Reuben's Theme: "Wisdom"

(Trinity 15) - EVENSONG 1830hrs. at Saint George's - Cullercoats.
Sunday, 24th. September 2006 Anno Domini.

Morning Mass: Proverbs 31.10­31 Psalm 1 James 3.13 ­ 4.3, 7­8a Mark 9.30­37
Evensong: Psalm 119.137-152 Exodus 19.10-end Matthew 8.23-end

September 24, 2006 Cycle B Trinity 15.

COLLECT

Almighty God, whose only Son has opened for us a new and living way into your presence:
give us pure hearts and steadfast wills to worship you in spirit and in truth;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

FIRST READING Proverbs 31.10­31

A reading from the book of Proverbs.
A capable wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.
She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands.
She is like the ships of the merchant, she brings her food from far away.
She rises while it is still night and provides food for her household and tasks for her servant-girls.
She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
She girds herself with strength, and makes her arms strong.
She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.
She opens her hand to the poor, and reaches out her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid for her household when it snows, for all her household are clothed in crimson.
She makes herself coverings; her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Her husband is known in the city gates, taking his seat among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them; she supplies the merchant with sashes.
Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.
She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and call her happy; her husband too, and he praises her: 'Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.'
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her a share in the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the city gates.

PSALM Psalm 1

R Happy are they who delight in the law of the Lord.

1 Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seats of the scornful!
2 Their delight is in the law of the Lord, and they meditate on his law day and night. R
3 They are like trees planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; everything they do shall prosper. R
4 It is not so with the wicked: they are like chaff which the wind blows away;
5 Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgement comes, nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.
6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked is doomed. R

SECOND READING James 3.13 ­ 4.3, 7­8a

A reading from the letter of James.
Who is wise and understanding among you?
Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom.
But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth.
Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish.
For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind.
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.
And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.
Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from?
Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you?
You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder.
And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts.
You do not have, because you do not ask.
You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.
Submit yourselves therefore to God.
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

GOSPEL Mark 9.30­37

Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.
[After leaving the mountain] Jesus and His disciples went on from there and passed through Galilee.
He did not want anyone to know it; for He was teaching His disciples, saying to them, 'The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill Him, and three days after being killed, He will rise again.'
But they did not understand what He was saying and were afraid to ask Him.
Then they came to Capernaum; and when He was in the house He asked them, 'What were you arguing about on the way?'
But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest.
He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, 'Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.'
Then He took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in His arms, he said to them, 'Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me - welcomes not me, but the one who sent me.'

POST COMMUNION

Lord God, the source of truth and love,
keep us faithful to the apostles' teaching and fellowship,
united in prayer and the breaking of bread,
and one in joy and simplicity of heart,
in Jesus Christ our Lord

Evensong:

PSALM Psalm 119.137-152

Righteous art thou O Lord : and true is thy judgement.
The testimonies that thou hast commanded : are exceeding righteous and true.
My zeal hath even consumed me : because mine enemies have forgotten thy words.
Thy word is tried to the uttermost : and thy servant loveth it.
I am small and of no reputation : yet do I not forget thy commandments.
Thy righteousness is an ever lasting righteousness : and thy law is the truth.
Trouble and heaviness have taken hold upon me : yet is my delight in thy commandments.
The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting : O grant me understanding and I shall live.
I call with my whole heart : hear me O Lord I will keep thy statutes.
Yea even unto thee do I call : help me and I shall keep thy testimonies.
Early in the morning do I cry unto thee : for in thy word is my trust.
Mine eyes prevent the nightwatches : that I might be occupied in thy words.
Hear my voice Lord, according unto thy lovingkindness : quicken me according as thou art wont.
They draw nigh that of malice persecute me : and are far from thy law.
Be thou nigh at hand O Lord : for all thy commandments are true.
As concerning thy testimonies I have known long since : that thou hast grounded them for ever.

FIRST READING Exodus 19.10-end

The LORD said to Moses: "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and prepare for the third day, because on the third day the LORD will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.
You shall set limits for the people all around, saying, 'Be careful not to go up the mountain or to touch the edge of it. Any who touch the mountain shall be put to death.
No hand shall touch them, but they shall be stoned or shot with arrows; whether animal or human being, they shall not live.' When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they may go up on the mountain."
So Moses went down from the mountain to the people. He consecrated the people, and they washed their clothes.
And he said to the people, "Prepare for the third day; do not go near a woman."
On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, as well as a thick cloud on the mountain, and a blast of a trumpet so loud that all the people who were in the camp trembled.
Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God. They took their stand at the foot of the mountain.
Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke, because the LORD had descended upon it in fire; the smoke went up like the smoke of a kiln, while the whole mountain shook violently.
As the blast of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses would speak and God would answer him in thunder.
When the LORD descended upon Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain, the LORD summoned Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go down and warn the people not to break through to the LORD to look; otherwise many of them will perish.
Even the priests who approach the LORD must consecrate themselves or the LORD will break out against them."
Moses said to the LORD, "The people are not permitted to come up to Mount Sinai; for you yourself warned us, saying, 'Set limits around the mountain and keep it holy.'"
The LORD said to him, "Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you; but do not let either the priests or the people break through to come up to the LORD; otherwise he will break out against them."
So Moses went down to the people - and told them.

SECOND READING Matthew 8.23-end

When Jesus got into the boat, His disciples followed Him.
A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but He was asleep.
And they went and woke Him up, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!"
And He said to them, "Why are you afraid, you of little faith?" Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm.
They were amazed, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"
When He came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs coming out of the tombs met Him. They were so fierce that no one could pass that way.
Suddenly they shouted, "What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?"
Now a large herd of swine was feeding at some distance from them.
The demons begged Him, "If you cast us out, send us into the herd of swine."
And He said to them, "Go!" So they came out and entered the swine; and suddenly, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the water.
The swineherds ran off, and on going into the town, they told the whole story about what had happened to the demoniacs.
Then the whole town came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their neighbourhood.

Having only just been able to sit down and write my sermon for this evening, this afternoon...
...the one I had written was based on Harvest Festival...
...I am in the glorious position of having had extra time to reflect on the readings we have heard today.

This evening we have had part of a psalm that praises the word of God, the culmination of our small dip into the story of 'The Exodus' that we have been enjoying every Sunday evening for the past few weeks and Matthew's telling of 'The Calming of the Storm' and 'The Casting Out of Demons'.

So let me first take you back to what we heard this morning.

Our first reading, at this morning's Masses, was one that many people take wrongly.

Indeed until I went through my three year training to be a Reader, I used to fall in the same trap.

A capable wife who can find?

The mistake, so often made...
...and this is something I keep going on about...
...is that we forget to put what is written into the context of the society and time it is written.

It is not about the subjugation of women...
...it is in praise of women.

It paints a remarkable picture of the power a woman...
...for good and for ill.

It closes with a poem about the ideal wife:
responsible, capable, hardworking and completely trusted.

Not only do her husband, family and household depend on her provision and foresight for their physical needs;
they owe their well-being at a much deeper level.

Her influence extends beyond this immediate circle to society at large.

She finds ample scope for all her gifts in the wider spheres of buying and selling and business transactions.

Where does her secret lie?

In that same 'fear of the LORD' in which all true wisdom has its roots.

A wisdom that the disciples were most certainly lacking in this morning's Gospel.

Jesus is on the move, passing through Galilee...
...but trying to keep a low profile...
...because He was trying to teach His disciples...
...and prepare them for what was to come...
...and the importance of what was to happen.

The trouble is they didn't understand.
They probably weren't even paying full attention to Jesus because they were actually arguing about who was the most important among them.

Even when Jesus asks what they were arguing about, they act without wisdom.

They keep quiet - as if anyone could keep a secret from Jesus!

So, Jesus makes it simple for them.

Knowing what they were arguing about He takes the Apostles to one side and tells them, "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all."
Then taking a little child in His arms, He continues...
"Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me,
and whoever welcomes me - welcomes not me,
but the one who sent me."

This is true wisdom.

In the part from the letter from James, that we heard this morning, he writes about true wisdom...
...and our choice...
...to take God's way - or the world's.

Christian wisdom is very different from being worldly wise.
The worldly-wise are full of selfish ambition...
...eager to get on, asserting their own rights.

God reckons us wise when we put selfishness aside and show concern for others.
Something the disciples were just beginning to find out.

This kind of wisdom is seen in our personality and behaviour...
...not in mere mental ability.

True wisdom is not knowledge or intelligence.
It is the ability to discern truth, honour and love.
The ability to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God.

And to walk with God, we must obey the laws of God...
...and listen to the Word of God.

This morning's psalm is about the blessing which results from the study of God's laws.

You see we have an agreement with God which goes back to the time of the our first reading tonight.

As God promised (back in chapter three - when we started our continuing stories from Exodus at evensong on 10th. August)...

As God promised, Moses brings God's people to him at Mount Sinai, where he will establish his covenant with the nation.

Thunder, fire, earthquake and lightning herald God's presence and demonstrate his power.

The LORD God, holy, awesome, unapproachable... ...speaks!

The word of God is awesome.

Psalm 119 is a psalm in praise of the Word of God.
It's 176 verses long... ...that's a lot of praise of the Word of God!
Tonight we sang verses 137 to 152.

Righteous art thou O Lord : and true is thy judgement.
The testimonies that thou hast commanded : are exceeding righteous and true.
My zeal hath even consumed me : because mine enemies have forgotten thy words.
Thy word is tried to the uttermost : and thy servant loveth it.
...and that's powerful praise of the Word of God indeed!

Even though we, as individuals, seem insignificant and things can go horribly wrong...
I am small and of no reputation : yet do I not forget thy commandments.
Thy righteousness is an ever lasting righteousness : and thy law is the truth.
Trouble and heaviness have taken hold upon me : yet is my delight in thy commandments.
...God and his laws are just so wonderful...
...worthy of the highest praise.

Without God's laws, and the wisdom to obey them, there is chaos.

And that brings me to our second reading tonight,
from the Gospel according to Matthew,
where we have two separate incidents in Jesus' ministry.

The calming of the storm...
...and the casting out of demons from two men.

In the casting out of the demons, Luke and Mark just refer to one man 'Legion'.

Here, Matthew tells how Jesus restored both men to sanity.

In the calming of the storm, I have great difficulty in believing that there was an actual storm on a stretch of water no bigger than Lake Windermere, that threatened to sink a boat which had several skilled fishermen on board.

I believe that, as in this morning's Gospel, there was an argument among the disciples.

A big argument.

One of those arguments where everything spirals out of control.

One of those arguments where anger and hurt cause words to be said that were never meant.

One of those arguments where friendships can be damaged...
...seemingly beyond repair.

The disciples descend into the chaos of every negative emotion you could possibly imagine.

It is only through the power and love of Jesus that they are saved.

In the calming of the storm we have a unique demonstration of Jesus' power to bring order from chaos.

In the same way Jesus can bring sanity out of insanity, shown by the casting out of the demons from the two men.

Today, for me, has all been about God's law...
...how wonderful it is...

...and the true Wisdom we need to walk with God.

To walk with God, we must follow Jesus.

This morning, at Matins, there was a reading from the book of Ecclesiasticus.

It puts everything into perspective.

Remembering:

The reading about a woman with true wisdom.

The Gospel about the disciples lack of wisdom and Jesus' teaching them the true order of things under God's laws and true wisdom.

The psalm about the blessings which result from the wisdom of studying and following God's law.

The letter from James about true wisdom and our choice to take God's way or the world's.

The reading from Exodus at Mount Siani, where God establishes his covenant with the nation (and us).

The psalm, this evening, praising the word of God.

And the reading from Matthew's gospel, where Jesus shows, spectacularly, that through Him, order and wisdom can be brought out of chaos and insanity.

Remembering all these things, I want to read, to you, that reading from Matins this morning:

The Lord created human beings out of earth,
   and makes them return to it again.
He gave them a fixed number of days,
   but granted them authority over everything on the earth.
He endowed them with strength like his own,
   and made them in his own image.
He put the fear of them in all living beings,
   and gave them dominion over beasts and birds.
Discretion and tongue and eyes,
   ears and a mind for thinking he gave them.
He filled them with knowledge and understanding,
   and showed them good and evil.
He put the fear of him into their hearts
   to show them the majesty of his works.
And they will praise his holy name,
   to proclaim the grandeur of his works.
He bestowed knowledge upon them,
   and allotted to them the law of life.
He established with them an eternal covenant,
   and revealed to them his decrees.
Their eyes saw his glorious majesty,
   and their ears heard the glory of his voice.
He said to them, 'Beware of all evil.'
   And he gave commandment to each of them concerning a neighbour.
Their ways are always known to him;
   they will not be hid from his eyes.

So there you have it.

Trust in, and follow, the laws of God.

God who cares for us so much...
...that He became a human-being...

...to teach us - and show us - the way, the truth and the light.

From the chaos of darkness and all that is bad...
...to the wisdom of love and truth and all that is good.

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