"Our calling is to change the world, not to manage the church"
Chrism Eucharist Sermon, Tuesday 4 April 2023, Avonhead and Pleasant Point
Readings: Isaiah 49:1-7; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31; John 12:20-36
Introduction
The past year has been one of many challenges, lovely answers to prayer and continuing puzzles as to what God is up to in our Diocese. Through it all, you have been faithful in God’s service: thank you!
This is now the fourth year that Covid has affected our life as church. Even though the last lockdown seems a long way back, people are still getting Covid. Within the last week Covid sufferers have included Bishop Peter, two vicars in Christchurch and one active retired priest. In each case another priest has needed to step up to take up extra work at short notice.
On a happier note, this is now the second full year of engagement with our Diocesan Mission Action Plan or DMAP, many such engagements involving to one degree or another the work of Mark Chamberlain as Archdeaon for Regeneration and Mission: thank you Mark.
But, and I know Mark supports me in saying this, an even bigger thank you to every deacon, priest, churchwarden, vestryperson and other church members who have taken up the challenge of re-thinking what it means to be in mission in our local communities.
This past year has seen the welcome addition to our clergy ranks of Steven Dunn as Deacon in Charge of Woodend-Pegasus, Lisa McInnes as Vicar of Avonside, Jordan Greatbatch as Vicar of St. Michael’s and All Angels, Harry Newton as Vicar of Sumner-Redcliffs.
Also very welcome have been the appointments of clergy already here to new positions: Indrea Alexander as Vicar of Ashburton, Margaret Neate as Vicar of Ellesmere, Ruth Blair as lead priest in Marchwiel, Lucy Flatt as Vicar of Highfield, Kensington and Otipua and, from July, Stephanie Mander (formerly Robson) as Chaplain to Craighead Diocesan School. Alan Webster, a Methodist minister, has taken a lead role in the Parish of Mt Herbert. Gabriele Anderson has recently arrived to serve a curacy in the Parish of Lincoln and will be ordained deacon in a few months time.
Into interim positions have stepped clergy whose willingness to take on challenges with some uncertainties is much appreciated: thank you to Sue Dickson in Waimate, Hugh McCafferty in Geraldine, Felicity O’Brien to Oxford-Cust. Much more could be said about such parishes in our diocese where the challenge of making up the stipend and finding a ready-made priest for appointment to the permanent vacancy is weighty and requires much prayer.
Finally, I want to acknowledge with gratitude two particular ministries coming to an end. First, the ministry of Dean Lawrence and Elizabeth Kimberley at the Cathedral. Secondly, the ministry of Lynnette Lightfoot as Chaplain to the Retired Clergy, Widows and Widowers.
Let’s stop there in mentioning names among our community of clergy in this Diocese. Today we gather to renew our vows, to bless and distribute oils for sacramental and other purposes, to break bread together and, in Christchurch, to install a new Archdeacon.
Our Scriptures today and the purposes of this service: blessing chrism oils and renewal of ministry vows
Our Scriptures today speak to the big picture of God’s work in the world – the work we are called to participate in by virtue of our baptism as disciples of Christ.
I said a year ago something we might not only say every year but every day: Our calling is to change the world, not to manage the church. A year later it is worth saying again, Our calling is to change the world, not to manage the church.
Isaiah, an ancient yet ever contemporary prophet pushes us to think of the big picture of our calling in God’s great plan:
“I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:6b)
This is “change the world” prophecy, not manage the church.
In the Gospel – the Gospel about how God so loved the world that he gave his only Son for it, we heard these memorable words spoken to Andrew,
“Sir, we wish to see Jesus” (John 12:21).
These words are spoken by Greeks – the nations of the world are being drawn to the light of the world which Isaiah foretells. When Jesus is the centre of attention the world changes.
Yet, paradoxically, Jesus, the light to the nations of Isaiah and the light of the world of John’s Gospel will be extinguished temporally.
As we heard in the Epistle, Paul’s gospel is the good news of one who has died that we might live, whose light has been put out in order that the darkness might be defeated:
“For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:22-24)
If our calling is to change the world then the key to change lies neither in spectacular acts of power or following the wisdom of the secular world: it lies in the way of the crucified Christ.
To be Christian is to proclaim in word and deed the way of the crucified Christ as a “third way” between the way of power or domination and the way of wisdom or advancement through knowledge.
Tragically, we are still concerned in 2023 at the way of power of domination is being demonstrated in the war in Ukraine with the aggression of Russia still supported by the Russian Orthodox Church. Closer to our own country, China says it is gearing for war, Taiwan is clearly in its sights, and Australia is beginning the process of building nuclear powered submarines.
From the perspective of wisdom and knowledge, the culture wars of a year ago are more intense than ever. In the process of my knowledge of, say, trans rights clashing with, say, your wisdom on who a woman is, there are casualties:
at the level of society, the casualty is freedom of speech and respect for one another in public spaces (including social media as a public space);
and at the level of individuals, there are hurting people, feeling misunderstood, either ignored or shouted at; and, in some cases, violently set upon in a demonstration, or drummed out of some position or other.
We proclaim Christ crucified: in word and in deed, and, we might add, in tone and in attitude, in personal conversation and on social media, we will bear witness to the meekness and humility of Christ, to the true transformation only Christ can make in our lives, because the way of suffering for the sake of others beats domination through exertion of power or of knowledge.
Conclusion
Our calling is to change the world, not to manage the church. How will we change the world? Jesus offers this direction in our Gospel:
“Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also.” (John 12:26)
Where is Jesus in your life and in your community today? Are we there with him? What is he doing that we might also do that with him?
The renewal of our ministry vows today is a renewing of our commitment to serve God by following Jesus and being available to be where Jesus is in the world. This is costly, often painful and it can feel unrewarding. Yet the promise of Jesus in John 12:26 is this:
“Whoever serves me the Father will honour.”