{"id":3421,"date":"2019-10-27T17:34:49","date_gmt":"2019-10-27T17:34:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk\/web\/?page_id=3421"},"modified":"2019-10-27T17:34:49","modified_gmt":"2019-10-27T17:34:49","slug":"sermon-27th-october-2019-morning","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk\/web\/information\/sermons\/sermon-27th-october-2019-morning\/","title":{"rendered":"Sermon – 27th October 2019 – morning"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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

Last Sunday after Trinity \u2013 morning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Sunday 27th October 2019 <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Last Sunday after Trininty \u2013 morning
\n2 Timothy 4. 6-8, 16-18
\nLuke 18. 9-14<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Revd Preb Maureen Hobbs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\"Maureen<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

As I was thinking about this parable of the Tax Collector and the Pharisee, I was reminded of that famous sketch with John Cleese and the two Ronnies. You know, the one where they are standing in a line in height order and John Cleese begins by saying, \u201cI look down on him, because I am Upper Class, and I look down even more on him, because he is Working Class … And Ronnie Corbett at the end just keeps saying, \u201cI know my place!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nOf course that was a satire on\nthe British Class system \u2013 which is still with us more than we\nthink even after 50 years or more!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nJesus\u2019 story on the other\nhand was a satire told against those members of the religious elite\nwho thought themselves better than the hated tax collectors because\nthey kept all the laws of ritual purity. But although they were\nbasically good men who through the years of exile had kept the faith\nalive and were struggling against the alternative religions of the\nRoman invaders \u2013 they were guilty at times of the sin of\nself-satisfaction and complacency… And which of us here today could\nhonestly put our hands up and say that, at times, we were not guilty\nof the same?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nI sometimes think that today\nthe greatest sin one can commit is one of hypocrisy. Saying one thing\nand doing another. Hence all the venom that is directed towards\ncelebrities and even Royalty who appear to advocate embracing a\nsimpler, carbon-free lifestyle, while still taking advantage of their\nprivate Jets!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nClimate change issues are a\ngood example. For surely we are all of us guilty of using our cars\nand turning the heating up a notch and insisting on power for our\nmany tech gadgets? And when we hear someone like Terry last week who\nspoke so movingly of people in other countries who lack even the most\nbasic amenities that we all take for granted, we immediately respond\nwith generosity of heart. And don\u2019t get me wrong, I am delighted\nthat we do, and we should, but how many of us have paused during this\nweek to question how much water or other resources we might waste in\nour\ndaily lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nWe are apt to try and mock\nthose like Greta Thunberg who try to live more authentically, always\nconscious of the choices they make in day-to-day life and the\nconsequences they may have for others, but in reality is that not\nbecause such zealots make us feel just a little uncomfortable? To\nquestion our own values and choices?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nEarlier this week I was at a\nmeeting in Bishop Michael\u2019s house with some of us who went to\nMoscow earlier this year and with a representative of the Orthodox\nChurch in this country, talking about how we might improve links and\nlearn from each other as we all seek to Walk in the footsteps of St\nChad. Many of the common practices of the Orthodox Church would be\nmuch closer to the custom and practice of St Chad himself of course,\nwho lived at a time before the Reformation, and when Christianity\nitself was much less divided than it has become since. Orthodox\nChristians are perhaps better than us at knowing and understanding\nthat we do not leave our godly thoughts at the church door. If we are\nChristians then it does and must affect every part of our lives. And\nit is the Orthodox Church that has given us what has become known as\nthe \u2018Jesus Prayer\u2019. This is a short prayer that is repeated over\nand over again by the individual as a way of bringing ourselves\ncloser to God; of aligning our whole selves and most importantly, our\nwills, with God\u2019s will \u2013 which of course is what we pray in the\nLord\u2019s Prayer. I also found it a great help and comfort when I was\nrecovering from the pain of knee surgery last year \u2013 and I commend\nit to you if you are ever suffering from a sleepless night… And it\nis the prayer of the Tax Collector, or very similar….<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nJesus Christ, Son of God,\nhave mercy on me, a sinner.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nThe prayer falls naturally\ninto two halves \u2013 I suggest breathing in as you say the first two\nphrases to yourself, and breathing out for the latter two. All I can\ntell you, is \u2013 it works!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nAnd it is a prayer that\napplies whether you are rich or poor, old or young, male or female,\nlearned or never did much at school, vegan or unabashed carnivore,\nclimate change warrior or petrolhead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nWe are all called to make the\njourney from saying like the Pharisee, \u201cGod, I thank you that I am\nnot like other people:\u201d to the place where can say like the tax\ncollector, \u201cGod, be merciful to me, a sinner\u201d. Then we can\nreally say our prayers of penitence with sincerity and authenticity,\n\u201cLord have mercy; Christ have mercy; Lord have mercy.\u201d And the\nwonder of it all is \u2013 he does!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last Sunday after Trinity \u2013 morning Sunday 27th October 2019 Last Sunday after Trininty \u2013 morning 2 Timothy 4. 6-8, 16-18 Luke 18. 9-14 Revd Preb Maureen Hobbs As I was thinking about this parable of the Tax Collector and the Pharisee, I was reminded of that famous sketch with John Cleese and the two … <\/p>\n

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