Reuben's Sermon for the 15th. Sunday after Trinity. Sunday, 23th. September 2001 Anno Domini. Proper 20 (cycle C):

EVENSONG
1830hrs. at Saint George's - Cullercoats (Diocese of Newcastle) - England.

Psalm & Readings: Psalm: 129. Esra: 1. John: 7.14-36.

Office Hymn: 429 (NEH - Tune Crowle CM)

O Thou in all Thy might so far, In all Thy love so near Beyond the range of sun and star, And yet beside us here.

What heart can comprehend Thy name, Or searching find Thee out, Who ate within, a quickening flame, A presence round about?

Yet though I know Thee but in part I ask not, Lord, for more; Enough for me to know Thou art, To love Thee and adore.

And dearer than all things I know Is childlike faith to me, That makes the darkest way I go An open path to Thee.

Psalm 129 (RSV)
1 A Song of Ascents. "Sorely have they afflicted me from my youth," let Israel now say --
2 "Sorely have they afflicted me from my youth, yet they have not prevailed against me.
3 The plowers plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows."
4 The LORD is righteous; he has cut the cords of the wicked.
5 May all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned backward!
6 Let them be like the grass on the housetops, which withers before it grows up,
7 with which the reaper does not fill his hand or the binder of sheaves his bosom,
8 while those who pass by do not say, "The blessing of the LORD be upon you! We bless you in the name of the LORD!"

Hymn 428 (directly before the sermon) (NEH - Tune Warrington LM)

O Son of God, eternal Love, Who came in mercy from above To bring to men the Father's grace, And sanctify a ransomed race.

Illumine every Christian mind, And grant us through your word to find The truth that sets the bondsman free, The service that is liberty.

To Christ whose blood for us was shed, Who rose victorious from the dead, Whose glory all the saints adore, Be endless praise for evermore.

Reuben's Sermon:

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Over the past few days... ...since the awful events of 11th. September...
...there has been a lot of emotion about.

A feeling of shock... A feeling of anger... A feeling of sorrow... A feeling of hatred...
But mostly: a feeling of FEAR! A fear of what is to come.
All these feelings make different people react different ways.

Tonight, I want to put the readings to one side... ...and look at what we have sung.

We have just sung is a hymn in which we recognise God coming to us, in Jesus, to save us. We ask for help to understand Jesus' message, so that we may be saved and praise God - Jesus Christ the Risen Lord.

In our office hymn, at the beginning of this service, we sang to God...

O Thou in all Thy might so far,
In all Thy love so near
Beyond the range of sun and star,
And yet beside us here.

A hymn about our lack of understanding about God, but our faith and certain knowledge of God's presence with us... ...even in times of trouble.

As the last verse says...

And dearer than all things I know
Is childlike faith to me,
That makes the darkest way I go,
An open path to Thee.

Whatever happens, God is with us and God loves us.

REMEMBER THAT!

Whatever happens, God is with us and God loves us.

Now... let's look at tonight's psalm.
A prayer for the downfall of all who have crushed God's people.

How poignant... How appropriate for today!

Verses 5-8 are quite amazing...

May all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned backward.
Let them be like the grass on the housetops that withers before it grows up, with which reapers do not fill their hands, or binders of sheaves - their arms, while those who pass by do not say, "The blessing of the LORD be upon you! We bless you in the name of the LORD!"

You can't beat a bit of cursing and vengeance!

The psalmists often write about cursing and vengeance.

Before we rush to condemn such sentiments as being inappropriate for Christians, there are a few points worth baring in mind:

The first concerns God's holiness:

In emphasising God's love, do we tend to be over sentimental about pure evil these days?
The psalmists knew God as One 'who's eyes are too pure to look on evil', who cannot countenance wrongdoing.
This is what motivates their call for vengeance on the wicked.
God's own character - His good name - demands it.

Second:

The psalmists feel that right cannot triumph without the actual overthrow of evil and punishment of wrong.
We pray 'Thy kingdom come'.
But we are often horrified when the psalmists spell out what this means to them.

Are we are less in love with good?
Are we less opposed to evil than they were?
Is it because many of us have never known real persecution for our faith?
Is it because we value life more than right?

If the psalmists are guilty of actually gloating over the fate of the wicked....
If personal vindictiveness creeps in under the cloak of concern for God's good name....
We are right to condemn it - and beware!
We can ourselves so easily be guilty of the same thing.

But in the psalmists case the 'wrong-thinking' (if 'wrong-thinking' is there) never carries into 'wrong-action'.
There is no question of the psalmists taking the law into their own hands.
They call on God for vengeance.
No Inquisition!... ...No Crusade!...
...Vengeance is always seen as God's province... ...And Gods, alone!

This is where "fundamentalists" get it so horribly (and wickedly) WRONG!

Because our God (the one and only true God) is a god of vengeance.
Because our God (the one and only true God) is a god of justice.
Because our God (the one and only true God) is a god of LOVE.

Whatever happens, God is with us and God loves us.

Remember, Saint Paul was a fundamentalist... ...and a murderer.
He, with the authority of the priests, was systematically exterminating Christians.
He was responsible for the death of Saint Stephen.
Paul turned to God, through Jesus Christ, and was not only saved, but (through his teaching and letters) saved more people than anyone can ever imagine.

Whatever happens, God is with us and God loves us.

Jesus taught us, and taught us well.

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.'
But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous."

Jesus also told us that the meek shall inherit the earth.
As I have said before, this is a mathematical certainty.
All who engage in wars will, in the end, eliminate each other.

Those who live by the sword... ...shall die by the sword.
Those who live by the gun... ...shall die by the gun.
Those who live by the bomb... ...shall die by the bomb.

Eventually, there will only be the meek left (and not many of them at that).

But, whatever happens, God is with us and God loves us.

Christians never need to engage in vengeance.

Our God (the one and only true God) is all powerful "for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous".

God has total power over the wicked as well as the good.

The prophet Micah tells us of the future... ...The future when, eventually, all turn to God.

A future that we must strive for... ...Not by fighting wars or gaining vengeance.
A future that we must strive for by spreading the Gospel and loving our enemies and praying for those who persecute us.

Whatever happens, God is with us and God loves us.

It's not easy being a Christian... ...In fact it's the hardest thing anyone can ever do...

But the rewards are wonderful!... ...as the prophet Micah wrote:

It shall come to pass, in the latter days,
that the mountain of the house of the LORD
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be raised up above the hills;
and peoples shall flow to it,
and many nations shall come, and say:
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and we may walk in his paths."
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between many peoples,
and shall decide for strong nations afar off;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more;
but they shall sit, every man, under his vine and under his fig tree,
and none shall make them afraid;
for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken.

For all the peoples walk each in the name of its god,
but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God
for ever and ever.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

©Reuben Condie 23/09/2001.

Final Hymn: 423 (directly after the sermon) (NEH - Tune: Numark 98 98 88 )

1. O Lord of hosts, all heaven possessing, And hid in splendour all Thine own, In doubt and darkness dimley guessing, Men might Thy glory half have known: But now in Christ we see Thy face, Behold Thy love, and know Thy grace.	2. Illumine all Thy chosen teachers The Spirit's wisdom to unfold; From out the Scripture may Thy preachers Bring forth its treasures new and old, And oldest, youngest, find in Thee Of truth and love the boundless sea.
3. Let faith still light the lamp of science, And knowledge own Thee Lord of truth; Let age still find in Thee reliance, Nor lose the primal awe of youth; So better, wiser, may we grow, As time's swift currents onward flow.	4. Preserve us here in mystic union With saints in heaven from sin set free, And hold us in that blest communion Of all on earth who trust in Thee; So keep our souls, or there or here, Within that love which casts out fear.

Edward Plumptre 1921-91