{"id":2032,"date":"2018-10-09T21:21:34","date_gmt":"2018-10-09T21:21:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk\/web\/?page_id=2032"},"modified":"2018-10-09T21:22:57","modified_gmt":"2018-10-09T21:22:57","slug":"sermon-7th-october-2018","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk\/web\/information\/sermons\/sermon-7th-october-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"Sermon – 7th October 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sermons index<\/a><\/p>\n

Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity – evening<\/h1>\n
\n

Sunday 7th October 2018<\/h3>\n

Proper 22 – 19th Sunday after Trinity – evening
\n
\nJoshua 3. 7-17
\nMatt 10. 1-22 \u2013 Mission of the 12 <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Revd Preb Maureen Hobbs<\/p>\n

\n

\"Maureen\u201cTake no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts.\u201d<\/p>\n

What would it be like to throw yourself completely on God\u2019s mercy and providence? It\u2019s a scary thought, isn\u2019t it? Yet it is a feature of several of the world\u2019s great religions. Buddhist monks, I believe follow this principle. They go out each day with their empty bowl and hope that someone, somehow will share their food, so that they won\u2019t go hungry. And the culture in which they live pretty much guarantees that they won\u2019t. Because to give alms and food to a holy monk or nun confers a blessing on the donor.<\/p>\n

And although I know that many people have a very generous heart, I am not so convinced that western European culture would react in the same way. We have grown increasingly impatient, it seems, with beggars\u2026 And the benefit system that is supposed to ensure that no-one need be destitute is no longer fit for purpose, if it ever was!<\/p>\n

But there have been individuals in the Christian tradition who have tried to follow this principle of trusting in God to provide.<\/p>\n

One of them was St Francis, whose saint\u2019s day fell on Thursday of this past week. I thought this evening you might like to think about St Francis, and see whether, from the example of his life and preaching, we might take anything for our day to day life?<\/p>\n

Francis is one of the Catholic Saints who really seems to appeal to people across many denominations and even beyond Christianity.<\/p>\n

It is notable that even amongst the Islamic nations, Francis is accorded particular respect. Whereas the Crusaders came brandishing their swords, Franciscan Friars came with no weapons other than the cross and their bibles. Even Saladin had respect for them and many of the churches in the Holy Land can trace their origins to the Franciscans who founded them.<\/p>\n

So what do we know about Francis \u2013 who was born in the 12th century \u2013 1181 or thereabouts? Does anyone remember where he was born? (Assissi)<\/p>\n

He was a man born into a comfortable, wealthy family. His father was a dealer in fine textiles and Francis was supposed to take over the family business, but it was a future he rejected.<\/p>\n

Francis had a fairly wild and dissolute youth, and served as a soldier for a time, but was captured whilst at war with the neighbouring city of Perugia. At the time. Italy was not one nation, but a whole bunch of small city states that were all in competition one with another. If you think the Italians are fanatical about their football teams, it may have something to do with this history!<\/p>\n

Well, Francis returned from captivity a changed man. He completely rejected his family\u2019s values and expectations, scandalising many by publicly stripping off his fine clothing and walking out from his father\u2019s house almost naked. He then adopted the roughest peasant\u2019s dark coat with a piece of rope around his waist. He took to caring for disused churches and for the poor, particularly those suffering from leprosy, which was endemic in the country at the time. Whilst praying in the semi derelict church of San Damiano, he distinctly heard the words, \u201cGo and repair my church, which you see is falling down.\u201d At first he thought this meant literally to rebuild the ruined church of San Damiano, and he began to do so. Others came to join him, and he prepared a simple, gospel-based Rule for them all to live by, using the very words I quoted at the start. They were to be itinerants, wandering from town to town, proclaiming the good news of God\u2019s love by word and example. You have probably heard the famous saying attributed to Francis, \u201c Preach the gospel at all times \u2013 and if you must, use words.\u201d<\/p>\n

After getting the Pope\u2019s approval for his rule which formed them into a religious community, Francis called them the Friars Minor, which means \u2018little brothers\u2019. That is where our own local \u2018Little brothers of the good shepherd\u2019, to whom we gave our harvest abundance, draw their inspiration too.<\/p>\n

Francis famously loved nature. He wrote the Canticle of the Sun which speaks of brother sun and sister moon. He focussed very much on humanity\u2019s relatedness to the whole created order and our role as good stewards. But it would be wrong to over-sentimentalise him. His canticle was dictated by him towards the end of his life, when he could no longer actually see the wonders of nature he speaks of. And we owe some of our most precious Christmas traditions to Francis. He was the first to introduce a crib into churches, complete with live animals. This was to remind wealthy Christians of his time that Christ was born among the poor. And the famous story of him preaching to the birds was a protest at the unwillingness of the rich to listen to him.<\/p>\n

Francis travelled widely through Europe and eventually to Egypt, where he arranged a meeting with the Sultan. He wanted to bring peace between Muslims and Christians. He was listened to with courtesy, but without making a convert of the Sultan, but as I said, the Franciscans enjoy greater respect within the world of Islam than do many Christians.<\/p>\n

Two years before his death, he retired from the active supervision of the Orders he had established \u2013 not just the Friars Minor, but also the sisters of St Clare \u2013 who lived in enclosed convents, and the Third Order or Tertiaries, who carry on their ordinary occupations, but keep a simple rule of life. There are many of these around to this day.<\/p>\n

Retreating to meditate and pray as his end neared, Francis identified so strongly with the crucified Christ, that he received the stigmata \u2013 the wounds of Christ appeared spontaneously on his body. He died on 3rd October, 1226, by which time his Order had spread throughout Western Christendom and his influence continues to this day \u2013 you will remember that the current pope took the pontifical name of Francis and identifies with the Order, having simplified the way of life of his office from that of his predecessors.<\/p>\n

The Autumn is becoming a time when many people are moved to simplify their way of life in some respect \u2013 Stoptober and the like. We may not be able to embrace poverty to the absolute extent that Francis and other holy men and women have done, but we can follow his example in making our lives more simple \u2013 so that others may simply live. <\/p>\n

God of unrelenting beauty,
\nyou are the origin and home of our deepest longing;
\nyou are the beckoning word
\nthat draws us into the truth our ourselves.<\/p>\n

Through Jesus Christ,
\nthrough the Holy Spirit
\nand through one another,
\nmay we be released from all that stands in the way of real freedom,
\nso that,
\nnaked to the eyes of the world,
\nwe may revel in the rich garments of your grace and truth. Amen.<\/em>
\n(Julie Greenan)<\/em><\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sermons index Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity – evening Sunday 7th October 2018 Proper 22 – 19th Sunday after Trinity – evening Joshua 3. 7-17 Matt 10. 1-22 \u2013 Mission of the 12 Revd Preb Maureen Hobbs \u201cTake no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts.\u201d What would it be like to throw yourself completely … <\/p>\n

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