Sermon for St Luke’s Patronal Festival: 21.10.18

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.

St Luke is one of my favourite saints. He was a physician, he was a loyal companion to Paul, and he is the patron saint of doctors and healing.

I believe that a sense of healing and seeking wholeness, and offering care and support are key values to what the church is. And St Luke particularly in his gospel – emphasises the unconditional Love of God the Father, and the compassion of Jesus Christ to the poor, the disabled, marginalised and those considered sinners in his culture and religion.

He is also the patron saint of Icon writers, because tradition has it that he painted the first icon of Mary and baby Jesus. And so, he stands for my creative side and my interest in painting icons.

Also, the first church I joined was St Luke’s church in Manchester St. It was there I met and fell in love with Pip. It was where we were married one Sunday morning in the middle of our normal Sunday worship. We felt it was important to celebrate with the congregation – because they were like our extended family.

It was there that I first felt the call to ordination, as I saw a community that came together Sunday by Sunday to celebrate Holy Communion. As we focused on Christ in communion we felt united as a parish. I saw that words can only go so far – but the sacrament can act on us in a deeper level to reconcile, feed and renew us – week by week.

In the church of St Luke’s our second child, Clemency was baptised.

Both the saint and the memory of St Luke’s church has been a significant influence to me.

When I come to patronal festivals, I am influenced by the medieval belief that a church that is named after a particular saint, is under the spiritual patronage of that saint. And there is the potential that the characteristics of that saint may infuse the community and become the qualities that influence that church and may be qualities that attract people to it.

Can you tell me what are the characteristics of this church? Do you think the characteristics of St Luke, or the values of his gospel have been at work in this community?

[What do you think?]

In today’s gospel story – Jesus sends out seventy of his followers into various communities and villages, ahead of him, as he makes his way to Jerusalem – his final human destination. (This is about 6 times the number of his immediate disciples).

The mission was the same as Jesus’ own ministry: “cure the sick” and “tell people, ‘the kingdom of God has come near to you.’”

Jesus sends them “ahead of him … to every town and place where he himself intended to go.” He is on his way to Jerusalem and would probably travel through villages where he had not been before. Rumours of what Jesus was doing had undoubtedly gone before him.

We too are to go “ahead of him,” spreading his message where ever we go. And so, where ever we go in faith, we only go where Jesus is intending to go himself. Today, in essence, Jesus goes with us – as we go in faith, as we live by faith.

And they didn’t go alone – they travelled “in pairs.” Perhaps we think of groups that do mission work going door-to-door, always with two people, such as the Mormons or Jehovah’s Witnesses. It’s an important biblical principal. Abraham had Sarah his wife to go with him. Moses didn’t lead alone – he had his brother Aaron to help. In his early career David had Jonathan to help negotiate his rise to kingship. And then in the later kingdoms – Israel was divided and governed by two kings (of Judah and Israel).  We can assume that Jesus’ directive is for safety and for mutual encouragement. If you have to do something dangerous or risky, you want to have somebody with you. I suppose it’s also a sign that “we’re in this together” as followers of Jesus, no one can accomplish it all by themselves.

“The harvest is plentiful,” Jesus says. And it is as true today as it was in Jesus’ time. As we all know church attendance is down, across all society. Our latest statistics in New Zealand say that 9% of the population regularly go to church. One of the characteristics of today’s so-called “postmodernism” is that people have their own religious views and don’t want to be told by others what to believe or do.

Jesus warned the seventy to expect resistance and rejection, and it’s the same today. In fact, I have been told that more Christians are being persecuted for their faith today than at any other time in human history, and that includes the Roman persecutions of the first century. That’s thought provoking. But in New Zealand rather than people feeling persecuted it is more likely to be people’s indifference to the church.

But is there a need for the gospel today? Is the person and message of Jesus Christ of any relevance? [See if there is any reaction]

It’s interesting that some of those same surveys that ask about church involvement, have asked about what people think of Jesus Christ. And there is a majority of people in society who greatly admire Jesus.

At the Anglican Care AGM on Tuesday evening, a faithful Anglican and farmer from North Canterbury said: “You know many farmers are under tremendous stress, and it’s affecting their wives and families.” He mentioned drought, extreme weather events, issues about protecting our water and green-house gasses, ‘microplasma bovis’ and the changing prices of commodities are all putting pressure on farmers.  And he said that “The suicide rate amongst our farming folk is very high.” And there is also relationship breakdowns in the background too.

Does Jesus and the message of his gospel still have relevance today? I believe it does. In an age of scepticism, the church encourages the development of trust and faith. In an age of individualism, it encourages the call to be part of a caring community around strong family values- and that can only be good. And when we are facing huge complex problems on a global scale, to foster worship in the Creator of this universe must help to alter our defeatist mindset that can too easily assail us – the gospel reminds us that it’s not too late to make a difference.

The second half of our gospel story today talks about the ministry and the message that the seventy disciples are sharing with others and reminds us that it is the same work that Jesus wants to do.

Isn’t it interesting that on their return to Jesus, the disciples were greatly surprised by what they were able to accomplish. They went out in faith and experienced not so much success as such, but the power of God – working through them.

We will never know what God’s real power and potential is, if we are always trying to do things in our own strength. The only alternative to doing things in our own strength and own wisdom is by faith guided by scripture.

And when we step out in faith … we are promised that things will happen… God can act through us.

I have always thought that God can act on us and guide us, when we are in motion. If we are standing still, the resistance is too great and we can move. Particularly, if we think that God often works subtly and gently, and in unexpected ways. God’s Holy Spirit is often talked about as the wind/a breeze.

As you might know our parish has run two Alpha courses in Akaora, and through it three middle-aged people have grown in faith, in the understanding of Jesus and his gospel.

And what’s more they are wanting their children to grow in faith too. And I think its great that our combined church has been able to support first two, and then three of their children to attend Christian camps during the last two school holidays – and they have really enjoyed themselves. What more can you ask?  The future of the church is in the younger generations… generations X and Y and whatever comes after that!

Perhaps we could run an Alpha course over here???.

What do you think of what I have said? [Pause for any feedback]

Remember St. Teresa of Avila’s well-known saying, that reminds us that we ordinary human beings are called to carry on the ministry that Jesus gave us:

“Christ has no body on earth but yours; no hands but yours; no feet but yours.  Yours are the eyes through which the compassion of Christ looks out to the   world.  Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good.  Yours are the hands with which he is to bless others now.”