Sermon 2nd February 2025 – 4th Sunday after Epiphany Text: 1 Corinthians 13 – God is Love

 Sermon 2nd February 2025 – 4th Sunday after Epiphany

Text: 1 Corinthians 13 – God is Love

Today we hear the beautiful words of St Paul which we often hear in weddings. Weddings are where the greatest love is expressed between husband and wife. Many in society see marriage as constricting. One man and one woman. But in fact it is the opposite. Marriage is freedom to love another with the greatest expression possible. And here  Paul describes the greatest expression of love in the life of a Christian.

Paul begins by proclaiming that no matter what spiritual gifts or talents we possess, if we lack love, we are nothing and we gain nothing.  Paul wrote these words to the church in Corinth, a community struggling with division and disharmony.  His message was clear: love is the cornerstone of our faith and is to guide our actions to one another. Gifts and talents mean nothing if there is no love even if I give everything I have to the poor. No matter how eloquent or impressive our words and actions may be, without love, they are empty and meaningless.  Love must be at the heart of everything we do just as it is at the heart of all that God has and will do for us. God LOVED the world so much that he gave his one and only Son.

Paul describes love - that love is patient and kind, not envious or boastful. Love does not seek its own way, nor does it keep a record of wrongs. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. As we reflect on these verses, we are urged to reflect on our own lives as we live out Jesus’ command to love God with all our heart and to love our neighbour as ourselves: Or even greater than that, as Jesus gives his new commandment to his disciples just before his arrest – love one another as I have loved you. As Jesus says in John 15 - Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Do our actions and attitudes reflect the love of Christ where we put others first?  Are we patient and kind with those around us, even when they frustrate or test us? Do we seek to build others up and encourage them in their faith, rather than tear them down with jealousy or pride? Do we keep a record of wrongs?

Paul goes on to say that love never fails.  In a world filled with turmoil and strife, love is the one constant that can bring healing and restoration. Love is not at the centre of what we experience in the world around us. We live in a world where contestants on reality shows are evicted – where they argue amongst themselves for survival. These same qualities are lived out in our world today. Where, if someone hurts us we look for ways to cancel them – to shame them. Unfriend them – leave a nasty comment or review.

In much the same way the people in Jesus home town tried to cancel him because he spoke words that hurt them: All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove Jesus out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff.

But love has the power to mend broken relationships, to comfort the hurting, and to bring light into the darkness. As followers of Christ, we are called to be ambassadors of love.  We are to be known by our love for one another, just as Jesus commanded us. Love one another as I have loved you and by THIS everyone will know that you are my disciples. Love is the greatest of all virtues, because it reflects the very nature of God Himself. As John describes in his First Letter: Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us. And because God is Love we can place God as the subject in this description towards us:

God is patient and kind. God does not envy. God does not boast,  God is not proud. God does not dishonor others. God is not self-seeking. God is not easily angered,  God keeps no record of wrongs.  God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  God always protects,  God always trusts,  God always hopes,  God always perseveres. God never fails.

Paul concludes with a profound statement: "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:13).  While faith and hope are essential aspects of our Christian journey, love is the greatest because it is the essence of God's character.  God is love.

It is through love that we connect with God and with one another. So let us strive to love others as Christ loves us. Let us be patient and kind, humble and forgiving. Let us seek to build up the body of Christ through our words and actions in love. And let us remember that love never fails. May we walk in love each and every day, so that the world may see Christ reflected in us. As Jesus said – love one another as I have loved you and by this everyone will know that you are my disciples.

Sermon 26th January 2025 – 3rd Sunday after Epiphany Text – 1st Corinthians 12:12-31a

 Sermon 26th January 2025 – 3rd Sunday after Epiphany

Text – 1st Corinthians 12:12-31a

Paul, today, speaks about a profound and beautiful truth about the body of Christ - that we are all part of one body with many members.  This understanding is not just a nice image, but a powerful reality that shapes the way we live out our faith every day. Paul uses the imagery of the body to describe the church.  He writes, "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ."  This means that each of us, as individual believers, is a unique and necessary part of the larger body of Christ. Just as the eye cannot say to the hand, "I do not need you," or the head to the feet, "I do not need you," so too, we cannot say to our brothers and sisters in Christ, "I do not need you." 

Each member of the body has a specific role and function, and when we all work together in unity, the body functions at its best. But just like a jigsaw puzzle, the most important piece is the one that is missing. Even if 999 pieces of a 1000 piece puzzle are there, the one missing piece becomes essential.

Which explains why the Good Shepherd leaves the 99 sheep who remained loyal to go looking for the one lost sheep. It’s why the father of the prodigal son rejoices even though the older loyal son never left. Even though the younger prodigal son disrespected his father – wishing him dead so he could have his inheritance now – to spend on wild living – the Father felt incomplete watching for his son to return and greeting him once he sees him.

When we understand and embrace this truth, it changes the way we view ourselves and each other.  We are no longer isolated individuals, but interconnected parts of a larger whole.  We are not in competition with one another, but joined together, each using our unique gifts and talents to build up the body of Christ.

This means that we are called to value and honor each member of the body, regardless of their role or position remembering that whatever gift is provided is provided by the Holy Spirit as we heard last week from Paul. It’s the one spirit who gives according to what the spirit determines. 

The Bible tells us that every part is important and deserving of respect. Just as the foot cannot say to the hand, "I do not need you," so too, we must not dismiss or devalue our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ from what we perceive as it is God who has called them to that unique role. It reminds us also that our position is also unique. You might compare yourself to others who, on the surface, appear to being doing more or more significant roles.

But, like a puzzle, your position is also vital and you are equipped by God for that role. Just look at what Jesus proclaims as his function: They were expecting a mighty warrior to take on the Roman establishment but what they got was: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. It was not what they were expected but it was what Jesus came to do. Likewise, you might think your role in the body of Christ is insignificant but NOTHING God anoints is insignificant. Furthermore, this reality also challenges us to be humble and to recognize that we cannot do everything on our own.  We need each other.  We need the different gifts and abilities that each member brings. 

When we work together in harmony, we reflect the unity and love of Christ to the world. So let us, as the body of Christ, strive for unity and mutual respect. Let us value and celebrate the diversity of gifts and talents within our church. 

And let us work together to fulfill the mission that God has given us, to bring his love and truth to a world in need.

May we always remember that we are one body with many members, and may we live out this truth in our lives every day. Our differences should not be obstacles but strengths. 

God has designed each of us uniquely, and our various gifts and abilities contribute to the overall health and function of the church. Paul emphasizes that no part of the body can say to another, "I don’t need you."  We are interconnected and interdependent. When one member suffers, the whole body feels it. When one member is honored, the whole body rejoices.  We don’t feel envy or jealousy as Paul says in the following chapter. Love does not envy.

This understanding of one another builds up the body of Christ through compassion, empathy, understanding and mutual support within the church community. Each of us has a role to play in the body of Christ. Whether you are called to teach, preach, serve, encourage, lead, or pray, your contribution is vital. 

Paul urges us to use our gifts for the common good, as he writes in verses 24-26, "But God has put the body together... so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other." As we live out this unity, we strive to love one another deeply and work together harmoniously making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit." Let us remember that the church, as the body of Christ, is a beautiful patchwork of unity where beauty is seen when all the pieces are put together.  Each of us is an essential part of this body, uniquely designed and purposefully placed by God.  Let us embrace our roles, support one another, and work together in love to fulfill God’s mission.

Sermon 19th January 2025 – 2nd Sunday after Epiphany Text: John 2:1-11 – From the ordinary to extraordinary

 Sermon 19th January 2025 – 2nd Sunday after Epiphany

Text: John 2:1-11 – From the ordinary to extraordinary

It’s always an exciting time when I am asked to perform a wedding ceremony. However, a fellow Pastor recently said to me that he would rather do 10 funerals than one wedding. I agreed. Why? A wedding is so important – such a special day that one mistake has the possibility of ruining that special event and being the thing that everyone remembers.

I was recently watching an episode of the TV show Friends. And in a wedding scene during the vows, Ross, the groom, when asked to repeat his vows gets the bride’s name wrong. Instead of saying the bride’s name, Emily, he says his old girlfriend’s name, Rachel. My very first wedding ceremony I was so nervous that I forgot one of the most important parts. During the signing of the register the groom whispers to me “when do I kiss the bride”. It’s a nervous time for young couples – the cost – the details – and the need to cut names off the invitation list – not because you don’t want them there but the cost is astronomical.

Can you imagine the embarrassment of the host in today’s Gospel reading when he discovers that – they have run out of wine. People may not always remember every detail of a wedding – but if something goes wrong you can expect that that will be what everyone remembers and talks about. Mary feels for the host and brings it up with Jesus. I’m not sure what Mary was expecting Jesus to do. She knows he is special but does she know what he is capable of? Is this what Jesus came to do? Jesus responds back to her - Woman, what concern is that to you and to me?

What we learn from the miracle that Jesus performs was not to save embarrassment but as a sign to his disciples. Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. In fact one of the unique features of John’s Gospel is that he doesn’t call Jesus’ miraculous events as miracles but as “signs”. One of the “signs” this miracle teaches me, and I hope you too, is that we can turn to Jesus for anything. Was running out of wine what Jesus came to fix? No? Is Jesus concerned about our concerns? Yes? Jesus says that God knows when a sparrow falls from the sky and that we are worth much more than sparrows. Jesus says that God knows us intimately and that even the very hairs on our head are numbered.

So why don’t we, like Mary, turn to Jesus even if we know that we can handle the matter ourselves?

That’s why I love that hymn, what a friend we have in Jesus – what a privilege it is to carry “EVERYTHING to God in prayer”. In a time of need, Mary turned to Jesus, asking him to help in this crisis.  And despite his initial reluctance, Jesus performed a miracle, turning water into the finest wine. This act of compassion and abundance not only solved the immediate problem but also revealed the abundant grace and love that Jesus has for each one of us. And it shows that, yes, we might be able to tend to our concerns ourselves, but in prayer Jesus will help us achieve God’s will in a situation. And this is what Paul refers to in our 2nd reading – the difference between a life where prayer is central in all we do and one where our own desires are central in all we do. He says - You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak.

But deeper in the heart of this sign is the transformation that Jesus brings. Paul says – once we were pagans – enticed and led astray. But here Jesus transforms the ordinary into extraordinary. The host ran out of wine and Jesus provides more than the host could ever have expected.

Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now. The host would have accepted anything to avoid the embarrassment but Jesus exceeds his expectations. What Paul describes in our transformation is a life filled with the Spirit – the Holy Spirit of God. A Spirit that enables us to say “Jesus is Lord”. And elsewhere, in Romans, Paul says - If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Talk about abundance!

This sign at Cana teaches us about faith and trust in Jesus.  Mary’s unwavering faith in Jesus led to the miraculous transformation.  In the same way, when we trust in the Lord he can work miracles in our lives and bring about new beginnings. Trusting in Jesus brings about a transformation in our lives from the ordinary to the extraordinary. That’s how God works. He takes ordinary water and with his word transforms our lives through Baptism. From condemned sinner to child of God. He takes ordinary bread – ordinary wine – and transforms our lives through his body and blood. From the ‘wages of sin is death’ to ‘the free gift of God is eternal life’.

This sign is a source of hope and encouragement for all of us, reminding us that with Jesus, all things are possible.  Whereas the wedding had run out of wine for its guest Jesus provides an abundance of finest wines – going above expectations. Likewise, with the Holy Spirit of God given to us,  there is an abundance of grace for all believers in Jesus Christ who confess “Jesus is Lord.  The host at Cana messed up but Jesus came and fixed the problem. No matter how much we have messed up in life, God brings healing through faith in Jesus as Christ.  And despite any past errors or bad judgments, the best is yet to come for us. 

Jesus gave his life so we may have eternal life (John 3:16). Just as there was now abundant wine for the guests, Jesus wants us to have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10) This is where trusting Jesus with everything, even what we might consider small and mundane, leads to the extraordinary result. What a privilege it is to carry EVERYTHING to God in prayer. Paul reminds us that the gift of the Holy Spirit is given where God determines, not us. Paul says the gifts of the Holy Spirit are given by one and the same Spirit, who gives to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. And this is where, by putting our faith in Jesus, despite the challenges in life, God can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Sermon 12th January 2025 – 1st Sunday after Epiphany Text: Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 – The Baptism of Jesus

 Sermon 12th January 2025 – 1st Sunday after Epiphany

Text: Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 – The Baptism of Jesus

Today is an interesting day in the life of Jesus. The baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ.  This sacred event marks the beginning of Jesus' public ministry and serves as a powerful reminder of His mission and the place of Baptism in our salvation – which is Jesus’ mission. When Jesus came to the Jordan River to be baptized by John the Baptist, He humbly submitted Himself to the will of God.  Despite being sinless, Jesus chose to be baptized as an example for all of us where God’s grace can be found. Jesus' baptism was not an act of repentance for himself, for He was sinless. Instead, it was an act of humility, a declaration of His mission to identify with lost humanity and to fulfill all righteousness. As St Paul describes in 2 Corinthians and Philippians: God made him who had no sin to become sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. And - Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he emptied himself taking the very nature of a servant,

Jesus’ baptism marked the beginning of His public ministry, a servant ministry that would ultimately lead to the cross and resurrection – the fulfilment of his mission – “it is finished”. Again, as Paul says, this  is all part of his mission through his Baptism: And being found in appearance as a human being, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! That obedience comes through his Baptism – as Jesus’ says in Matthew’s version of his Baptism when John objects saying that he needed to be Baptised by Jesus: John said: “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” To which Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. And because of this humility, Paul says that “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name”.

In that moment, the heavens opened, and the Spirit of God descended like a dove, affirming Jesus as the beloved Son of God to whom every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Here, in Jesus Baptism we have a clear message of the Trinity – the Father proclaiming his love for his Son marked by the receiving of the Holy Spirit through his Baptism. And likewise, in our Baptism, we too receive the mark of the Holy Spirit as our Baptism rite states – “you have been sealed with the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever” And this is why we follow Jesus’ command to baptise – in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit so we too can be sure of where God’s grace can be found in our lives. In our Baptism.

Through His baptism, Jesus identified Himself with humanity and entered into solidarity with us in our brokenness. He will go on to experience the full weight of our sin as he who had no sin becomes our sin and experiences the abandonment that we were destined for – My God, my God – why have you forsaken me? Through Jesus and the assurance of our Baptism we will never utter those words. Jesus pays in full the cost of our price - for the wages of sin is death. Jesus showed us that He is not a distant and apathetic God, but a God who is intimately involved in our lives and our struggles.  Our great high-priest able to empathise with as he experiences our brokenness yet without sin. And therefore, through Jesus, through our Baptism, the book of Hebrews says we can approach the throne of God’s grace with confidence to receive help in our time of need.

Jesus' baptism reminds us that He is with us in our own baptism, washing away our sins and granting us new life in Him. Furthermore, Jesus' baptism also serves as a powerful path to repentance and renewal. Just as Jesus emerged from the waters of the Jordan, we too are called to emerge from the waters of our baptism as new creations in Christ.  As Luther explains in his Small Catechism, we are to drown the old Adam in the waters of repentance to rise a new each day, As St Paul declares in Romans 6 - Through baptism, we are cleansed of our sins and united with Christ in His death and resurrection.  And if anyone is in Christ – there is a new creation. The old has gone – the new has arrived.

Through our Baptism we are adopted as children of God and filled with the Holy Spirit to live as His beloved sons and daughters. So if you ever have any doubts about God’s love for you – about God’s acceptance of you – about your worth as a human being – look to your Baptism where God repeats those same words to you – You are my son – you are my daughter whom I love.

As we reflect on Jesus' baptism, let us remember the profound love and grace that He demonstrated for us.  Let us be inspired by Jesus’ example of humility and obedience to the will of God.  And let us recommit ourselves to living out our own baptismal vows, striving to follow Jesus in all that we do. Renouncing the devil and all his works and all his ways. May we always remember the significance of Jesus' baptism and the incredible gift of salvation that it brings. And may we continually seek to grow in our relationship with Him, drawing closer to His love and mercy each day.