Sermon - Eat My Words

Richard Bruce Nugent, “Jesus and Judas,” 1947 (Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art)

A sermon preached at St George’s Bloomsbury on Bible Sunday, 24th October 2021 based on readings from Isaiah 55:1 -11, 2 Timothy 3:14 to 4:5 and John 5:36b-47

For many years I helped to organise a church fair. It was a traditional affair, with bunting, competitions and dancing around a maypole. At first I was given the task of helping to organise the book stall - probably because after the Boy Scouts I was the youngest person involved and best placed to lug the books out onto the village green! 

Often we would receive donations of large family bibles to sell. Delicate pages of gold leaf bound in embossed leather; treasure held securely in place by a clasp or buckle. Unwanted heirlooms, whose previous owners thought that a beautiful Bible would be snapped up at a church fair.

How wrong they were! 

Year after year we would carry these heavy bible back to the store room in the church hall!

While rearranging all the copies of Fifty Shades of Grey during a quiet moment, I noticed that one of these bibles had none of the usual family names and dates of birth and baptism in the front, but contained several sheets of notepaper placed between its pages, on which, in extremely neat handwriting, were rather unfavourable accounts of the antics of a vicar, his curates and several members of their parish; setting out in no uncertain terms how they had not been behaving in what the author considered to be a particularly “Christian” way. 

After reading a few pages of these salacious segues from the sheets of scripture, the person helping me on the stall realised that these stories were about a former vicar of that parish; and that some of the parishioners - as well as the person they thought to be the author - was still around! 

Turning to me they said : “don’t worry, they’ll end up eating their words.” 

Today’s reading from Isaiah describes the transformative effect of ingesting God’s word - and offers hope for anonymous, judgemental chroniclers in every parish - and all whose thoughts and actions stray from the path of righteousness - by choosing not simply to place the story of their lives between pages from scripture, but embedding their lives fully within it.

In a beautiful simile, God’s word is described as being like the waters that rain down upon earth, causing seed to sprout, grain to grow and bread to be made. God’s word embedded in the DNA of life; available without charge to all who hunger and thirst and to all nations, through the one whom God has glorified. By coming to Him and hearing his word, we will find life in all its fullness.

God’s word, Isaiah explains, will be central to His plan to transform the world. The word that goes out from God’s mouth “shall not return to [him] empty, but it shall accomplish that which [he] purpose[s] and succeed in the thing for which [he] sent it.”

Transformation was the subject of a statement issued by the Anglican Bishops of Ghana this week, in support of new legislation which the Daily Telegraph has described as “the most draconian anti LGBTQ legislation on earth” with advocates for gay rights facing up to ten years in prison.

In their statement, the Bishops did not condemn what they described as “persons with homosexual tendencies” but did condemn the “sinful acts and activities they perform.” They were careful not to condone harassment or violence against LGBTQ people but offered to open the “counselling and support centres [of the church] for the needed transformation services required by these persons or groups.”

These “transformation services” are not described, but many commentators have taken this to mean “conversion therapy” - a practice which has been debunked by the Royal College of Psychiatrists here and which the UK government is considering making illegal. 

Some scholars believe the Second Letter to Timothy was written by St Paul, from prison in Rome. In it, we learn that a group in the church is attempting a conversion therapy of its own - seeking to draw people away from Paul’s teaching about Jesus. Timothy is urged to oppose them by setting a good example and being consistent in preaching that is rooted in the scriptures - to “do the work of an evangelist; [to] carry out [his] ministry fully.”

Doubtless, the Bishops in Ghana are certain that is what they are doing. Drawing on texts from Leviticus and the First Letter to Timothy, they judge homosexual acts as sinful. But critical analysis of the language and context in which these texts were written has, for others, cast doubt on this interpretation when applied to the same sex relationships which, in this country at least, we are able to see all around us today (relationships which in many countries are driven into the shadows). 

Whilst the statement issued by the Bishops of Ghana is delicately worded so as to give an impression of respect for all life; the offer to host “transformation services” opens the possibility for harmful conversion therapy to be practiced. 

Like the anonymous parish chronicler, some have accused the Bishops of inserting their own judgement between quotations from scripture; rather than replying on the judgement of the one whose ways are higher than our ways and whose thoughts are higher than our thoughts.

Jesus is battling against Bible bashers in our gospel reading. The Jewish leadership are enraged that Jesus had broken the Sabbath law by healing a sick man at the pool of Bethesda and infuriated by his claim that he is the Son of God. 

In response, Jesus explains that they have ignored the testimony of John the Baptist who pointed the way to him - but even greater than that is the testimony of God himself; revealed through the works of healing and compassion that Jesus has performed. 

Finally, Jesus turns the tables 180 degrees, explaining that if his accusers do not believe him, they cannot believe the words of Moses, since the Laws of Moses, as the rest of the scriptures, testify to his mission. Jesus could not, therefore have broken the law, since he is the law; the scriptures can only be fully revealed to those who are in relationship with him. 

The divine transformation plan that Isaiah prophesied was completed when God’s Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We are about to gather and share together a sacramental meal - to eat bread - in remembrance of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus – God’s saving act which has drawn us back into relationship with Him.

A relationship that runs deeper than placing the self-edited version of the story of our lives amongst pages from scripture or bookending our weekday lives with instalments of the Good News. We have been brought into a relationship in which our lives are destined to become one with the living Word. 

This Bible Sunday, let us humbly receive Christ in both word and sacrament and renew our commitment to truly embody that growing transformation. That’s a conversion I hope we can all support. 

 

Prayers

Almighty God, your Word is a lamp to our feet and a light unto our path.
On this Bible Sunday we give thanks for your Word revealed to the world by your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ and through the gift of your Spirit in scripture and sacrament.
Help us to live our lives not as our own story inserted between your Good News, but as living chapters of it.
Grant us, your church, the humility to set aside our own pride and prejudices,
trusting in your judgement; one whose ways are higher than our ways and whose thoughts are higher than our thoughts.
We pray especially for those involved in the Living in Love and Faith process within the
Church of England and for all those across the world who live under threat of abuse or persecution as a result of their faith and their sexuality.

Lord in thy mercy
Hear our prayer

Generous God, whose word has rained down upon earth, causing seed to sprout, grain to grow and heavenly manna to be revealed;

bless all who hold positions of authority and influence over the resources of this earth.
Send down upon them the grace not to be slaves to personal ambition or precedent but, transformed, to act as servants to justice and righteousness for all. 
We pray especially for Her Majesty the Queen and all those preparing to attend the United Nations Climate Change conference. 
In our parish community we pray for those supporting the homeless those living in food poverty and those who minister to the lonely.
May your kingdom come; a world in which all your people live together in perfect peace and in harmony with your creation.

Lord in thy mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Loving God, whose Son, suffered and died on the cross for our salvation;
hear the cries of all who reach out to you in pain.
Bless all medical professionals and care-givers; those who serve you by bringing healing to those in need; for all who bring words of comfort to the distressed.

We pray especially this day for Ronald, Sue and Angela

and for all those whose names are unspoken but written on our hearts. 

Lord in thy mercy 

Hear our prayer 

Eternal God, welcome into your kingdom all your obedient servants who have recently departed this life, including Les Kieley and James Chelunar. Comfort Colin, Les’s brother, Tina his mother, Linda, James’s nice and all their family, friends and neighbours who mourn. As we await the day when we might become one with them and your Living Word, may we honour their faithfulness by working each day to be transformed in His likeness.

With the Blessed Virgin Mary, St George, St John and all the saints, we pray;

Merciful Father,
accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour, Jesus Christ,
Amen

Image : Richard Bruce Nugent, “Jesus and Judas,” 1947 (Leslie-Lohman Museum ofArt)