{"id":868,"date":"2017-05-20T11:08:16","date_gmt":"2017-05-20T11:08:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk\/web\/?page_id=868"},"modified":"2017-05-20T11:08:16","modified_gmt":"2017-05-20T11:08:16","slug":"sermon-14th-may-2017","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk\/web\/information\/sermons\/sermon-14th-may-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"Sermon – 14th May 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

Sermon for Sermon for 5th Sunday of Easter \u2013 morning<\/h1>\n
\n

Sunday 14th May 2017<\/h3>\n


\nActs 7.55 \u2013 end
\nJohn 14. 1-4
\n<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Revd Preb Maureen Hobbs<\/p>\n

\n

\"Maureen\u201cBelieve me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n

Can you sense the urgency and passion with which Jesus speaks these words to Philip? This passage comes from the great \u201cFarewell discourse\u201d in John\u2019s Gospel \u2013 spoken to his disciples in the hours before his arrest and execution on the Cross. Time is running out for Jesus and he is desperate to get his message across… he is almost begging his disciples to have faith; to believe \u2013 and to say to them, and us \u2013 look, if you find it hard to believe in a God who is just spirit, then look at me! God and I are one for you. I have come to put a human face on God for you \u2013 because God recognises that for human beings, it is very hard to believe in an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving God who is invisible to the human eye. <\/p>\n

And yet \u2013 modern science has taught us that the human eye can only detect one part of the electro-magnetic spectrum. We see, only what is useful for us to see. There are creatures on this planet \u2013 many insects in fact \u2013 which can detect a much wider range of that spectrum than we can. They see and detect complex patterns on the petals of flowers that we merely see as pretty. For them, there are essential signals showing them where to find the nourishment on which they depend for life.<\/p>\n

Our senses are limited \u2013 my dogs have a far more sophisticated and discerning sense of smell than I do! Probably just as well! I do not need to use my nose to tell me who or what passed by my house today, yesterday or last week \u2013 but my dogs probably can!<\/p>\n

There are more wonders in this world than we can begin to imagine; and yet we often live in it as though it were created purely for our benefit and amusement. Creation is<\/em> a marvel that stretches far beyond our knowledge and understanding and that in itself helps me to believe in a God who inspires \u2013 who breathes his spirit \u2013 into all that I can see and much that I have to take on trust and in faith.<\/p>\n

You could say that my faith is founded partly on my belief in Jesus as the Son of God, but also because of the works themselves that Jesus spoke of in our Gospel passage this morning.<\/p>\n

This week I have been spending time with people from another part of Staffordshire who are engaged on a two year programme of vision development for their churches called Thrive. They are developing for themselves a fresh vision of how to be church in multi-parish benefices, where more than one parish has to share their clergy. You have a taste of that here too, as you all know that I only have half my time to spend with you in this parish. The other half I work elsewhere in the Diocese \u2013 although on Sundays you have the luxury (or misfortune?) of having my undivided attention! But there are many churches \u2013 especially in the countryside \u2013 where they will only see an ordained minister on alternate Sundays or maybe even less frequently.<\/p>\n

However, they are still the church in that place \u2013 so they need to find ways in which they can be the church. Ways in which they can worship God and proclaim his power to their communities. Ways in which they can work together to further God\u2019s mission \u2013 which is to bring all people to know and love him.<\/p>\n

It isn\u2019t easy \u2013 but we were never promised an easy ride! And nothing can happen unless people believe. Unless faith is kept alive and people find the words to share that faith one with another in simple, everyday language and with the confidence to know that the Holy Spirit speaks through each one of us.<\/p>\n

How many full-time Christian workers do you see in Church this morning?<\/p>\n

The answer is \u2013 as many people as are gathered here.<\/p>\n

I may be the Vicar \u2013 but all of you are out there…. on the front line …. whether in school or at work, or socialising with your friends.<\/p>\n

It is not true to say that the world out there is indifferent to us. Many, many people are curious as to what we get up to in this building \u2013 why we choose to spend time here on Sundays or any other time. Some are antagonistic, it is true \u2013 usually because what they imagine we do and say and believe is actually very far from the truth! But how are they to know if we never have a conversation about it?<\/p>\n

Oh I don\u2019t mean that you need to push your beliefs down anyone\u2019s throat… no bible bashing please! And you don\u2019t need to… just talk honestly and simply about your own faith journey and the reasons you come here.<\/p>\n

So here\u2019s the challenge for you this morning. As we gather with our coffee this morning, why not share something of your own faith journey with your friends here? What could be simpler \u2013 after all, they should be a receptive audience! And I bet we will find some fascinating stories if we did that. One or two of you have shared your stories with me over the years…. but there are far more that have not.<\/p>\n

And as you come to the altar this morning, to receive the bread and wine, symbols of God\u2019s love and care for each one of us, why not ask God to inspire you in your conversations with others during the week to come? To give you further opportunities to share something of your own story with others and to hear and listen to their stories too. You never know…. you might enjoy it, and through your actions we might see more people joining us in the weeks to come, but that isn\u2019t the main point of the exercise…. More significantly, you will have taken a bit of God\u2019s story and action in the world out from this place into his marvellous creation. <\/p>\n

Thanks be to God.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sermons index Sermon for Sermon for 5th Sunday of Easter \u2013 morning Sunday 14th May 2017 Acts 7.55 \u2013 end John 14. 1-4 Revd Preb Maureen Hobbs \u201cBelieve me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves.\u201d Can … <\/p>\n

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