Dear friends,
Welcome to this week’s update. Please find below the text of today’s sermon at St James in Lealholm, the readings we had, details of our services coming up over the next month, plus a reminder of the date to save: there will be a special event on afternoon of Saturday 7 October - see below for further details.
With prayers and all good wishes,
Anthony
Church Services Coming Up
Sunday 20 August – 10:30 at Egton, St Hilda, Holy Communion
followed by Refreshments/Lunch in The Vicarage – please do come along – we’ll be having an extended ‘house warming party’ all afternoon (until 5 pm) - Just bring yourself and any friends/family too, all welcome!
Sunday 27 August – 10:30 at Grosmont, St Matthew, Holy Communion
Sunday 3 September – 10:30 at Goathland, St Mary, Holy Communion
Sunday 10 September – 10:30 at Glaisdale, St Thomas, Holy Communion
Save-the-Date Saturday 7 October 12 midday to 5:00 pm
Where next? Charting the future: a time to imagine what a sustainable Middle Esk Moor family of church communities might look like in 2030. The venue is confirmed as Egton Village Hall.
Readings for Sunday 13 August
follow these links to view the readings:
Romans 10:5-15
Matthew 14:22-33
Sermon for Sunday 13 August at St James, Lealholm
Peter's attempt to walk on the water in our reading from Matthew's Gospel this morning follows on immediately from the feeding of the five thousand. Jesus had dismissed the crowds and sent his disciples on ahead of him, across the lake, while he went up a mountain to pray alone. Last week I was talking about mountains being significant places in God’s story, as we heard the passage from Luke’s Gospel about the Transfiguration, which took place on Mount Hermon. I’ve spent a lot of time over the years up mountains, big and small, praying alone. There’s something very special for me about praying outside in God’s creation. After his early morning prayers, the disciples see Jesus walking towards them through the waves and the storm, and they cry out in fear, thinking they’re seeing a ghost! Jesus calls out to reassure them, and Peter responds, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water."
When Jesus does so, Peter sets out confidently towards him, but he’s soon overcome by his fear of the wind and the waves. Jesus catches hold of Peter's outstretched hand, and he tells him off for his lack of faith. They both get to the boat; the wind drops. The disciples worship Jesus.
This incident is paralleled in Chapter 6 of Mark's Gospel, but Mark has one very significant difference: there’s no mention of Peter attempting to walk on the water towards Jesus. So why does Matthew record this?
One typical interpretation of our Gospel reading is to assume that Peter wouldn’t have sunk in the waves if he’d had enough faith, and indeed, Jesus' words might initially seem to suggest this. There’s a focus on Peter in our reading from Matthew. But all the disciples' combined lack of faith is clear in Mark's version of the incident. Mark didn’t need to add a description of Peter trying to walk on the water to make it clear that the disciples were people of little faith.
Maybe Jesus' rebuke of Peter isn’t about saying he doesn’t have enough faith; maybe Jesus’ rebuke was because Peter was demanding proof of Jesus' presence and power, rather than relying on his faith.
‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’ Jesus says.
I think there’s a parallel here between Peter's words to Jesus, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water," and the words of Satan to Jesus in the wilderness: "If you are the Son of God … tell these stones to become bread” … “throw yourself down” … “bow down and worship me” (Matthew 4:3-8).
In the wilderness experience, Jesus is repeatedly tempted to "prove" his divinity to the world and to himself by a spectacular display of signs and wonders. His threefold response to Satan indicates a refusal to be drawn into displays of supernatural power. Instead, Jesus focuses consistently on the God who alone is worthy of trust and worship. By demanding a miracle, Peter has fallen prey to the temptation to seek physical proof for his faith, and he is consequently rebuked by Jesus. Faith cannot be proven. Faith is about trust.
The message of today's Gospel passage this morning challenges our inbuilt human tendency to demand proof on which to build our faith: to ask God to suspend the natural laws of his universe to make belief easier for us. So, I guess we often find ourselves seeking God, not for faith, but for certainty.
In Middle Esk Moor, are we seeking a plan for our parishes through faith that God will provide us all that we need, but in ways that we can’t comprehend or imagine at this moment in time? Are we willing to explore unexpected surprises that draw us into parts of the Kingdom of Heaven unfolding around us that we haven’t yet noticed? Are we willing to continue listening to people, listening to the Glory of God reflected in others, listening to Jesus and responding as his hands and his feet in this place?
Are we following a God of surprises, or, are we following a God of miracles?
Are we seeking certainty, demanding instant signs and miracles that will fulfil our strategies and plans? Are we seeking acts of God that will give us the money we think we need to ensure the survival of our church buildings; to employ someone like me full-time, longer term?
We have no problem when all in our lives is going smoothly; but when the "wind and waves" - that are the realities of every Christian community - threaten to swamp us, we find it hard to hold on to faith. But I think that today’s Gospel reading, and the Gospel of our Lord Jesus in general, urges us to hold on in faith, however bleak and unpromising our circumstances might appear to be. No matter how strong the winds are, or how overwhelming the waves might be, God always wants and can do anything which is for our greatest good, if we will just let God do so.
As Paul says: "This is God; all is well" (Romans 8:23).
And have any of you come across Sister Julian of Norwich, the medieval nun who lived alone in isolation and wrote about a vision she’d had of our Lord Jesus? I’ll be explaining a little bit more about her over the next few months, but I’ll finish today with a quote from one of her writings, Revelations of Divine Love:
“All shall be well, all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.”
No matter how big the challenges, all manner of things shall be well.
Amen.
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these two books, edited by Jane Williams, are continuing to be very helpful with planning my sermon writing:
Williams, J (2009), Ed., ‘Lost for Words, A Sermon Resource for the Anglican Three Year Cycle,’ Redemptorist Publications, Chawton, UK.
Williams, J (2011), Ed., ‘Lectionary Reflections, Years A, B and C.’ Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, London, UK.
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The Reverend Anthony Bennett
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Interim Minister & Deanery Enabler
Middle Esk Moor | Whitby Deanery | York Diocese
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email: [email protected]
landline: 01947 899843
mobile: 07484 735284