the good news of your kingdom:
inspire us with your Spirit
and fill our hearts with the fire of your love,
that all who hear your Word
may be drawn to you,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.
La HOMILIE: CHOISIS L’AMOUR – Canon Gary Philbrick, Priest-in-Charge
28 / V / 17, Ascension 1, 10,30 Fordingbridge
(Service pour le 35e anniversaire du jumelage de Vimoutiers)
Une traduction de google – excusez-vous pour toute erreur!
Actes 1: 6-14, Jean 17: 1-11
Que les mots que je parle et les mots que vous entendez soient les seuls de Dieu, Au nom du Père et du Fils et du Saint-Esprit. AMEN.
Cette fois, entre le jour de l’Ascension jeudi dernier et la Pentecôte du dimanche prochain, c’est un moment d’attente pour le renouvellement du Saint-Esprit. Dans le premier chapitre des Actes, que le maire junior de Vimoutiers nous a lus il y a quelques instants, juste avant que Jésus ne soit élevé dans les cieux, il a dit à ses disciples: “Vous recevrez le pouvoir lorsque le Saint-Esprit vous sera venu ; Et vous serez mes témoins à Jérusalem, et … aux extrémités de la terre ».
L’Esprit Saint, Créatif, Vivant et Soutenant, qui existe depuis l’origine de l’univers, est toujours au travail dans l’Église, dans les chrétiens individuels et dans le monde. L’Esprit qui apporte la vie, qui travaille pour la paix, et qui remplit la prière de Jésus à la fin de la lecture de l’Évangile que notre maire de Fordingbridge a lue pour nous: «Qu’ils soient un seul, comme nous sommes un».
Alors, ces jours-ci, nous continuons à prier: «Venez, Saint-Esprit, remplissez les cœurs de votre peuple et allumez en nous le feu de votre amour».
Cette année, ces 10 jours ont une intensité supplémentaire, comme nous l’ont demandé les Archevêques de Canterbury et York pour prier «Thy Kingdom Come», prier pour la croissance, le culte et le service dans l’Église, prier pour notre famille et Amis, prier pour notre nation et notre monde. Par le pouvoir du Saint-Esprit de Dieu, nous prions: «ton Royaume vient». Si vous recherchez «Thy Kingdom Come», vous trouverez de nombreux matériaux pour explorer différentes façons de prier, et nous avons des copies du livret de prière sur la table par la porte. Et mercredi, lors de la Communion 10h00, nous prions pour et avec notre partenaire Diocèse de Kinkiizi en Ouganda, avec qui nous avons un lien spécial. Tout le monde est encouragé à faire de l’espace en ces jours et à essayer de nouvelles façons de prier.
Et il y a beaucoup de choses à prier.
Nous sommes au milieu d’une élection générale, et nous devons prier pour un bon gouvernement pour ce pays, prier pour tous ceux qui sont éligibles et pour nous-mêmes en tant qu’électorat. Et mardi, nous aurons l’occasion d’entendre ce que les candidats doivent dire lorsqu’ils viennent ici pour «Heure des questions électorales».
Et en France, ils se situent entre les élections présidentielles ce mois-ci et les élections législatives le mois prochain.
Et nous commençons tout juste des négociations pour quitter l’Union européenne, avec de nombreuses incertitudes économiques et relationnelles – quel effet aura-t-il sur nous et sur nos voisins européens?
Vendredi, nous avons entendu parler de la terrible attaque, une partie du modèle de ces derniers mois, sur les chrétiens coptes en Egypte. Les chrétiens forment environ 10% de la population d’Égypte, une minorité importante, et l’Église copte orthodoxe, une des familles d’églises orthodoxes de l’est, est une église très ancienne et vénérable. C’est l’une des six dénominations qui a une place dans l’église du Saint-Sépulcre à Jérusalem, site de la crucifixion et de la résurrection. Et, en fait, une de leurs chapelles est une petite à l’arrière de la tombe vide.
Vendredi, un groupe de l’Église était en pèlerinage au monastère de Saint-Samuel, le Confesseur, à 85 milles au sud du Caire, lorsque leur bus a été incendié. Dans le désert, un groupe d’hommes armés portant des uniformes militaires a attaqué le convoi avec des mitrailleuses avant de fuir à travers les sables des véhicules 4X4. Au moins 28 ont été tués et 25 autres blessés.
Et le lundi dernier, il y a eu une terrible attaque contre le Manchester Arena, avec des histoires horribles de blessures et de décès, en particulier de tant de jeunes – qui étaient clairement ciblés. 22 morts et 66 encore à l’hôpital, dont beaucoup sont critiques.
Je reviendrai dans un instant, mais tout ce que j’ai dit est une toile de fond pour savoir pourquoi tout ce qui nous aide à regarder vers l’extérieur, pour former des liens avec d’autres communautés, ici et à travers le monde, doit être un bonne chose.
Au cours des 35 dernières années, les associations de jumelage Fordingbridge et Vimoutiers ont travaillé à développer et à maintenir des amitiés entre nos deux villes. J’ai regardé la vidéo de Dennis Bailey, produite en 2002 pour célébrer le 20ème anniversaire du jumelage, et il a des images merveilleuses d’amitié et de partenariat au cours de ces vingt ans. Et je suis sûr que les personnes impliquées dans le jumelage auront beaucoup de souvenirs des quinze ans qui ont suivi.
Le travail de l’Esprit Saint est de rassembler les gens, et les associations de jumelage l’ont fait avec succès depuis 35 ans, et nous voulons les remercier pour cela et leur souhaiter une bonne chance pour les 35 prochaines années.
À la suite de l’attaque de Manchester, il y avait une veille à Albert Square au milieu de la ville mardi soir. Des milliers de personnes se sont réunies pour pleurer, exprimer leur solidarité, remercier les services d’urgence et se souvenir de ceux qui sont morts.
ony Walsh, le poète basé à Manchester, également connu sous le nom de Longfella, a lu un poème remarquable, qui semblait encapsuler les sentiments de tous ceux qui s’étaient rassemblés et parlait vraiment du sens de la communauté qui était évident à Manchester à la suite de la attaque.
Le poème a fini: «Rappelez-vous toujours, n’oubliez jamais, pour toujours Manchester», puis, presque comme une réflexion ultérieure, il a ajouté peut-être les mots les plus importants de tous, «Choisir l’amour».
Choisis l’amour. L’évêque de Manchester, qui parlait à la radio quelques jours plus tard, le jour de l’Ascension, a repris ces mots, et je les ai cités dans Partners cette semaine. L’évêque a déclaré: «Tony Walsh, a mis fin aux vers qu’il a lus à la vigile de mardi avec un fort cri de« Choose love, Manchester ». Amen à cela. En face du mal, choisissez l’amour, Manchester; Choisissez l’amour, la Grande-Bretagne; Choisissez l’amour, l’humanité ».
Choisis l’amour. C’est un choix que nous pouvons tous faire face à l’adversité et dans notre vie quotidienne.
C’est le choix que nous faisons lorsque nous servons notre famille, nos voisins et nos amis. C’est le choix que font les associations de jumelage en rassemblant nos communautés. C’est le choix que nous demandons de faire par les archevêques alors que nous prions «Thy Kingdom Come».
Et toute prière authentique pour que Dieu vienne dans nos vies doit être une prière pour choisir l’amour. Toute prière pour le don du Saint-Esprit est une prière pour choisir l’amour.
Choisissez l’amour, Fordingbridge; Choisissez l’amour, Vimoutiers; Laissons tous choisir l’amour.
Je terminerai avec la prière pour ‘Thy Kingdom Come’
Dieu Tout-Puissant, Votre fils monté nous a envoyé dans le monde Pour prêcher la bonne nouvelle de votre royaume: Nous inspirez votre Esprit Et remplissez nos cœurs du feu de votre amour, Que tous ceux qui entendent ta Parole Peut-être attiré par vous, Par Jésus-Christ notre Seigneur. AMEN.
May 16, 2017 | Gary Philbrick | Make A Comment | Sermons
“In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places” (John 14:2).
These words from John’s Gospel lie at the heart of the Easter hope for all people. For ‘dwelling places’, in Greek ‘topoi’, I want to translate as ‘resting places’. Bishop’s College, Cheshunt, my Theological College was the original house of the Countess Selina of Huntingdon. It was a rambling but beautiful house with acres of grounds and lakes. In the basement of the house was a series of baths and loos, no showers. This basement we affectionately called the ‘topos’ because the baths and the loos we saw as quiet resting places. Thus, one could hear a conversation like, “Where is Brian?”to which came the reply, “He is in the ‘topos’ again!”
The feeling I want to convey from my understanding of the words of Jesus is that, whatever else happens beyond the grave, we shall be at rest, baths and loos apart! Whatever life holds in store for us, one thing is certain –we shall die. And it is that final moment of physical extinction that life’s destructive forces reach their climax and appear to win a final victory.
I say appears to win; for Christian faith is found on a belief that at our death, ‘in the end is our beginning’. On what evidence might we ask? We have in the reported stories of the resurrection of Christ, and in our experience of his living presence with his people a reality we can know and feel. Critics who say that this is not verifiable scientifically are skating on thin ice. The mystery which surrounds much of our present experience does not present itself easily to scientific analysis either. If we would want to look to psychical research for support, all that can be reasonably ascertained is that certain people’s vibrations survive death for a period.
So, what happens to us when we die? To answer this question we need to look at how resurrection happens now. Orthodoxy in the Western Church has always been presented in terms of a time and a place. Resurrection is presented as an event in the past i.e. the resurrection of Christ’as recorded in the gospel stories and as an event in the future i.e. what happens to us when we die with artists, musicians and theologians painting speculative pictures for us of what our resurrection might look like.
If we are not careful when resurrection is presented solely as either a past event in history or as a future event to happen, we shall be robbed of the impact of resurrection happening right now. ‘I am the resurrection and the life’ declared Jesus. Is it then so strange that resurrection is to be experienced as an integral part of our daily routine lives? So in answer to the question ‘What happens to us when we die?, I suggest we must examine what our experience of resurrection is in this life before we can even get a clue about what it might be like in the next.
If I can be personal for a moment I want to share something of my experience because that is what I know best. Just before Christmas I was told that I had a life threatening condition regarding the state of my heart. I became anxious and fearful for myself and my family. I withdrew somewhat. During my time in hospital I was beset by thoughts of will I make it despite all assurances from my surgeon to the contrary. This morning I stand before as having experienced a miracle of healing and having recieved a gift of resurrection. From literally being half dead I feel very much alive, fully attentive to life and others eternally grateful of the wonders of modern medicine.
Further, in my therapy practice, I frequently witness resurrection happening in others very often as they discover that they have lived for years with a false view of themselves for all sorts of good reasons, often as a result of trauma. In our meeting they uncover a positive picture of themselves which is the beginning of a new life in which they feel more confident about themselves and their relationships, and begin to truly live a more resourceful and enjoyable life. That is resurrection. Resurrection is happening all around us. Sometimes we can see it and sometimes it is hidden from us like the strangers on the road to Emmaus. The living Christ moves secretly and incognito dancing through the lives of people bringing half dead people to life.
So what happens to us when we die? Go to heaven! We are encouraged as Christians to seek heavenly things. What is ‘heaven’? Is it a place, a realm of existence? In the gospels Jesus often talks about the ‘kingdom of heaven’. What does ‘heaven’ mean in this context? It seems to be a metaphor for God’s political and social vision for humanity. ‘Heaven’ seems to be for Jesus ‘here and now’ rather than ‘there and then’. Then, it must be something to do with our experience on earth now. Rather than a world in which there is violence, oppression and injustice Jesus presents us with an alternative vision of a world of peace, blessing and abundance as God intended it to be.
As Diana Butler Bass writes in her book, ‘Grounded’ with stunning insight, “The sky begins at our feet. Thus, we actually live in the heavens now, in the space in which earth and sky meet. God’s ‘heavenly ‘ presence is the air we breathe”. ‘’Heaven’ is part of our experience now.
So what happens to us when we die? Harry Williams tells us, ‘If we are ready for life in the sense of being open to its power and possibilities, then we are also ready for death. If we are aware of the resurrection in the present, then we shall not be over concerned about resurrection in the future.’ Inevitably we are faced with an eternal mystery. We do not have the words, pictures or any kind of wherewithall in trying to define what our eventual resurrection might look like. We know that it is God’s give through his Son Jesus Christ who rose on the third day. We have his promise. That promise forms part of the gospel reading for today, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life’…’And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.’ Our questions will remain I am sure like the bewiderment of Thomas.
I want to conclude with an insight shared by Richard Rhor in a meditation I read this week regarding his black labrador Venus,
“If unconditional love, loyalty, and obedience are the tickets to an eternal life, then Venus is surely there long before me, along with all the dear wild animals who care for their young at great cost to themselves—and accept their fate far better than most humans. When I had to make the very painful decision to put Venus to sleep on March 30 this year, she literally put her two black paws straight in front of her, stared at me, slowly bowed her head straight to the ground and died. I hope I will die with such trustful surrender.”
