For those who were unable to attend, we
thought that you might like to have the Eulogies given by Richard at the
funerals of Margaret and Dudley Robertson
Alison thoughtfully suggested that I might write about the funeral services held for Dudley Robertson and Margaret Newman last week. I am grateful for this and to Bishop Ian for allowing me to conduct them.
Dudley’s family and friends are spread far and wide. Because of
present restrictions, many were unable to be present. The service at
Stirling Crematorium held on the 24th July was therefore streamed.
Words written by John Bunyan sum up Dudley’s life to perfection. Bunyan
was an irrepressible seventeenth century itinerate preacher imprisoned
for twelve years by order of the King. Whilst in Bedford prison he
penned the text of Pilgrims Progress and within it these words later
adapted as a hymn. He who would valiant be gains’t all disaster
A good deal of disaster affected Dudley’s life. His days as an active
sportsman ended with the loss of a leg. He became a widower soon after
marrying his first wife. Later ill-health reoccurred, necessitating
dialysis and even greater loss of mobility.
Bunyan’s hymn continues ‘Hobgoblin nor foul fiend shall daunt his spirit’.
Dudley, like Bunyan exhibited vast reserves of fortitude and never
held a grudge against the twists and turns of life’s path. Every problem
that arose, and there were many, was solved with a solution. When, for
example immobility affected his golf swing, Dudley simply modified his
stroke to enable him still to win a cherished cup.
He was greatly loved everywhere not least by his sisters Fiona and
Christine. He made and retained lifelong friends, especially his late
brothers in law Derek and Colin. It gave him special pleasure to have
brokered their respective marriages to, as he teasingly called them, his
ugly sisters. With no children of his own, he stood as a beloved
father figure to his nephews and nieces.
Dudley travelled extensively by sea and so held the role of the RNLI in
great respect. He worked as a tireless fundraiser. The Institute
expressed its gratitude with the award of a silver medal and by sending a
representative to the service.
The hymn ‘Eternal Father’ was played before a reading of Tennyson’s
‘Crossing the Bar’ The poem, rich in nautical metaphor, speaks about
life’s journey
Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,
But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.
Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;
For tho’ from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crost the bar.
Margaret Newman always envisaged her funeral to be at St Andrews
and would include her favourite hymn, ‘There is a Green Hill’ far away’
This was penned by Mrs Cecil Frances Alexander, who also wrote ‘All
things bright and beautiful’ and ‘Once in Royal David’s city’. Mrs
Alexander married a clergyman, who ultimately became Primate of Ireland.
They lived in Derry, Margaret’s birthplace. Mrs. Alexander was of
humble disposition and disliked praise and flattery. She died greatly
beloved by many she had helped by her kindness. A stained glass window
in her memory was installed in the north vestibule of St Columb’s Cathedral in Derry which Margaret knew well.
Perhaps Margaret was inspired by Mrs. Alexander because she possessed
all her attributes in abundance. Margaret’s patient devotion to
Crossroads, a local charity, was just one example of her many gifts.
Margaret was interred at the Port of Menteith with her beloved husband
Colin who died in 2009. Colin was responsible for the renovation of St
Andrews in 2005. They are now reunited. Deo gratis.
Praise,
my soul, the King of Heaven; to His feet
thy tribute bring.
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven, who like
me His praise should sing?
Praise Him ! Praise Him! Praise the everlasting King.
Praise Him for His grace and favour to our
fathers in distress.
Praise Him still the same for ever, slow to
chide, and swift to bless
Praise Him! Praise Him! Glorious in His faithfulness.
Father-like He tends and spares us; well our
feeble frame He knows.
In His hands He gently bears us, rescues us from
all our foes.
Praise Him ! Praise Him ! Widely as
His mercy flows.
Angels, help us to adore Him, ye behold Him face
to face;
Sun and moon, bow down before Him, dwellers all
in time and space.
Praise Him ! Praise Him ! Praise with
us the God of grace.
Preparation: Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and
from whom no secrets are hidden: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the
inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily
magnify your holy name; through Christ our Lord. Amen
Our Lord Jesus Christ said: the first commandment is this:
“Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is the only Lord. You shall love
the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul,
with all your mind and with all Your strength.” The second is this: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” There
is no other commandment greater than these. Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Collect: O God, protector
of all who put their trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is
holy: fill us with your mercy and your
grace that with you to rule and guide, we may so use the good things of this
present life that we do not neglect things of eternal worth, through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen
Reading 1 Kings 3:5-12: At
Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said,
‘Ask what I should give you.’ And Solomon said, ‘You have shown great and
steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in
faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart towards you; and
you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son
to sit on his throne today. And now, O Lord my God, you have made
your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little
child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the
midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they
cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant therefore an
understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and
evil; for who can govern this your great people?’
It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. God said to him, ‘Because
you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or
for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to
discern what is right, I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you
a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like
you shall arise after you.
Gospel Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 Jesus put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of
heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it
is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of
shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in
its branches.’
He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that
a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was
leavened.’
‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone
found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that
field.’
‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine
pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he
had and bought it.’
‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea
and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat
down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be
at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the
righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be
weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
‘Have you understood all this?’ They answered, ‘Yes.’ And he said
to them, ‘Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven
is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new
and what is old.’
Reflection: It’s tempting to react to stress, change and
uncertainty with a desire to manage and control what we can, to be active and
proactive. The Church has been flung
into a new world, where worship and meetings go online, and where face-to-face
is risky. It’s a world of opportunities
and losses, of potential renewal and potential decline. We don’t really know where we will be in six
months’ time, let alone a year hence. So
we are tempted to say: “But let’s start
building the Kingdom of God anyway!”
These ‘parables of the Kingdom’ in our Gospel give us a timely reminder
that the initiative is God’s, and the action is God’s. The first two – the mustard seed and the
yeast – point to a persistent weed and an irrepressible fungus which simply get
on and grow, whether you want them to or not.
Nothing could stop God sending Jesus to live amongst us; nothing could stop the growth of Christian
faith, and nothing will deter God’s action in the future, though it may take
forms that are surprising and unexpected to us.
The second two parables – about selling everything for the treasure
and the pearl – describe the kind of action God takes. Jesus prized humanity, however ‘feeble’ our
frame (as the hymn puts it), and gave everything he had for us. The word used in today’s gospel for ‘bought’
means ‘redeemed’; we were redeemed for
the price of Jesus’ life, because he counted us – even us – to be a treasure
and a pearl of great price. God’s kingdom comes at a price that love is willing
to pay.
In the face of such dedicated, persistent love and purpose, our
own home-grown ideas and plans of how to ‘bring about the Kingdom of God on
earth’ are misplaced. Solomon got it
right when he did not ask for what he thought would be most useful, but simply
for wisdom to know God’s will for his people.
The Kingdom of justice, compassion, and peace will be God’s gift to us,
not our own achievement.
May we commit ourselves to follow God’s lead, wherever it might
take us and whatever it might cost.
Thy
kingdom come — on bended knee the passing ages pray;
And faithful souls have yearned to see on earth that kingdom’s day. We
give thanks for Christians through the centuries who have
handed on the gospel and built the
Church that nurtures us.
We pray for Bishop Ian and for all
Christians in our neighbourhood.
But
the slow watches of the night not less to God belong,
And for the everlasting right the silent stars are strong. We
pray for all who see no hope and hear no good news: the sick,
the unemployed, the lonely and
abused; and especially for …
And
lo! already on the hills the flags of dawn appear;
Gird up your loins, ye prophet souls, proclaim the day is near. We
pray for modern-day prophets whose vision inspires new life,
new ways of living, new solutions to old
problems, new ways to
understand and accept each other.
The
day in whose clear-shining light all wrong shall stand revealed,
When justice shall be clothedin might, and every hurt be healed. We
pray for those who are denied justice, not treated equally,
demeaned by prejudice, ignored,
despised and rejected.
When
knowledge, hand in hand with peace,
shall walk the earth abroad —
The day of perfect righteousness, the promised day of God. May
we have the grace to share in your Kingdom, Lord,
through the redemption we have in
Christ Jesus. Amen
The Great Thanksgiving
Let us lift up our hearts and give thanks to the Lord our God,
for it is right to give him thanks and praise.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord;
Hosanna in the highest!
Worship and praise belong to you, Father, in every
place and at all times. All power is
yours. You created the heavens and established the earth; you sustain in being
all that is.
In Christ your Son our life and yours are brought together in a wonderful
exchange. He made his home among us that we might for ever dwell in you.
Through your Holy Spirit you call us to new birth in a creation restored by
love.
As children of your redeeming purpose we offer you our praise,
with angels and archangels and the whole company of heaven,
singing the hymn of your unending glory: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and
might.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest. Glory and thanksgiving be to you, most loving Father, for the gift of your
Son born in human flesh. He is the Word existing beyond time, both source and
final purpose, bringing to wholeness all that is made.
Obedient to your will he died upon the Cross. By your power you raised him from
the dead. He broke the bonds of evil and set your people free to be his Body in
the world.
On
the night when he was given up to death, knowing that his hour had come, having
loved his own, he loved them to the end. At supper with his disciples he took
bread and offered you thanks. He broke the bread, and gave it to them, saying:
“Take, eat. This is my Body: it is broken for you.” After supper, he
took the cup, he offered you thanks, and gave it to them saying: “Drink
this, all of you. This is my Blood of the new covenant; it is poured out for
you, and for all, that sins may be forgiven. Do this in remembrance of
me.”
We
now obey your Son’s command. We recall his blessed passion and death, his
glorious resurrection and ascension; and we look for the coming of his Kingdom.
Made one with him, we offer you ourselves, a single, holy, living sacrifice.
Hear
us, most merciful Father, and send your Holy Spirit upon us that, overshadowed
by his life-giving power, we may be kindled with the fire of your love and
renewed for the service of your Kingdom.
Help
us, who are baptised into the fellowship of Christ’s Body to live and work to
your praise and glory; may we grow together in unity and love until at last, in
your new creation, we enter into our heritage in the company of the Virgin
Mary, the apostles and prophets, and of all our brothers and sisters living and
departed.
Through
Jesus Christ our Lord, with whom, and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all honour and glory be to you, Lord of all ages,
world without end. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer: Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day
our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who
trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Communion: draw close to Christ in spirit and
thanksgiving,
and be nourished by his presence with you and within you.
Closing prayer: Merciful
God,you gave your only Son to be both a
sacrifice for sin and an example of godly life:
help us gladly to receive all that he has done for us and follow in his
footsteps, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
May we go in the peace of Christ to love and serve the Lord. Amen
The Scottish Episcopal Church will this Sunday at 11.00 broadcasting video coverage of its Eucharistic service via its website,
social media channels and YouTube channel. The web page for the broadcast is located at www.scotland.anglican.org/broadcast-sunday-worship The
website will also contain a downloadable video and audio format of the service.
SERVICE
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen.
Collect
Almighty and everlasting God,
by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church
is governed and sanctified:
hear our prayer which we offer for all your faithful people,
that in their vocation and ministry
they may serve you in holiness and truth
to the glory of your name;
through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever
Gospel
Matthew 13:1-9
13 That same day Jesus went out of the houseand
sat by the lake.
2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boatand sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying:
“A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.
5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.
6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.
8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
The Nicene Creed.
I believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And of all things visible and invisible:
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God; Begotten of
His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of
very God; Begotten, not made; Being of one substance with the Father; By
whom all things were made: Who for us men
and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the
Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man: And was crucified also
for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered was buried: And the third day
He rose again according to the Scriptures:
And ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of the Father:
And he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the quick and the
dead; Whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Ghost, The Lord, and Giver of Life, Who
proceedeth from the Father and the Son; Who with the Father and the Son
together is worshipped and glorified; Who spake by the Prophets: And I
believe one Catholic and Apostolic Church: I acknowledge
one Baptism for the remission of sins: And I look for the Resurrection
of the dead: And the Life of the world to come. Amen.
The Sermon
When
Boris Johnson won the last General Election, his government was to
enjoy a few weeks ‘honeymoon’ The media spared his administration
criticism. It was called ‘Boris Bounce’ Since Covid though,
the nation’s mood has quickly reverted. The Government now faces daily
denunciation from many quarters.
Christ
was granted a positive reception at the outset of his ministry:
accordingly, he was invited to preach in the Jerusalem Temple and
synagogues. There he painted word pictures for his listeners,
lilies of the field, salt, and light. Later, the attitude of his
hearers altered and opposition sprung up from many quarters. Jesus was
no longer welcomed by the establishment. His ministry then became of
necessity itinerate. In today’s gospel Christ is found
preaching from a boat. His method of instruction also changed.
Dispensing with word pictures, he taught instead by parable, an earthly
story with a heavenly meaning. This then is the backdrop to one of the
best-known parables, that of the sower.
Except
that the story is not so much of a sower, but rather the variety of
soil found by the sown seed. The sower is anyone who faithfully
proclaims Christ’s message. The seed is the gospel or the
good news of the Kingdom.
In
Palestine, fields were formed in long, narrow strips. The ground between
them were pathways whose surface was trampled. The hardness of the
soil precluded the seed from penetrating the earth.
This soil represents any hearer with a closed mind. Prejudice induces
blindness. An unteachable spirit can erect barriers that cannot easily
be broken down. Both pride and fear can close a mind. There are none
so blind as those who deliberately will not
see.
Another
kind of soil was the stony ground. In Palestine, a thin layer of soil
on top of an underlying shelf of limestone was common. On such ground,
the seed might germinate rapidly in the sunshine. Then,
lacking depth of soil, it would die for want of moisture or
nourishment. This is the person who fails to think: here today and gone
tomorrow. Many followed Jesus only for what he might give: healings,
feedings, or miracles.
The
third type of soil was good but contained thorns and weeds. Despite
best effort, soil is never free of weed, often growing faster than the
seed itself. Human life is busy, crowded, and cluttered.
Work is good and essential but can be an intrusion to devotion. Leisure
is good and healthy, but that too can become all consuming. Both, often
unnoticed, can overcome God’s word.
The
fourth type of soil was deep, clean, and soft. Here the seed gained an
entry and found nourishment. Good ground is willing to hear, learn and
to be corrected. It is never too proud nor too busy
to listen. Priorities are in order and the word received readily
translated into action and so bearing fruit. This is the kind of
disciple that God requires. As Jesus concluded, “Let anyone with ears,
listen.”
A
closing thought. Clergy and their congregations often become dispirited,
mistakenly believing that through their own inadequacy, little
impression is being made on those about them. This parable
is a reminder that not everything said or done even with the best of
intention will fall on fruitful ground. This is not caused either by
fault or shortcoming, but simply reflects a fact of life. It should not
though encourage complacency.
Reflection
We reap what we sow.” Good seeds bear good fruit.
Weeding involves careful judgement like most decisions in life
Pruning and trimming, as painful as it seems, works eventually to the good.
Without rains and storms, both in life and in the garden, there will be no growth.
Deep roots are essential to growth.
In gardening, as in life, short-cuts, slipshod efforts, and neglect are readily evident.
Prayer
Jesus, you sow yourself
The Word of Truth, generously
The Word of Life, graciously
Defend us from the Evil One
Who seeks to snatch us away
Fortify us for hard times and costly discipleship
That we may endure
Deliver us from distraction
From worldly desires and
All that would lure us and choke us with false promises
Till us
Turn us
Enrich us with every blessing of your Spirit
That we may be good, good soil
Forever faithful and fruitful for you
Amen
Confession
Almighty
God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of all
men; We acknowledge and bewail our manifold
sins and wickedness, Which we, from time to time, most grievously have
committed, By thought, word, and deed, Against Thy Divine Majesty,
Provoking most justly Thy wrath and indignation against us. We do
earnestly repent and are heartily sorry for these our
misdoings: The remembrance of them is grievous unto us; The burden of
them is intolerable. Have mercy upon us, Have mercy upon us, most
merciful Father; For Thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, Forgive us
all that is past; And grant that we may ever hereafter
Serve and please Thee In newness of life, To the honour and glory of
Thy Name; Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Absolution
The Almighty and merciful Lord, grant me pardon and absolution of all my sins. Amen.
The Comfortable Words, Preface. and Sanctus.
Hear what comfortable words our Saviour Christ saith unto all who truly turn to Him.
Come unto Me, all ye that travail and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you. St. Matt. xi. 28.
So God loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, to the end
that all that believe in Him should not perish, but have everlasting
life. St. John iii. 16.
Hear also what Saint Paul saith.
This is a true saying, and worthy of all men to be received, That Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners. 1 Tim. i. 15.
Hear also what Saint John saith.
If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
Righteous; and He is the Propitiation for our sins. 1 St. John ii. 1, 2.
Therefore
with Angels and Archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud
and magnify Thy glorious Name; evermore praising
Thee, and saying,
HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, Lord God of hosts, Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory: Glory be to Thee, O Lord Most High. Amen.
In
union, O Lord with the faithful, I desire to offer Thee praise and
thanksgiving. I present to Thee my soul and body with
the earnest wish that may always be united to Thee. And since I can not
now receive Thee sacramentally, I beseech Thee to come spiritually into
my heart. I unite myself to Thee and embrace Thee with all the
affections of my soul. Let nothing ever separate
Thee from me. May I live and die in Thy love. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Today’s hymn
With
today’s recurring theme of nature, an obvious hymn to sing might be
‘All things bright and beautiful’. There is however a delightful
anonymous Dutch carol translated by the nineteenth century
hymnist G. R. Woodward.
Each verse of the text uses a different flower as its primary image and receives a contrasting musical setting before the celebratory refrain. While this is often sung at Advent and Christmas, there is nothing about the text to limit it to those seasons. The source of the tune remains anonymous, but it was harmonized by Dr Charles Wood. A professor of music both at Cambridge and in London, his pupils included Ralph Vaughan Williams.
1. King Jesus hath a garden, full of divers flowers,
Where I go culling posies gay, all times and hours.
Refrain:
There naught is heard but Paradise bird,
Harp, dulcimer, lute,
With cymbal, trump and tymbal,
And the tender, soothing flute.
2. The Lily, white in blossom there, is Chastity:
The Violet, with sweet perfume, Humanity. Refrain
3. The bonny Damask-rose is known as Patience:
The blithe and thrifty Marigold, Obedience. Refrain
4. The Crown Imperial bloometh too in yonder place,
‘Tis Charity, of stock divine, the flower of grace. Refrain
5. Yet, ‘mid the brave, the bravest prize of all may claim
The Star of Bethlem-Jesus-bless’d be his Name! Refrain
6. Ah! Jesu Lord, my heal and weal, my bliss complete,
Make thou my heart thy garden-plot, fair, trim and neat. Refrain
Blessing
Jesus the sower
whatever I am today, whatever the mix
of path, rock, thorns, or soil
help me to become good ground
for you, for your word and for your presence and the blessing of God Almight the Father Son and Holy Spirit be with us always
The Scottish Episcopal Church will this Sunday at 11.00 broadcasting video coverage of its Eucharistic service
via its website, social media channels and YouTube channel. The web page for the broadcast is located at www.scotland.anglican.org/broadcast-sunday-worship The
website will also contain a downloadable video and audio format of the service.
SERVICE
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen.
Collect
Almighty and everlasting God,
by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church is governed and sanctified:
hear our prayer which we offer for all your faithful people,
that in their vocation and ministry they may serve you in holiness and truth
to the glory of your name;
through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Consequently,
you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with
God’s people and also members of his household,
built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus
himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined
together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you
too are being built together to become a dwelling
in which God lives by his Spirit.
The Nicene Creed.
I believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And of all things visible and invisible:
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God; Begotten of
His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of
very God; Begotten, not made; Being of one substance with the Father; By
whom all things were made: Who for us men
and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the
Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man: And was crucified also
for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered was buried: And the third day
He rose again according to the Scriptures:
And ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of the Father:
And he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the quick and the
dead; Whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Ghost, The Lord, and Giver of Life, Who
proceedeth from the Father and the Son; Who with the Father and the Son
together is worshipped and glorified; Who spake by the Prophets: And I
believe one Catholic and Apostolic Church: I acknowledge
one Baptism for the remission of sins: And I look for the Resurrection
of the dead: And the Life of the world to come. Amen.
Sermon
There
are doubtless mixed feelings of fear and eagerness as the long period
of lockdown starts to change. A desire to reopen our buildings sits
alongside the anxiety of charting the unknown.
Our
churches first shut their doors on 23 March. They have now been closed
longer than any time since Pope Innocent III banned church services
between March 1208 and May 1213.
Some
within the church have regarded the locked door to be a positive
development. One recent report describes the worshipping church as
having changed in a matter of weeks from being an “Odeon” to
a “Netflix” What precisely does that mean? The typical 1950s cinema
offered one film with no alternative. Pre pandemic, choice of church
worship was similarly limited. After the 23rd March, a vast variety of
service suddenly became available; all at the touch
of a button and without the discomfort of a pew.
Now, as a Linkage worshipper, if both the Bulletin
Service as well as the Province’s weekly offering prove unacceptable,
then a choice of service from churches and cathedrals up and down the
land is readily available.
We are told that there have been several instances of people coming to
faith through this new medium.
Consequently,
in some circles this development has emboldened opinion towards
abandoning buildings that some simply regard as millstones. An
Archdeacon in the Church of England wrote recently “We
can’t go back . . . to preserving bricks and mortar” She argued that
congregations and weary wardens long to be “released to be church,
rather than being burdened with the responsibility of preservation, so
that “the new life we have seen emerge in lockdown
might blossom and flourish”. These same people are perplexed as to why
church buildings need ever be open for prayer, because God listens
wherever prayer is offered. The argument of course is nothing new: it is
simply that the pandemic has sharpened its focus.
There
are of course two sides to any discussion. Many still believe the place
of worship essential to spiritual life. The poet T.S Eliot summed up
the inviolability of a holy building thus:
. . . wherever a saint has dwelt, wherever a martyr has given his
blood for the blood of Christ,
There is holy ground, and the sanctity shall not depart from it
Though armies trample over it, though sightseers come with
guide books looking over it. . .
For
many, it matters greatly that the church door has remained locked
during the pandemic. Everyone, believer or not, needs a focal point in
time of need. Nothing though is so simple Technically our
own churches could now reopen for private devotion. However, there are
many onerous conditions imposed by government legislation before this
might happen. Both vestries have therefore, wisely decided to defer
further consideration until the situation becomes
clearer.
At a
loose end, I decided a few summers ago to repaint the church railings
at Callander. Naturally, passers-by stopped and chatted. None were
churchgoers, but readily admitted the comfort derived
from seeing St Andrews and its manicured garden as a constant in an
ever-changing word. One even donated a pot of paint!
As
for St Mary’s I once received a complaint from a cashier working at the
then Aberfoyle Motors. It was about the church bell. Why wasn’t it being
rung? Although not a churchgoer, he confessed comfort
from the knowledge that prayers were being said nearby.
What
the novelist Susan Hill writes of cathedrals could equally be said of
our churches: “Where else . . . is such a place, where the sense of all
past, all present, is distilled into the eternal
moment at the still point of the turning world?” She asks another
rhetorical question, which amplifies the point: “But surely there are
other places that will serve the purpose? To which people may come
freely, to be alone among others? To pray, to reflect,
to plead, gather strength, rest, summon up courage, to listen to solemn
words. What though and where are these other places to which the
pilgrim or the traveller, the seeker, the refugee, the petitioner, or
the thanksgiver may quietly come, anonymously, perhaps,
without fear of comment or remark, question or disturbance?” Her
question is perhaps answered by the poet Philip Larkin. A church is “a
serious house on serious earth”
With
all these hopes and anxieties in mind, Bishop Ian will be leading
discussion with vestry members in August to explore this question in
practical and spiritual terms. This might frame thought
in readiness.
Prayer:
Thank
you, gracious God, for the privilege of being part of your building,
your dwelling, your temple. Today, I offer myself to you, so that you
might put me exactly where you want me to be, so that
I might contribute to the building of your home on earth. I pray for my
home church, that we might truly live as your dwelling in the world.
Amen
Confession
Almighty
God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of all
men; We acknowledge and bewail
our manifold sins and wickedness, Which we, from time to time, most
grievously have committed, By thought, word, and deed, Against Thy
Divine Majesty, Provoking most justly Thy wrath and indignation against
us. We do earnestly repent and are heartily sorry
for these our misdoings: The remembrance of them is grievous unto us;
The burden of them is intolerable. Have mercy upon us, Have mercy upon
us, most merciful Father; For Thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake,
Forgive us all that is past; And grant that we
may ever hereafter Serve and please Thee In newness of life, To the
honour and glory of Thy Name; Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Absolution
The Almighty and merciful Lord, grant me pardon and absolution of all my sins. Amen.
The Comfortable Words, Preface. and Sanctus.
Hear what comfortable words our Saviour Christ saith unto all who truly turn to Him.
Come unto Me, all ye that travail and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you. St. Matt. xi. 28.
So God loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, to the end
that all that believe in Him should not perish, but have everlasting
life. St. John iii. 16.
Hear also what Saint Paul saith.
This is a true saying, and worthy of all men to be received, That Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners. 1 Tim. i. 15.
Hear also what Saint John saith.
If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
Righteous; and He is the Propitiation for our sins. 1 St. John ii. 1, 2.
Therefore with Angels and Archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify Thy glorious
Name; evermore praising Thee, and saying,
HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, Lord God of hosts, Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory: Glory be to Thee, O Lord Most High. Amen.
In
union, O Lord with the faithful, I desire to offer Thee praise and
thanksgiving. I present to Thee my soul
and body with the earnest wish that may always be united to Thee. And
since I can not now receive Thee sacramentally, I beseech Thee to come
spiritually into my heart. I unite myself to Thee and embrace Thee with
all the affections of my soul. Let nothing
ever separate Thee from me. May I live and die in Thy love. Amen.
1 We love the place, O God,
wherein thine honour dwells;
the joy of thine abode
all earthly joy excels.
2 We love the house of prayer,
wherein thy servants meet;
and thou, O Lord, art there
thy chosen flock to greet.
3 We love the sacred font;
for there the holy Dove
to pour is ever wont
his blessing from above.
4 We love thine altar, Lord;
O what on earth so dear?
for there, in faith adored,
we find thy presence near.
5 We love the word of life,
the word that tells of peace,
of comfort in the strife,
and joys that never cease.
6 We love to sing below
for mercies freely given;
but O we long to know
the triumph-song of heaven.
7 Lord Jesus, give us grace
on earth to love thee more,
in heaven to see thy face,
and with thy saints adore.
The author, The Revd William Bullock was born in 1797 at Prittwell, Essex, but later
emigrated to Canada. He died in March 1874 at Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Bullock was first the Anglican rector of St. Paul’s in Trinity,
Newfoundland and later of St. Luke’s Church, Halifax, Nova Scotia. When
the church was designated a cathedral in 1864, Bullock was appointed St.
Luke’s first dean.
Bullock’s descendants relate a family story that the author was
criticized for not including a verse in the hymn about the pulpit. He
replied with characteristic wit: “Perhaps this is what I should write:
We love thy pulpit Lord,
For there the word of man
Lulls the worshiper to sleep
As only sermons can.”
The hymn is sung to Quam Dilecta
Blessing
Grant, O Lord, we beseech you,
that the course of this world may be so peaceably ordered
by your governance, that your Church may joyfully serve you
in all godly quietness; through Jesus Christ our Lord
and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father Son and Holy Spirit be with us always
